Halloween maze game
Using directions to guide pupils through a maze from the haunted house back to their home
In this fun Halloween maze game for kids, students will give each other instructions so that they can successfully navigate a Halloween table maze. This activity provides an engaging and practical way to test KS1 students' maths knowledge as they will need to use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction, and movement.
Can you use directions to guide your friends through a maze from a haunted house back to their home?
Activity: Halloween maze game
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within maths and science. This resource focuses on developing understanding of geometric directions and involves giving verbal instructions to allow learners to successfully complete a table maze.
Clear instructions and correct vocabulary are important to ensure that the learners know how to complete the maze. This activity could be used as a starter or main activity to introduce geometry, position, and direction.
This activity needs to be carried out in pairs. One member of the pair will give instructions, the other will use those instructions to navigate the maze. The learner being given the instructions must wear a blindfold.
When giving instructions, learners should only use one command at a time. It must be made clear that the learner given the instructions can only complete each instruction as it is given and cannot do anything else as this is how robots work.
If time is an issue, then this activity could be done with just one pair, with the rest of the class watching and commenting on the performance.
The maze route can be altered depending on the size of the classroom or hall used. It is suggested that routes are marked on the floor with masking tape, but again this will depend on the classroom and what is appropriate for the flooring type. In a classroom the maze could also be made by repositioning desks.
Tools/resources required
- Projector/Whiteboard
- Make a maze with tables or use masking tape or other suitable method of marking out the maze layout.
- Blindfolds
The engineering context
When engineers program robots they need to be very clear in their instructions to avoid any confusion. For example, the Mars Rover must follow very detailed instructions to help it move safely on the planet and send back pictures.
Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity students will be able to follow a set of verbal instructions to successfully navigate a maze, they will understand the importance of clear instructions when instructing others and they will be able to use mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement.
Download the free Halloween maze game activity sheet below!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.
The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
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