Puzzle Makers Camp: Design Your Own Mazes and Logic Puzzles

In this camp, learners flip from puzzle solver to puzzle maker. They study what makes a maze tricky, how a grid logic puzzle has exactly one answer, and how a code can be hard to crack yet still fair.

Each day they design a new type of puzzle on paper, from winding mazes with dead ends to clue-based logic grids and cipher messages. Friends test each other's creations and suggest fixes. By the final day every learner assembles a small booklet of original puzzles with a cover and answer page to share at home.

How classes work

The camp runs as four back-to-back daily sessions in one week. Each day introduces one puzzle type, gives time to design and test it in class, and adds the finished puzzle to a growing booklet presented on the last day.

What we'll cover

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  Day 1: Mazes with Dead Ends and Detours – Learners study maze tricks like loops and false paths, then draw their own maze with a start, finish and one true route.

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  Day 2: Grid Logic Puzzles with One Answer – Kids solve a simple logic grid, then write their own clue set and check that it leads to exactly one solution.

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  Day 3: Secret Codes and Cipher Messages – Learners try shift and symbol codes, invent their own cipher and write a hidden message for others to crack.

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  Day 4: Puzzle Booklet Playtest and Showcase – Kids swap puzzles for testing, fix any problems, and present a finished puzzle booklet with a cover and answer key.

No experience needed. Learners should be comfortable reading short clues and drawing on paper. A computer or tablet with camera, paper, pencils and a ruler are needed.