Maze Orienteering with Poles and Cones

A maze is built from poles resting on cones, and pairs must find several cards in order by following a map of the maze without crossing any wall. Students practice precise map reading, route planning and focus.

How to play

1. Before class, build a maze about 15 x 15 meters (50 x 50 feet) with poles on cones as walls and 1.5-meter (5-foot) aisles. Place 12 letter cards in corners and dead ends.
2. Make 4 maps (A, B, C and D), each marking 5 cards in a different order. Some cards appear on no map: they are decoys.
3. Take 3 minutes to explain the symbols (wall, entrance, card) and form 4 lines, one per map.
4. Each pair enters once the pair ahead in its line reaches the first card, works through the aisles and writes the letters in order.
5. On the way out, the teacher checks the letters, and if they are right, the pair takes another map. Play for 14 minutes.
6. Wrap up for 3 minutes: Which strategies helped you not get lost?

Rules

• No jumping or stepping over the walls.
• Power-walk inside the maze; never run.
• If a pole falls, put it back before moving on.
• Do not touch or move the cards.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: make aisles 2 meters (6 feet) wide and set cards at mid-height on cones.
• Low vision: use high-contrast poles and enlarged maps with bold walls.
• Skill level: students who master the maze run a map with a 2-minute limit.

Learning goals

• Interpret how walls and aisles are shown on a map.
• Plan the shortest route while avoiding dead ends.
• Tell the correct cards apart from the decoys.

Equipment for a class of 25

• poles: 40
• cones: 60
• letter cards: 12
• maps: 16

Teacher tip

Draw the map on graph paper so it matches the setup exactly. If you leave it up, recruit the previous class to help or use it for several lessons in a row.

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