Two Small Mazes for Ages 4-5 — Set 116912
Before children read words, their eyes must learn to travel smoothly along a line; these two small 8×6 mazes give 4- and 5-year-olds that practice as play.
1 A4 page · for home and classroom use
Maze: small (ages 4-5)
How to use this worksheet
- On the first maze, your child follows the corridors with the eyes only and says found it on reaching the exit.
- Next, they trace the route with a finger to check what the eyes found, and only then draw it.
- On the second maze, encourage scanning from left to right first, the direction used for reading English.
What this worksheet teaches
Each 48-cell board asks the eyes to track corridors, stop at corners and change direction, skills closely related to following a line of text. Noticing where a corridor continues and where it ends builds visual discrimination. Drawing the route after scanning adds pencil control and shows that looking carefully first makes the hand's job easier.
Play idea
Play eye train: an imaginary train runs only on your child's gaze and must stop at every corner of the corridor, the way reading stops at the end of a line, before moving on.
Questions and answers
Questions from parents
Can mazes really help with reading?
They practice eye tracking and attention to detail, which support early reading; they complement books rather than replace them.
Why scan with the eyes before drawing?
It separates looking from drawing, so your child trains the eyes without the pencil taking over.
Are two small mazes enough for one session?
For this age two short boards are ideal; scanning is tiring, and a short session keeps it enjoyable.