Purpose: This is a fun and easy way to development some important spatial reasoning, laterality, and directionality skills. The magnets used can be from virtually any source, but work best if they are small.
Materials: Heavy paper or light cardboard like a file folder, two magnets
Procedure:
1. A maze is drawn on one surface of the paper board.
2. Place one magnet at the start position on the patient’s left.
3. Patient is to hold the paper board in his non-preferred hand and the other magnet in his preferred hand.
4. Hold the magnet beneath the paper board and directly under the other magnet.
5. Move the other magnet so as to draw the top one along the paths of the maze, avoiding contact with the edges or lines.
6. Have the child name the direction he sees the magnet take; right, left, up or down, or right, left, toward and away; as it moves along the maze.
7. Have him name the direction taken by the magnet from another point of view, as though he is the magnet walking along the path, or as though he is giving instructions to the magnet; straight ahead, right or left.
8. Prepare a maze with all 90 degree (right angle) turns. Describe the magnet’s movements using the compass of north, south, east, and west. As skill improves introduce diagonal lines in the maze so that directions can be identified as southwest, northeast, etc.
9. Repeat, alternating the chore for each hand.
Aspects to be emphasized:
1. Ability to control accurately the movement of the magnet through the maze.
2. Ability to identify directionality from different points of view.
3. Encourage patient to invent games, expanding on the maze idea.
