"We're here, the park is there. Which way do we go?" Reading a map asks children to do something surprisingly clever: imagine a real place as a small drawing seen from above, then match the drawing to what they see around them.
You don't need a real map or a long walk to start. A sheet of paper, a pencil and the room you're sitting in are enough. This post shows how to build the skill step by step, from a map of a bedroom to a hand-drawn route to the park.
Why maps are good for thinking
- Seeing from above. A map shows things as a bird would see them. Switching between "how it looks when I stand here" and "how it looks from above" is a big step in spatial thinking.
- Symbols stand for things. A small square means a house, a green circle means a tree. Understanding that one thing can stand for another is the same idea behind letters, numbers and diagrams.
- Directions. Left, right, forwards, turning: a map gives children a reason to use these words carefully.
- Planning a route. "First we go past the bakery, then we turn at the big tree." Planning steps in order is useful everywhere.
Start with a map of a room
- Look from above together. Put a few toys on the floor and stand over them. "What does the teddy look like from up here?"
- Draw the room. Draw the walls as a rectangle, then add the bed, the table and the door as simple shapes.
- Hide something and use the map. Hide a small toy, put a mark on the map where it is, and let your child find it.
- Swap roles. Your child hides the toy and marks the map for you.
Keep the map the same way round as the room at first. Later, try turning it and see if your child can still find the way.
Symbols and a key
Real maps use symbols, and a small box called a key explains what they mean. Make your own together:
| Symbol | Means |
|---|---|
| Small square with a triangle on top | House |
| Green circle | Tree |
| Wavy blue line | River or stream |
| Row of small dashes | Path |
| A cross | The treasure, or the place you want to reach |
Let your child invent symbols too. A swing could be two lines with a small seat. The only rule: everyone has to be able to understand the key.
Directions and the compass
- Turn the map to match the world. If you're walking towards the park, turn the map so the park is in front of you on the paper too. Children find left and right much easier this way.
- Use landmarks. "Turn left at the yellow house" is easier than "go west" for young children.
- Meet the compass. The coloured end of the needle points north. On most maps, north is at the top. Stand still, turn the map until its top faces the same way as the needle, and the map now lines up with the world.
You can practise with a toy compass in the garden or the park: "Which way is north? What's in that direction?"
Draw the way to the park
On your next walk to a familiar place, make a map together:
- Before you go, draw your home on one side of the page and the park on the other.
- On the way, stop at a few landmarks (a shop, a crossing, a big tree) and let your child add them to the map with simple symbols.
- Draw the route as a dotted line, with arrows at each turn.
- Next time, let your child lead the way using the map.
A treasure map at home
Hide a small "treasure" in the house or garden and draw a simple map with a cross on the spot. For younger children, add pictures of landmarks along the way. For older ones, add instructions like "three steps from the tree towards the door". Then swap: your child hides the treasure and draws the map for you.
Ideas by age
Ages are rough guides; follow your child.
- Around 4–5: looking at toys from above, a map of one room, finding a hidden toy with a mark on the map.
- Around 6–7: symbols and a key, a treasure map of the house or garden, landmarks on a walk.
- Around 8 and up: a route to the park drawn from memory, using a compass, giving and following directions on a map.
In Dologi, the Space topic has "Drive the car" puzzles, where children line up moves square by square so a car collects every star without hitting a wall. It's a bit like reading a tiny map and planning a route.
In short
- Maps ask children to see a place from above and match symbols to real things.
- Start with a map of a room, then add symbols, a key and directions.
- Turn the map to match the world, use landmarks, and let the compass show north.
- Draw the way to the park together and play treasure map games where your child makes the map too.
Read more: Teaching left and right, up and down, in front and behind: direction games for children