Method: The Amazing Maze Game is a fun activity for large or small groups, which

could be used as an ice-breaker to practise memory skills and team-building, as well

as prepositions vocabulary. First of all, decide on your route through the maze. Your

class will have to find this route. They will find it by a process of trial and error, which

will require them to watch each other’s moves carefully and remember the route as it

is uncovered. The aim of the activity is to find the correct route through the maze –

your route. In the process, a shared memory of the route will be created by the group.

Each player chooses a counter and places it at the start. The first player moves their

counter onto any space on the bottom line. If it’s correct they can guess again.

Players take turns in the game and can move left, right, forwards or backwards onto

any space which is next to their current space.

 

Players may move diagonally if they wish. It is better for players to ‘pause’ on each space and

check with you that it’s correct before continuing, rather than rushing ahead. The pace of the game

should be slow and steady! Try not to give any clues as to whether or not players are ‘hot’ or

‘cold’ while they are choosing, until they have made their move. It’s much more fun to

keep a deadpan expression and let them keep guessing! If the player chooses a

space that is not correct they must move their counter back to the start and the next

player begins their turn. Play continues until the players find the route through the

maze.

 

You can play the game as a team game where players are allowed to help each

other, or as an individual contest, where players are responsible for remembering the

route-in-progress themselves, without any help from the group. Make the activity

harder by saying that students must speak only English throughout and if they use

their own language they will have to return to the start and lose their turn. You could

use this game to elicit and practise prepositions vocabulary and giving directions, for

example: ‘Go straight on’, ‘Turn left’, ‘Go back one space’, and so on. You can always

alter the dimensions and shape of the maze to suit your group and the time available.

The bigger the maze and longer the route, the longer the activity will take. You could

attach forfeits to particular spaces (for example: ‘miss a turn’, ‘talk about your capital

city for one minute’ or ‘sing your country’s national anthem’). There are lots of

possibilities for adapting this game. If you have time make a really big version of the

maze out of a piece of fabric – big enough for students to be able to use themselves

instead of counters and walk through the maze. It’s great fun!