10 Fun Activities For Improving Map Skills

Maps are the most fundamental part of stepping outside the house. From using paper maps until a few decades ago to switching to navigation apps and Google Maps in the 21st century, the medium of accessing maps might have changed but their utility still remains.

Knowing how to read maps, and navigate physical spaces requires several spatial reasoning, attentional, and working memory skills. These can be developed in children from a young age itself.

This blog enlists various activities that can be used in the classroom to help students with their map skills.

Navigating the world of Maps using activities 

Several activities can help little learners become more familiar with and even enjoy maps. Some of these include:

1. Character Journey 

Character Journey

For this activity, the educator will need a storybook suitable for the age group of the class, a map representing the world talked about in the book, and a sticky notepad. 

The students can be divided into groups of 3 to 4 each. Each group can be given its individual maps. The task of the students would be to plot the journey of various characters as the book progresses. A good book for this activity would be Around the world in 80 days. They would be required to mark the place, the name of the character, and a brief about what the character did in that place.

This will help the students in understanding how to locate and mark various points on a map all while following their beloved fictional character. The result would be a map-based retelling of the story activity that they can put up in the class or their homes. 

2. Follow the directions

Follow the directions

Just like the many following direction activities, for this activity too, the educator will have to design a treasure hunt. The clues for all the places should be in cardinal directions telling the students to go, for example, 30 steps North-East and then 5 steps to their West, etc.

The students will be required to find all the clues based on the north they will be told at the beginning of the treasure hunt. Where they end up would depend on how well they are able to conceptualize and follow the compass in their mind.

This game will combine the fun element of a treasure hunt with learning and applying one’s knowledge of navigating cardinal directions.

3. Splash of color 

splash of color

For this activity, the educator will have to print out an empty world map, country map, or state map based on whatever will be suitable for the class. They will also have to arrange several sets of colors.

The students can either get together in groups of 3 to 4 or attempt the activity individually. They will each be given an empty map outlining various states, countries, and districts based on whether the map is of their country, the world, or their state. Their job will be to add the same color to the states, districts, or provinces that share similarities with each other. These similarities could be something personal like all the places the student has visited or something factual like the same color for countries belonging to the same continent. Each color should also be marked in the coding sheet, stating the similar characteristic and the color associated with it. 

This will help students understand that the colored maps they usually see haven’t been colored randomly but are based on some codes that they can read to find additional information.

4. Jigsaw Puzzle

Jigsaw puzzle

For this activity, the educator will have to arrange several jigsaw puzzles based on the country’s or world’s map. 

The students will be divided into groups of 3 to 4 each. They will be given their puzzle pieces and would be required to put them together as fast as possible. The first team to successfully solve their puzzle will be declared the winner.

During this activity, students will be using their knowledge of where different states and countries are while putting the pieces in the place where they belong. They will simultaneously be learning about the places they didn’t know while fitting them together with other pieces.

5. Plan your own city

Plan your own city

For this activity, the educator will need to arrange paper, color, block sets, cardboard, glue, child-safe scissors, and other regular craft material. 

The students will be divided into groups of 5 to 8 each. They will be allowed to use whatever material they need. Their task will be to design a 3-D map of a city using this material. This city can look like whatever they want it to, it can include various places like parks, ponds, flowers, factories, work, school, home, roads that take you to different places, etc. 

This activity will help students understand the practical uses of mapping and how their city has been well thought out, connected by road and all the important structures are near to each other and easily accessible by people.

6. Step up 

For this activity, the educator will need to prepare a mat with several rows and columns. The boxes should be big enough that a student can stand in them. They will also need to prepare outlines of how a student should cross the mat.

The class will be divided into two teams with an equal number of students in each. Both teams will send one student who will walk on the mat based on the directions given to them by the team members. The team members will be able to see the outlines of the course the student needs to take to get to the other side of the mat. But they can only communicate this to their team member crossing the map using cardinal directions like moving to box D10 where D stands for the row number and 10 stands for the column number. The first team to make it across the map while following the course given to the team will win.

This game will help students in understanding how to read various latitudes and longitudes in a map which, much like columns and rows, make a grid that helps get a more precise location, making it a practical application of the coordinate plane.  

7. My Compass 

This activity will require a sheet of paper, colors, pens, markers, and other regular art and craft supplies. 

The students will do this activity individually. They will be required to make a compass with all 8 directions including north, south, east, west, northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. But, the twist will be that instead of naming the directions with their original names, they will be required to name it based on a place they know in that direction. It could be a favorite restaurant, their aunt’s house, the dream country they want to travel to, etc. 

With this activity, the students will learn how to use directions and where their favorite places are. They will also be learning the names of various directions on the compass and retaining them by relating them to their favorite places. 

8. I know someone

I know someone

For this activity, the Educators will need a world or a country map, depending on whatever is suitable for the class.

The class will be divided into groups of 5 to 8 students each. They will be given the map and together will be required to name as many people, things, animals, and places as possible associated with various places. These have to be well known like Paris as the home of the Eiffel Tower, Antarctica as the home of the Penguins, etc. Whichever team is able to come up with the most associations will win.

This activity will exercise the general knowledge of students about the world, various places, animals, things, etc., and combine it with their mapping and plotting skills which will also benefit and help students with learning difficulties cope with the subject of geography.

9. On the Globe 

On the globe

For this activity, the educator will have to arrange a globe. They will also make several chits with names of lesser-known and heard countries and three clues on the chit as to where to find them on the globe.

The class will be divided into two teams with an equal number of students in each. One student from each team will go one by one and pick a chit from the bowl. As soon as they pick the chit, without looking at it, they will be required to pass it to their team. The team will then tell them what country they need to be looking for. The student can ask for a maximum of 3 hints which will look like: in the continent of Asia, south of Japan, etc. The student has to find the country on the globe in under 45 seconds. The more clues they use, the more points they lose. The team with the highest points will be declared the winner.

This activity will help students learn the name of new countries and places they might never have heard of before. It will also exercise their knowledge of directions, navigation, and using a map hence strengthening their skills. 

10. What’s in my neighborhood

What's in my neighbourhood?

For this activity, the educator will have to arrange a sheet of paper for each student and a box of colors.

The students will each be given a sheet of paper and asked to draw a map of their neighborhood. They will be required to mark all the important landmarks according to them like their best friend’s house, the park, the school, etc.

This activity will strengthen the directional and navigation skills of students in such a way that it will help them remember their own house and address better. Hence, like many games, this activity will also exercise their spatial reasoning skills to effectively draw and mark various places on the map they draw from memory.

Conclusion

Little learners might be new to the world of maps but they are certainly not new to the world. Effectively moving about the world requires knowing how to navigate maps, may it online or physically.  

Besides social studies board games, using games and activities to introduce and teach children about maps and how to use them can spark their interests and set them on the track to excel at map skills from a young age itself.
Furthermore, many of these activities can also be used with kids who have learning disabilities like dyscalculia and dyslexia, as reading maps can often be a tough nut to crack for these young minds.

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