Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Dr. Ruf's levels and mazes

Dr Ruf talks about mazes in her book and the intense interest level 4 and 5 children tend to have in them at an early age. Does anyone have any experience with this. I can't keep up with DD need for them. She is 2.8 months and is doing 1st grade level mazes....I have lamenated them so that she can do them more then one time with dry erase markers. I made them into a book....she has 65, she did them all today (never seen most of these) in one sitting in 25 mins.

I have been saying based on Dr Ruf's infor DD would be high level 3 or a level 4, but based on the mazes it would be a level 4. Does anyone have experience with this? Dr. Ruf really doesn't talk about mazes much in level 3. Just curious....

Also, any idea how to get DD to slow down on her mazes...I mean motor skill wise? She looks at a maze before starting for a moment and visually figures out the path and them boom sh is off, and is not really careful to stay in the lines....you can see she knows where she is going, but she just goes so fast that it is sloppy. The easier the maze, the worse it is. I try to tell her to slow down, stay in etween the lines and her only response is "I am mom"

Have you tried harder mazes? I thought Dr. Ruf meant complex mazes (like the sort some adults enjoy). DD likes complex mazes, but she's not great at them. She's not a puzzler either, though.

Do a search for Mazes at your library Here is one we liked


Mazeways : A to Z / Roxie Munro.

Prepare to be astounded, because these are no ordinary mazes! Welcome toMazeways, where A is for Airport, B is for Boatyard, C is for Circus, and everything is exciting. In this eye-opening world, each letter in the alphabet transforms into a fantastic maze and fingers have to trace a path through fantastically detailed environments. Navigate these puzzles as you would if you were traveling in real life: drive your car on the right side of the road, cross the street only at the crosswalks, and feel free to walk around furniture or landmarks as long as nothing blocks your path. Each maze comes with directions on how to launch into the adventure, and features really cool things to find and guide you along the way�like crocodiles and seals, clown cars and motorcycles, baseball diamonds and sunken treasure, and more!

My son was really into mazes at an early age. He had maze books for much older kids as a preschooler that he loved and carried around with him for months. Not really my daughter's thing though. Seems like one of those things that is interest/exposure dependent. My daughter really likes maps though - drawing and trying to read them.

I would just let her have fun and go at it! The motor skills will catch up eventually.

Where do you find mazes? I'm wondering if I should try if DD likes them or not.

I finally read Ruf's book and it made me quite confused.

Yeah, the mazs I never really exposed her to, she found some in a cooring book and that was it. She as been asking and asking and asking for them.
Oli- I found a lot of them online....printed them out and lamenated....just googled mazes, also I bought a workboo of mazes at Barnes and NOble last week they are for 5-6 year olds. DD has already blown threw them. I have to go online and find more difficults ones. I started her with easy ones becuse she can get frusteraed easily, especially when tired, but she actually didn't like those so onto more of a search.

Yes, DS5 loves mazes and always has. there are tons of maze books that you can find online or in stores I am sure....or there are even websites that you can do online mazes with the mouse...or print out mazes for them to work on. She is too young for this, but DD5 also likes that Amaze game through thinkfun where there are moveable walls for the maze. there are 16 mazes on it and they get quite difficult. Or there are puzzle type games that she may like, if she likes mazes chances are she will enjoy all those visual spatial puzzle type things. My DS5 is in the middle of a music bounce addiction. He apparently finished 50 levels of it...so I assume there is another puzzle game he will be getting into soon. Before that it was hexiom connect, bloxerz, 3d logic...I could go on and on. Mypuzzle.org is his friend. : ) Anyhow, google mazes for kids and I am sure you will find plenty of good stuff.

confused how?