Two Large Mazes for 1st Grade

Two large mazes side by side give first graders a proper challenge: more than 40 dead ends in total and two routes that both detour to the top-right corner.

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1 A4 page · for home and classroom use

All printables: Mazes

Maze: large (ages 8+)

How to use this worksheet

Start with the left maze. Its route is the shorter one, 71 squares, and at one point runs straight down for six squares.
The right maze is the long one: its route passes through 109 squares and starts with a step down instead of to the right.
In both mazes the route climbs to the top-right corner before turning back down toward the circle, so don't head straight for the exit.
Use a sharp pencil, because two large grids on one page make the corridors narrow.

What this worksheet teaches

Two large mazes demand spatial orientation: knowing where you are on the grid, where you came from and where the exit lies. The left route has 7 places where the path splits; the right one has 14, twice as many decisions. First graders practice keeping a goal in mind over a long task while ignoring side paths. The detour to the top-right corner teaches something too: sometimes the path to a goal first leads away from it.

Variation to try

Draw the route in each maze in a different color. Then lay a piece of string along each route and compare the lengths; the right one should be clearly longer.

Questions and answers

Questions from parents

Why do both routes go up to the top-right corner?

That is simply where the only route of each maze leads. It teaches children to follow the corridors rather than rush toward the exit.

Is this too much for one sitting?

For many first graders, one maze per sitting is enough. Do the left maze today and the right one tomorrow.

Can two children share this sheet?

Yes, each takes one maze. Give the longer right maze to the more experienced solver.