HOW TO MAKE A MAZE

Want to have some fun and challenge a friend? Read how to make a maze, it's very simple. You can make your mazes as easy or difficult as you choose. Don't forget to read to the end where we explain how you can create impossible mazes.

YOU WILL NEED:

PENCIL
ERASER
GRAPH PAPER (The ones with the square blocks!)

To Draw A Maze:

Take a piece of graph paper
Draw the overall shape you would like your maze to be: round, square, a shape of a picture etc. on the graph paper
Leave one block open on both sides of the shape, to "BEGIN" and "END" (use an eraser to clear two blocks if need be)
Now start at the "Begin" block and draw the correct route to the "end" block, with a double line, making a few twist and turns through your shape to make it difficult. Don't press too hard, you may want to erase some lines later to create a challenge and you do not want to leave the traces behind.
Create a few other possible routes to choose from (fake routes) stemming from the beginning of the existing path, by erasing the lines of some blocks and making other paths that lead to dead ends near the "end" block.
Continue to create more fake routes out of the initial fake routes, erasing lines as necessary and adding additional dead-end paths as necessary.
Continue doing this until most of the graph paper have some form of path or lines on, adding individual straight lines where necessary.
You can now add some pictures at your "Begin" and "End" blocks if you want to create a little "who find who" story about your maze.
If you want to preserve your original maze, make some photocopies, this will also remove all traces of the eraser that was used.
Ready to challenge your friends?

Maze ideas:

You can also do what we did, do not add the words "Begin" and "End" or "Start" and "Finish" to your maze, this means you can use your maze both ways by turning the page.

Add some pictures to your mazes, draw some or use stickers to give your maze a story line.

If you want to create unsolvable or impossible mazes to keep those friends guessing, this is what you do:
Usually, when you cross an original path with a "fake" path, you would obviously erase the lines that cross your original path, so that the original path stays clear. So, the next bit is self-explanatory... don't erase a "fake" paths lines that goes across your original path... and make sure it cuts the original path off somewhere near the middle, so that it is difficult to find. Make sure there are other long "fake paths" leading up from the "end so that it is not too obvious. A persons first instinct would be to see if they can find the path from the end, if the start is difficult, so don't make it obvious.

FREE PRINTABLE MAZES

Now that you know how to make a maze, try our free printable mazes. They range from easy, medium, hard to super hard and if you are up for a little fun stuff to do, there are some very unique shape and pattern mazes too!

Here are some examples: