a-Maze-ing Sticks!
Turn your stick pile into a maze and reap all the academic benefits!
Large Scale Stick Mazes:
Introduce the concept of a maze using sticks
(be sure to collect a large pile of sticks ahead of time to have sticks readily available for maze crafting!)
Create a large maze using big sticks and invite your children to find their way out
Educational benefits for children:
Self-regulation- contain their body in limited spaces
Problem Solving- finding their way out of the maze
Gross Motor Skills- Strategically maneuvering body
Children will be inspired to create their own maze
Children will spend hours of focused and engaged time manipulating sticks to construct their own mazes
Educational benefits for children:
Eye-hand coordination- physically manipulating sticks
Inspire creativity- use different sized sticks and create different shapes
Collaboration- have children work together to make a maze
Problem solving- learning from trial and error or planning ahead on paper
Spatial skills- children learn how to be spatially aware by thoughtfully connecting the sticks
Ways to challenge children in maze making
Give parameters:
Use exactly x number of sticks
Create it in the shape of x
Have multiple exits to the maze
Use sticks exactly x units of measurement
Add color to your maze
*Encourage children to move in different ways through the maze: run, skip, tip-toe, hop, etc.
Small Scale Stick Mazes:
To aid in fine motor development, children can use small sticks to create mini-stick mazes!
Mini-stick mazes can be crafted on:
dirt/mud/sand and completed with a finger or stick
pavement and completed with chalk or water
paper and completed with a writing utensil
Print the Stick Maze PDF
to help get started with maze making!
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