Do a corn maze

A corn maze is an evening out that costs less than a film ticket, and it works for almost any group. You walk into a field, follow paths cut between rows of tall corn, and try to find the exit before you get too confused. Allow an evening or late afternoon. Most of that time is the drive, the line and the snacks.

Choose when to go

Corn mazes are usually open from early autumn into late October, mostly on weekends. In late season the corn is dry and loud, and tall enough that you cannot see over it. That is what makes it feel like a maze.

Go in daylight, especially the first time. Late afternoon is a good time: the light is low and golden, and the crowds are smaller than at midday on a Saturday. Some farms run the maze after dark as well, and that is a completely different experience, with flashlights and the possibility of scares. Check before you buy a ticket, so you are not surprised.

What to expect at a corn maze

Most corn mazes have a design cut into the field, sometimes a large picture you can only see from above. You pay at the entrance, and many farms hand you a map or a clue sheet. Some mazes have checkpoints with stamps or questions, and the sheet is how you track them.

The rules are simple and they matter:

• Stay on the paths. Pushing through the corn damages the crop, and it is easy to lose your bearings in the rows.
• Keep your group together, or agree where you will meet.
• Ask at the entrance what to do if you need help or want to leave.

How to find your way

1. Take the map, and try without it for a while. The wrong turns are the fun part.
2. Choose a rule and stick to it. Always turn left at a junction, for example. It will not always be the fastest route, but it keeps you from walking in circles.
3. Notice landmarks: a bridge, a bale, a fork with a sign. They help you tell where you have already been.
4. Split up and compare notes, if your group is big. Meet at a spot you can all find.
5. Do not climb the stalks, or the bridges, beyond where you are allowed to.

If you are stuck, use the map. No one is keeping score.

Making it a game

A maze is more fun with a small challenge. A few ways to play:

• Race: split into two teams and see who reaches the exit first, then compare routes.
• Scavenger hunt: if there are checkpoints or stamps, see who finds the most without the map.
• Guess the time: before you go in, each write down how long you think it will take, and see who is closest.
• No-phone round: put phones away until you are out, then compare how far each of you got.

Whatever you play, agree on the rules before you walk in, and agree on a place to meet if the group splits up.

What to wear and bring beyond the list

You have your friends, a pair of shoes for dirt paths and a charged phone. A few more things help:

• Layers. It is often cooler in the shade between the rows.
• Long sleeves. Dry leaves can scratch bare arms.
• A small bottle of water.
• A light for after dark, if the maze is open then. Your phone flashlight works, but it uses battery, so make sure you are charged.
• A coat you do not mind getting dusty.

Pollen and dust are part of a field in autumn. If you get hay fever, a tissue or two will help.

If something goes wrong

• You are lost and tired. Use the map, or ask the staff. Do not cut through the corn.
• Someone in your group has gone ahead. Agree before you go in that everyone waits at the same spot if they get separated.
• It is raining. The paths turn to mud, and the stalks soak you. Boots and a waterproof jacket make it fun instead of miserable.
• Your phone dies. Take a photo of the map at the start, and carry a charged battery if you have one.

Make it a fall evening

Pair the maze with other things on the same farm. Many places also run a hayride, a snack stand and a pumpkin patch. Finish with something warm to drink, and give each person a point for every wrong turn they confess to.