In this activity, children create a maze using sidewalk chalk on an outdoor surface, then maneuver toys or a ball through to see if they can find the finish line! Encourage children to add lots of twists, turns and dead ends, while also creating one pathway that successfully leads from start to finish.

What You Will Need:

• Sidewalk chalk
• Outdoor space on which to draw the maze
• Toys to maneuver through the maze

Process:

• With sidewalk chalk, draw one pathway leading from start to finish, be sure to create twists and turns that lead to dead ends too!
• Once the maze is complete, encourage children to begin at the start line and see if they can maneuver their favourite toy, car, or a ball through the maze to the finish line!
• Made it through the maze with ease? Have children maneuver their toys through the maze backwards from finish to start.
• Challenge children to see how quickly they can successfully maneuver through the maze. Time them and see if they can beat their best time!

Tips:

Looking to beat the heat? Add a water component to your maze with a watering can or sprinkler “water trap”. You can also choose to create your maze indoors using painter’s tape on the floor.

Happen to have a remote-controlled car? As a fun variation, see if your child can drive it through the maze!