Range Run

This worksheet challenges students to solve integer expressions and move through the maze only when the answer falls inside a specific range: from -5 through 5, including both -5 and 5. The expressions include addition and subtraction with positive and negative integers, so students must not only calculate correctly but also compare the final answer with two boundaries. That makes this worksheet more advanced than a simple integer maze because the child is practicing both computation and range reasoning at the same time.

For a parent, the easiest way to explain the rule is to say that the answer must land somewhere between -5 and 5 on a number line. That includes -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Any answer less than -5 or greater than 5 does not qualify. So if a problem equals 3, the student can move through that cell. If it equals 7, they cannot. If it equals -5, it still counts because the directions say -5 is included.

Learning Goals

• Solve Integer Addition and Subtraction: Students calculate expressions with positive and negative values.
• Understand a Numerical Range: Learners decide whether an answer lies between -5 and 5.
• Recognize Inclusive Boundaries: Students understand that -5 and 5 themselves are allowed.
• Combine Calculation and Comparison: Learners must solve first and then test the result against the range.
• Strengthen Number-Line Reasoning: Students think about where each answer sits relative to two endpoints.

Parent-Friendly Explanation

A helpful way to say it is:

“The answer has to land inside the -5 to 5 zone.”

For example:

-8 + 5 = -3

-3 is between -5 and 5, so it qualifies.

7 – 9 = -2

-2 is also inside the range.

But:

6 + 7 = 13

13 is outside the range, so the student cannot move through that cell.

Why This Worksheet Helps

• Combines Two Skills: Students practice integer computation and comparison at the same time.
• Builds Range Understanding: Learners begin thinking in terms of acceptable intervals rather than single answers.
• Encourages Careful Checking: A correct calculation can still be unusable if it falls outside the range.
• Prepares for Inequalities: The idea of values lying between two boundaries is foundational for later algebra.
• Makes Number Lines More Meaningful: Students can picture the acceptable answers clustered around zero.

Classroom & Home Use

• Great for Review: The maze blends addition, subtraction, and comparison.
• Useful for Parents: Adults can help by checking whether the answer is inside or outside the allowed zone.
• Strong for Small Groups: Students can explain why a particular answer qualifies.
• Good for Enrichment: The extra range condition makes the activity more thoughtful than standard computation.
• Helpful for Algebra Readiness: Students begin to understand the idea of an interval of allowed values.

The real value of this worksheet is that students have to do more than solve-they must judge whether the answer meets a condition. Positive integers, negative integers, addition, subtraction, ranges, comparison, and maze navigation all work together. For parents, the best coaching question is: “Is your answer between -5 and 5?” In classroom and homeschool settings, this worksheet helps students move from simple calculation toward the kind of reasoning they will later use with inequalities and algebraic ranges.