Mega Construx Terrain Puzzle

Hello! I'm going to be showing you how to make a neat puzzle out of terrain pieces from the popular building toy line, Mega Construx! These pieces are in almost every set and are very common otherwise, so anyone with at least several pieces of terrain can do this project.

• Mega Construx terrain: the number of pieces is up to you. Use as many or as few as you like!
• Paper: for drawing on, and making the actual puzzle.
• Pencil
• A few extra bricks, for holding everything together

There are 4 types of Mega Construx terrain. In order from the photo, left to right, they are:

• Large pieces: the largest size, they are L-shaped
• Standard pieces: these look almost like a rectangle, besides a few ends jutting out.
• Small pieces: also L-shaped but on a much smaller scale.
• Tiny pieces: the smallest size, used for standing up a single figure.

Why do they fit together so well? It's simple: all the pieces are just combinations of the tiny size. this allows them to easily interlock and combine with one another.

This step is easy! Find a flat surface to work on and make sure you have all your materials.

Form the puzzle on top of your sheet of paper. Make sure the pieces all interlock correctly, and that there are no gaps in between pieces. This step can take a little while, because you also must decide the puzzle's difficulty. 2 factors decide how difficult your puzzle is:

• The number of pieces.
• The size of pieces used.

The number of pieces used affects how long it takes someone to solve your puzzle. More pieces = longer.

The size of pieces is important because it is far easier to figure out where a large piece goes than a tiny. Try to use at least one of each piece size.

Once you've finished your design, place the extra bricks everywhere that pieces meet. This ensures that your puzzle will hold its shape and makes it much easier to copy onto paper.

Now is the tricky part: the outline. Use your hand to hold the puzzle in place, and use your free hand to begin lightly tracing around the outside of the puzzle. Try not to move the puzzle too much while doing this, as it will mess up the final shape. Also, try to complete your tracing in one go, without stopping; this ensures the most complete, easy-to-follow outline possible.

Now that your puzzle is complete, have a friend or family member try to solve it. Take a photo of your completed puzzle before breaking the pieces apart so you remember the solution. Also, be aware that there may be multiple solutions to your puzzle, due to the nature of terrain pieces.

The funnest step! Add in whatever decorations you see fit; other blocks, some paint, anything! Make each puzzle piece unique, and add interesting 3D elements to all your pieces. Really make them stand out!

I hope you enjoyed this guide. This is a great project to do if you just have some extra pieces lying around, and is a fun challenge with friends as well. There are infinite puzzle combinations, so don't worry about running out. Save your old papers to solve later, just to see if you remember. Put your own spin on the project, do what you want with it! And, most importantly, have fun!