Map exploration can be used to show where a child lives and
teach geography.
Materials:
map
of your area (often found in a phone book)
state
map U.S. map world map globe
What
to do:
Using
the local map, find your child’s street. Point out familiar sites like the
library, grocery store, a park, or a museum. Talk about your street and the
city where your child lives. Help your child learn the home address by
repeating the street name and the city often.
On
another day use the state map and show where your city is on the map. Use the
state map to point out some familiar sites like a local lake. Practice saying
the address and now add the state.
Use another day to show the U.
S. map and point out your state. Point out a few interesting places, such as
Disneyworld, where the President lives, or a state with lots of sunshine. Talk
about the oceans that border the shores of our country. Again practice the
address and this time add our country.
Using
the map of the world, find our country and backtrack to find the state and city
(if possible). Use the globe to discuss that the earth is not flat. Point out
where Santa lives
and
the route he takes to get to your house. Point out the other side of the world
where penguins live.
How
will this help young children?
Young
children get a glimpse into the big picture of the world. It introduces maps
and how to use them.
What
else can I do?
Google®
maps and show your child the world, state, city and street from space. Zoom in
and find your house. Libraries have many books about maps, your area, state and
country.
Daevin Scillian’s P is for
Passport: A World Alphabetisagreatone.
Watch similar activities on YouTube. Click to view a video with more mapping and model road building activities… While there, you can find other videos on
Also look for more activities
on our website: http://grandparentsteachtoo.org
and listen to activities from WNMU Public Radio 90 podcasts at http://wnmufm.org/learningthroughtheseasons 
Picture by Mark Nowicki
