How to Make a Maze in Microsoft Word

Mazes are a fun and popular way for teachers and parents to keep kids quiet and entertained. However, buying maze activity books or constantly searching the Internet for maze websites can be time consuming and expensive. Using Microsoft Word to create mazes is another alternative, one that allows for customization and easy adjustment of difficulty levels. If you are interested in learning how to make a maze in Microsoft Word, you can learn how in a few easy steps.

Instructions

1. Create a table. In an open Word document, insert a table by clicking on the button for the "Tables and Borders" menu that is located on the standard toolbar. From that menu, click on the "Insert Table" icon and select the desired number of rows and columns.

2. Double-space the table. Although this step is optional, it is recommended for a better-looking maze. To double-space the table, make sure the entire table grid is highlighted, then select "Format>Paragraph." Find the section on the Paragraph menu that says Line Spacing, and use the drop-down menu to change the line spacing of the table from single-spaced to double-spaced.

3. Decide the beginning and finish spots. Look at the table and decide where the maze should start and where it should stop. Then go to the corresponding cell and type the words "start" and "stop" in the appropriate places.

4. Create the pathway of the maze. Go back to the Tables and Borders toolbar and look for the icon for Borders. Click the tiny arrow next to this icon to pull up a drop-down menu that gives several different border options. Click on the desired option, go to the next cell and repeat the process until the pathway goes from the start point to the finish point of the maze.

5. Put on the finishing touches. Add a little more pizazz to the maze by adding dead ends and clipart pictures. Create dead ends for the maze by repeating the process of Step 4, but selecting the opposite border option. Add clipart pictures by putting the cursor in the cell where a picture is desired, then going to "Insert>Picture>Clipart." These small finishing touches can make the maze much more interesting!

Tips & Warnings

• Create a template so future maze creation can go even more quickly.

• Mazes can be made even more appealing by adding colors, diagonal lines and word art.

• Be sure to save the document often throughout the maze creation process to avoid losing any hard work!

References

• Educator's Reference Desk
• Amazing Mazes

Resources

• Microsoft Education Lesson Plans