Mazes! Visual Motor Integration in Action!

Mazes!

They look like a just a "pencil paper" activity, but MAZES work on so many skills that OTs use them regularly! The combination of visual perceptual skills, executive functioning and motor skills appeal to us as OTs, however for kids, they are fun! Mazes are a form of "puzzle" which can be really organising for children as the steps needed to solve it help to make sense of what they see, sequencing steps to get from one location to the next while noticing visual boundaries. 

Before we even start with paper mazes, we start with toys and games that involve mazes. There are a commercially available toys that provide a maze-like component. Some require a child to solve a maze and others to create it. Here are a few ideas!
1. Make your own maze with craft sticks. Glue them onto a board (see title photo) or place them on a table (see this article). Use a marble, pom pom, small ball or even a toy car. 
2. Fabric marble maze. Make your own (see this article) or buy this commercially (Amazon link). This provides a fine motor work out as your child uses their fingers to push the marble through the fabric maze. 
3. Wikki Stix Maze. Make this for your child to complete or ask your child to design and make a maze using wikki stix (see IG video). Wikki stix are wax covered strings that can bend and twist into various shapes. They stick onto most surfaces and combined with a whiteboard, make a great "maze" boundary. 
4. Washi-tape Maze. Make your own maze with "washi tape" on a zip lock bag. Use small figurines to move through the maze. 
5. Commercial games like Magnetic sorting toys, Rush Hour, Labyrinth and Smart Dog Obstacle Run are also fun "maze-like" ideas!

​Visual perception is the process of extracting and organising information, giving meaning to what we see. It is required to perform everyday tasks, such as reading, copying information from a board or understanding symbols. 

Mazes provide a fun way to develop visual perceptual skills including:

• Eye-hand coordination (eg. drawing precise straight or curved lines within a visual boundary).
• Figure ground (the ability to see an object or form when presented in a complex background with a lot of visual information at one time).
• Visual discrimination (classifying and matching pictures).
• Position in space (relates to understanding directional language concepts, such up/down, left/right).
• Visual memory (ability to remember and recall pictures).
• Visual motor integration (ability to make sense of visual information and then use it appropriately when performing a motor task)
• Visual closure (ability to visualise the whole of an object or picture such as a complete a path from the beginning to the end)
• Form constancy (ability to recognise forms and objects as the same in various situations).

Moving from physical mazes to the pencil/paper variety adds the extra elements of fine motor skills and pencil control. Pencil control is an important pre-writing activity. Mazes provide a way to practice starting and stopping, changing direction, applying adequate pressure to the page and noticing visual boundaries.

Introducing a new resource "EYE-SPY MAZES". I've combined the appeal of mazes with additional picture cues for work on additional visual perceptual skills. There are varying grades of difficulty requiring a child to draw through the maze, counting specific pictures or letters. All pictures have been placed in the direct path of the maze which will help to solve the maze.  

​This printable contains 29 picture based mazes and 52 alphabet mazes. From preschoolers to primary (elementary) school, your child will love these mazes! The alphabet mazes are not designed to promote letter formation, however they may be used to prompt an interest in the alphabet. NSW Foundation Font has been used throughout this printable for those who use this font in my local area. If you use a different font, you can make visual comparisons with your students.  

Take a closer look at some of the mazes for yourself! This printable is 85 pages long and will provide many hours of activity for your child (or class)!  

Eye-Spy Mazes (YKOT Shop $Aus)

Eye-Spy Mazes (TPT Store $US)

Until next time,

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
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