Large Maze for Ages 8-10 — Set 819498

Every maze solver takes detours, and this large 16×12 maze lets an 8- to 10-year-old compare two routes: the wandering first attempt and the clean, direct correct path.

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1 A4 page · for home and classroom use

All printables: Mazes

Maze: large (ages 8+)

How to use this worksheet

Solve the maze in pencil, leaving every detour and dead-end trip on the page.
Go over only the correct path from the entrance to the exit in a bold color.
Measure both routes with a piece of string or by counting cells, and see how much shorter the bold route is.

What this worksheet teaches

With a single correct path, the direct route is always the shortest way out; the difference between it and the first attempt shows exactly how much searching was done. Measuring with string or counting cells adds estimation and comparison, and seeing the wasted distance motivates better planning next time.

Play idea

Hold a string contest. Before measuring, your child cuts a piece of string they think matches the bold route. Lay it along the path: too short, too long or just right? Then do the same for the wandering route and compare the two strings side by side.

Questions and answers

Questions from parents

Can there be a shorter way than the correct path?

No, the maze has only one path from the entrance to the exit, so the correct path is also the shortest; any other line includes a detour.

How do we measure a route on a 16×12 grid?

Lay string along the line and straighten it against a ruler, or count the cells the route passes through; both work well for this size.

Is this activity suitable for an 8-year-old?

Yes, the large maze suits ages 8 to 10, and the measuring part can be as simple as counting cells.