Small Maze for Ages 4-5 — Set 278801

Two pairs of eyes spot dead ends faster than one, and this small maze is made for a grown-up and a 4- or 5-year-old to work out together.

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1 A4 page · for home and classroom use

All printables: Mazes

Maze: small (ages 4-5)

How to use this worksheet

Look at the 8×6 maze together first and agree where the entrance and the exit are.
Take turns choosing the direction at each junction: the child decides at the first one, the parent at the next, and so on.
Whoever did not choose draws that stretch, so both of you have to explain your choice to the other.

What this worksheet teaches

An 8×6 grid of 48 cells with one correct route is short enough for a young child to follow from start to finish. Working as a team, children practice explaining a choice, such as 'this way, because that one is closed', and listening to another person's idea. When they draw, they practice keeping the pencil between the walls.

Play idea

Try one pencil, two hands: parent and child hold the same pencil together, with the child's hand underneath doing the steering. You can feel when your child hesitates and wait with them, and it is a lovely way to share the final stretch to the exit.

Questions and answers

Questions from parents

Why solve a single small maze together instead of alone?

Solving as a pair makes the child talk about their choices, which builds language and planning at the same time.

What if my child wants to draw the whole way?

That is fine; you can switch to asking questions like 'which way now?' to keep the teamwork going.

Is an 8×6 maze too easy for teamwork?

For children aged 4 to 5, it is the right size: short enough to finish together before attention fades.