With the holidays coming, chances are your family will be doing some travels to get to different holiday outings and get togethers.
Use this opportunity to teach and practice using a map with your kids. The younger ones will have fun following along the different roads during a trip and the older ones can learn about the four directions or the different types of symbols on a map and they could even help navigate.
Maps are fun to look at and talk about in all kinds of different ways. They encourage discussions of different types of landscapes and places plus you can’t help but do some dreaming about future travel plans.
Color and cut out this compass rose and use it to play question games on a real map of any size. Put a small piece of tape on the back of the compass, place it anywhere on the map as long as it is pointing in the right direction, and ask questions such as “Which way will we need to travel to get to Grandma’s house?” Or “Which road is the easiest one to take if we want to travel south?”
Choose the questions according to your kids’ age and skill level. This activity can go on and in so many directions. It will make the time in a car not only enjoyable but also educational.
Happy Travels!
Kelly Dupre of Grand Marais is an artist, children’s author, and educator with over 20 years teaching experience with all age groups in a variety of settings. The activities in this once-a-month column are spin-offs and combinations of ideas she has used and learned from teachers, parents, kids, books, and workshops. Only some of the activities has she actually thought of herself! Do you have a project or an idea you would like to see on the Whirligigs page? Let us know! Send your suggestion to starnews@boreal.org.
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