Mystery Maze: Puppy or Kitten?

This Mystery Maze: Puppy or Kitten printable adds a fun surprise to a classic maze activity. Instead of searching for one correct exit, children begin at the top and choose one of two possible paths. One path leads to the kitten, and the other leads to the puppy. Which one will they get?

The printable includes one starting point at the top and two different endings at the bottom, labeled Kitten and Puppy.

How to Complete the Mystery Maze

Begin at the arrow at the top of the page. Follow one open path through the maze without crossing any of the black lines. Continue tracing until the path reaches the bottom.

There are two possible solutions. One path ends at the kitten, while the other ends at the puppy. The goal is not simply to find any exit. Children can decide whether they want to choose a path randomly or try to reach a specific animal.

The directions are simple:

Start at the top and follow one path to the bottom. Which one will you get?

Children can trace the maze with a pencil, crayon, marker, or finger. Placing the printable inside a dry-erase sleeve makes it easy to complete the maze more than once.

Make a Guess Before You Begin

Before starting the maze, ask the child to predict which animal they think they will reach.

They can write down:

My guess is: Puppy or Kitten

After completing the maze, compare the ending with the original prediction. This adds an extra mystery element and encourages children to pause, make a choice, and check the result.

For a group activity, record everyone’s predictions before starting. Compare how many children reached the puppy and how many reached the kitten.

Choose Which Animal You Prefer

Another way to use the maze is to ask children which animal they would rather have as a pet.

Have them circle or write:

I would choose a puppy.

or

I would choose a kitten.

Then challenge them to study the maze and try to follow a path that reaches their preferred animal. This changes the activity from a random mystery into a visual planning challenge.

Children may need to look ahead, backtrack, and test different routes before reaching their choice.

Try to Reach Both Endings

Because the maze has two solutions, children can complete it more than once.

First, trace a path to the kitten. Then begin again and find the path to the puppy. Use two different colored pencils so both routes can be seen on the same page.

You can also ask:

• Which path was easier to find?
• Did the paths share any sections?
• Where did the routes separate?
• Which ending did you reach first?
• Could you find both paths without touching the maze walls?

Skills Practiced With This Maze

This printable offers more than a fun puppy-or-kitten reveal. Maze activities can help children practice visual tracking, visual-spatial awareness, attention, planning, pencil control, and problem-solving.

Trying to reach a chosen ending also encourages children to slow down and look ahead before moving through the maze.

Add More Activities to Your Mystery Theme

Continue the mystery fun with these printable activities:

Try this Mystery Word Search Printable PDF featuring mystery-themed vocabulary.

Use the clues in this Mystery Word Clues Free Printable Packet to solve each hidden word.

Add variety with these 6 Free Printable Mystery Games for Kids.

Challenge older children with these Mystery Puzzles for Students.