Learn to design a maze with these easy step by step directions! All you need is a pencil and markers!
Materials to draw your own maze….
Drawing a maze is a fun activity that combines drawing as well as some spatial thinking. I love this activity because it requires only the most basic of supplies.
Your student will need paper, a pencil with a good eraser, a marker of a single color, and a ruler. Optionally, if your students want to add color you can make crayons and markers of other colors available as well!
How to begin to design a maze….
First, your DIY maze can be any size or shape. I started by drawing a rectangle on a standard 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. You could draw any shape here. The idea is to draw a shape that will contain your DIY maze.
Draw two “openings.” These openings should be on opposite sides of the maze. One will serve as an entry point and one as the exit point of your hand drawn maze. Your students can label these point if they choose!
Create the “solution for your DIY maze…
Starting at the “enter” point of the maze draw a line that twists and turn and ends, finally, at the exit mark of the maze.
To make this process easier the line you draw should follow these easy rules.
-The lines of your maze should never overlap itself
-Leave plenty of space around the line. (You’ll see why soon!)
-Start simple!
After you get the hang of designing a maze you can always make a more complex maze design. Start simple!
Adding “wrong turns” to your maze….
Now that you’ve drawn the “solution” to your maze it’s time to add some more options, or wrong turns, that make your maze a little more difficult to complete.
In pencil, add some more dead ends. These lines will branch off of existing pencil drawn lines within your DIY maze. Keep in mind these pencil lines will be erased. Draw lightly!
How to finish designing your own maze…
Now is the time to grab a marker. Any color will do. Draw a marker line that runs parallel to each side of your pencil line inside your maze. This create the “tunnel.”
This is also a good time to outline the exterior of the maze shape as well.
Use a good eraser to get rid of any remaining pencil lines. These chunky white polymer erasers are my favorites! They will not ruin your paper!
Adding color to your DIY maze….
I added color to my maze just because. I love the graphic blocky look of the laze and think the color is fun. If you wanted to be finished before adding any color you totally could be. Color is a bonus!
If there is a copy machine available make a few prints of your DIY maze for friends and family to solve and save your original.
Design more mazes…
Now that yo understand the process to design a maze it becomes quite easy to design a maze quickly! Try making a new maze using a different exterior shape or curvy interior lines for a different effect!
Let’s design a maze together….
Follow along with the video above and we draw a maze together in this step by step tutorial. Grab your pencil and paper!
