Maze-A-Licious Counting Farm  app is a number/counting and maze activity combined in one app. Developed for iPhone/iPad by Brainster Apps, it is free with in-app purchase (.99) to unlock intermediate and advanced levels.

Maze-A-Licious Counting farm enrolls 4 players at a time and provides three levels of play:

• Beginner for ages 2-4; counting from 1-10 (free) with three levels within the beginner level

• Intermediate for ages 3-5; counting from 1-20 (in app purchase to unlock levels 4-6))
• Advanced for ages 5-8; counting by 1’s, 5’s, 10’s (in app purchase to unlock levels 7-9)

This maze activity is performed by tipping the iPad to move the character through the maze. Rather than a visual motor integration activity, this is a bilateral/two-handed, visual motor activity, requiring the user to tip the device to make it move towards numbers in the pathway to get to the finish line. Time is recorded in each level. Levels get more complex and longer as number sequences increase. The screen expands to provide additional pathways needed for the longer number sequences.

Between every second maze, users are asked to tap balloons in numerical order to reinforce counting skills.

I expected that Maze-A-Licious app was a traditional maze drawing activity. I was pleasantly surprised to find this app requiring bilateral and motor planning skills not often found in iPad apps along with reinforcement of academic skills.  My experience with younger students I have intervened with found many of them having bilateral motor coordination challenges, exhibiting difficulty holding a paper while writing and performing self-care activities requiring two hands to perform (few ADL’s do not require bilateral skills!).  Apps such as Maze-A-Licious provide  bilateral integration and upper extremity motor planning practice  frequently needed as a part of the foundational skills for writing, tool management and upper extremity gross or fine skill development.

In app purchases are required for levels 2 and 3, which I did not buy. I did like the app which provided free beginner levels as a trial to determine if appropriate for the user. Although we all love free, $ .99 is affordable for unlocking intermediate activities within the app.

Brainster Apps, has developed Maze-A-Licious Counting Farm and also have apps that reinforce ABC and word recognition.

Check out Maze-A-Licious to determine if this might be part of your OT iTool Kit!

Carol