Maze
Created for free at puzzleandprint.com
Mazes for kids
From a first maze to a proper challenge, with solutions on separate pages.
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Maze, Solution
Created for free at puzzleandprint.com
Or take one that is already made
Four mazes, each a different size. Every one is a two-page PDF, the maze, then the solution on its own page.
Mazes are one of the few puzzles that ask nothing of reading, which makes them useful for a child who is not reading confidently yet, for a mixed-age group, and for anyone who is tired of being tested. There is no vocabulary to know and no instructions to follow beyond getting from one side to the other.
The four sheets step up in a way that suits how children actually progress. The first is twelve squares and takes a minute or two. The last is twenty-six and is a genuine sit-down puzzle. Printing a mixture is the useful move with a group, the same activity, so nobody feels singled out, but the right level of challenge each.
A tip worth passing on: children who keep losing their place do better with a highlighter than with a smaller maze. Marking the route as you go turns it from a memory task into a drawing one, and the finished sheet looks like an achievement.
Every maze has one route through and no loops, so a wrong turn always dead-ends. The solution is on page two of each PDF if you need to settle an argument.
Common questions
Does a child need to be reading to do these?
Not at all, which is the reason to reach for a maze. There is no vocabulary to know and no instruction beyond getting from one side to the other, so it suits a child who is not reading confidently yet and a group whose reading levels are all over the place.
Which of the four sheets suits a five-year-old?
The twelve-square one, which takes a minute or two. Twenty-six is the last in the set and is a genuine sit-down puzzle, better suited to eight and up, or to a child who has already asked for something harder.
Is there always a way through?
Yes, and there is exactly one. Every maze is generated so that all squares connect and no route loops back on itself, which means a wrong turn always ends in a dead end rather than sending you round in a circle.
Where is the answer?
On page two of the PDF, printed as a line through the maze. It is on a separate sheet so you can hand out the puzzle and keep the solution.
What size suits a young child?
Easy, at twelve squares. The corridors are wide enough for a crayon and the route is short enough to finish in a couple of minutes. If that is still hard, use the stepper to go down to ten or nine squares.
Can I get a different maze at the same difficulty?
Press New maze. It generates a completely different layout at the same size, so you can print a set where no two children have the same puzzle.
Do you have circular mazes?
Not yet, rectangular only for now. Round mazes are a different drawing problem and we would rather ship one shape that prints properly than two that half work.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Mazes are generated in your browser, so nothing you make is sent to us.
Want to know when new printables go up?
New printables when they go up, mostly seasonal, a few times a year.