Maze — Medium
Preschool · 3–5Help the mouse reach the cheese. Dead ends arrive at this level, so a child has to notice a wrong turn, go back and try again — the first real problem-solving in the set, and backtracking without frustration is the point. Let your child find the route with a fingertip before picking up a pencil — solving it and drawing it are two different jobs, and separating them usually produces a much neater line. Print it on A4 or US Letter.
Dead ends arrive
The step up here is that wrong turns exist. A child has to notice they have reached a dead end, go back, and try another way — which is a genuinely different mental task from following a single path, and the first real problem-solving on these sheets.
Narrower corridors also mean more control is needed to stay inside the lines.
Backtracking is the skill
Recognising a dead end and returning without frustration is worth more than finishing quickly. If your child gets stuck, resist pointing at the right path — ask where they think they went wrong instead, which keeps the thinking with them.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes this harder than the easy maze?
- Dead ends. A child has to notice a wrong turn, go back and try another way, which is a genuinely different mental task from following a single path.
- My child gets frustrated at dead ends. What do I say?
- Ask where they think they went wrong rather than pointing at the right path. Recognising a dead end calmly is the skill, and doing it for them removes the practice.