It might not seem that important for kids to learn map skills these days, unless you like to hike or do things outdoors where there might not be internet access. But kids still like looking at maps and learning how to read them, even if the skills aren’t used all that often in everyday life. And of course we still use them to teach geography.
Homeschool Happiness has a great set of printables all about map skills. The set includes vocabulary words like compass and globe, a compass kids can cut and paste directional words onto, a park map activity, map symbol matching, a town printable with a map key and compass and more.
Once you have the basics you can draw your own maps of your house, neighborhood, the route to school (or the library or somewhere else you go often if you are homeschooling) or a longer trip like going to a grandparent’s or cousin’s house or plotting your last or next vacation.
You can even have kids draw their own treasure maps and tell the story of what is hidden there and how to find it. Use printable treasure map templates from Tim’s Printables, or try this printable treasure hunt activity from Let’s DIY it All.
Kids may also enjoy books about maps like Follow that Map! A First Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie (2025 Kids Can Press). The story follows a group of kids looking for their lost dog and cat. They use a map to visit all their favorite places in the neighborhood and other places in the city and beyond. The story includes a map on each page and questions for readers to answer such as which direction are they going and how far away are they from something shown on the map.
It also includes things like a weather map, a treasure map, a map of an amusement park and a map of the world. There are also instructions for making a map of your bedroom.
Do you teach kids map skills, or did they learn them at school if they go to school? I’d love to hear about it!
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