Hexbug Habitat Engineering Challenge

Do your kids love playing with hexbugs? They are tiny robots that move by vibrating. You can buy different habitats and play sets for them or you can make your own hexbug habitat. This makes for a great STEM challenge. I posed today’s hexbug habitat engineering challenge for my son. Can you design and build a hexbug habitat with at least two levels? I get commissions for purchases made through the affiliate links in this post.

We love building habitats and mazes for our hexbugs. In the past, we have used LEGO, craft sticks, and cardboard tubes to build mazes or tracks. This time I wanted to challenge my 2nd grade son with something a little different. The challenge: design and build a hexbug habitat with at least two levels. The hexbug needs to get to the second level on its own.

I provided Aiden with the following supplies:

strips of cardboard
cardboard tubes
cardstock
scissors
masking tape

He also had access to his box of random bits and pieces. From there, he grabbed some blocks of wood and a few plastic pieces.

For the base, I gave him an old piece of foamboard. (A piece of cardboard will work, too.)

Aiden thought about ways to make a second level in the habitat and decided on using a wooden block. He tried to use a cardboard tube as a ramp to get the hexbug from the ground to the top of the block. The incline of the tube was too steep for the hexbugs. Next he tried a piece of cardboard. The hexbugs fell off of the cardboard. He knew the cardboard pieces needed walls. His solution was to use the cardstock and curve it like the tubes.

Next he added more cardboard pieces and another wooden block. This block also got a ramp made of cardstock. The two wooden blocks are connected with a piece of cardboard.

Aiden finished the ground floor by adding a few obstacles, tunnels, and things for the hexbugs to explore or push around.

Finally he added a hexagon from his V2 habitat. He made this their starting point.

After Aiden was done building the habitat, he invited his sister to come play, too. They turned on the hexbugs and let them race around the habitat.

What do you think of our hexbug habitat engineering challenge? What would your kids build?

More STEM and STEAM Activities for Kids

This post is part of the 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids hosted by Left Brain Craft Brain. All month long the series is focusing on each of the buckets of STEM and STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Want Even More STEAM Ideas?

The STEAM Kids book has over fifty hands-on learning activities perfect for ages 4 to 10. Read my review here or buy the book here.

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