Activity 1: Maze Game

Objectives: (1) To give directions using the language of ‘forwards’, ‘backwards’, ‘turn’, ‘stop’, ‘go’, ‘left’ and ‘right’; (2) To follow instructions

Make a simple maze in the living room or garden with a start and end point – you could have a chosen object to rescue at the end such as a teddy bear (perhaps the teddy has been stolen by the naughty pirates – the more imaginary the better!). Ask your child to help you think of ways to make the maze and supervise to make sure it is safe. For example, in the living room you could stack pillows, line up chairs or place imaginary obstacles in the way such as a “river” or “volcano” using an old piece of flattened cardboard. Be sure to move all sharp corners or breakable items out of the way. Once the maze is complete, use a blindfold to cover your eyes (e.g. tie an old scarf or pull a hat down over your eyes). Then ask your child to guide you from the start to the end point to rescue the object using the key directions (forwards, backwards, turn, stop, go). You may need to practise this several times to support your child’s understanding by ‘talking out loud’ and saying things such as “I’m moving forwards”, “I’ll need to turn here or I’ll fall into the river” or “I’m stuck, I think I may need to go backwards”. Once your child has got the hang of it, help them to take a turn wearing the blindfold so they can listen and follow the directions, too. The maze can always be changed and moved around to make it more challenging and fun. You can even add a countdown timer using your phone to make it a race against the clock!