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EngineeringMathArt

Mini-Golf Design Studio

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Grades K-245-60 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Kids design and build their own mini-golf hole, testing slopes and surfaces until the ball behaves just right. It's a playful engineering challenge that ends in a real backyard tournament.

Choose your version

Every level teaches the same core idea — pick the one that fits your time, budget, and energy today.

Prep: 8 minActivity: 40 min1 session~$2/groupOne table or a small area of floor spaceBeginner-friendly

Setup

Gather cardboard, foam board, balls and clear a small work surface. Read the Mini-Golf Design Studio mission aloud, then place the supplies where children can choose and compare them safely.

Activity

  1. Predict which slope and surface will help a ball roll smoothly into the cup.
  2. Build a mini-golf hole with ramps, tunnels, and obstacles from cardboard and foam board.
  3. Test the hole with a ball and discover it overshoots or gets stuck, then adjust the slope or add a bumper.
  4. Host a mini tournament for friends or family and record everyone's scores on a scoreboard.

Done when: Children complete the core mission and a mini tournament for friends or family and record everyone's scores on a scoreboard.

Materials

Cardboard tubes, foam board or cardboard scraps, marbles or golf balls, tape, small paper cups

Shown for the Quick Start version — switch tabs above to see what changes.

Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Predict which slope and surface will help a ball roll smoothly into the cup.
  2. Build a mini-golf hole with ramps, tunnels, and obstacles from cardboard and foam board.
  3. Test the hole with a ball and discover it overshoots or gets stuck, then adjust the slope or add a bumper.
  4. Host a mini tournament for friends or family and record everyone's scores on a scoreboard.

Standards it satisfies

  • NGSS · K-2-ETS1-2

    Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.