How to Create a Street Map
When you need a fun activity to do with your preschooler or grade schooler, your mind probably goes blank. Healthy entertainment for kids tends to be either extremely messy, too difficult or "boring" to your child. Here's a great alternative that lets your child explore her neighborhood, while teaching her about directions, symbols and measurements.
Things You'll Need
- Large sheet of white paper (or sheets of computer paper taped together)
- Pencil
- Crayons or markers
Instructions
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Bring the paper and pencil outside on a walk with your child. Point out the numbers on your door or mailbox, and ask him to read them to you. Then have him find the numbers on your neighbors' doors or mailboxes.
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Discuss the shape of your street with your child. Is it straight or curvy? Is it on a hill? On a cul-de-sac? Near a dead end?
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3
Spread the paper out on a large safe area, such as a driveway. (Make sure the driveway is blocked so that a car cannot pull in during this project.) Encourage your child to draw your house and to label it with your address. Then encourage her to draw your street and your neighbors' houses, and to label them with their addresses as well.
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Walk with your child to a nearby intersection that includes a street sign. Have your child read the street sign; if he cannot read yet, read it to him. Encourage him to label your street on the map.
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For a younger child, encourage her to draw additional pictures on the map. She may draw a neighbor's dog in the yard, some pretty flowers or a swing set that she's played on.
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For an older child, continue on your walk and point out different street signs. Encourage him to add these streets to the map, as well as other landmarks he sees along the way.
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Tips & Warnings
Allow your child to use her creativity in choosing which objects to illustrate. Hang the map in a prominent place in your house, and refer to it often. This will drive home the new experience he has had. During this activity, you may want to make sure that your child knows her address. This is an important fact for your children to memorize.
Always make sure that young children are supervised, especially near streets and other dangerous areas.
