Maps and Globes Activities for Kids

Press pause on your social studies plans and check out our favorite maps and globes activities for first graders.

We get it… a lot of districts are squeezing out science and social studies to make more time for ELA work. But the content area standards still exist. And those topics are exactly the ones that light up most kids, so…

If we use resources that are literacy rich, so many standards can be covered at once. I mean honestly… when are we not reading something?

CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT MAPS AND GLOBES

Let’s start with our favorite picture books about maps and globes. Surprisingly, there are more children’s texts on this topic than I thought there would be. These are our top three, but I’ll list more at the end.

1. Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
2. What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan
3. The Boy Who Loved Maps by Kari Allen

These books cover a range of concepts such as explaining the purpose of a map, introducing a compass rose, teaching related vocabulary like bird’s eye view, key, and symbol, and showing all different sorts of kid-friendly maps.

If you’re looking for additional books, check out:

• From Here to There: A First Book of Maps by Vivian French
• Camilla, Cartographer by Julie Dillemuth
• Martha Maps It Out by Leigh Hodgkinson

We like each of these books for a variety of reasons, so you can’t make a wrong choice using any one of them.

MAPS AND GLOBES WORKSHEETS

When you’re ready to have kids practice mapping skills, these printable worksheets are easy to prep and use during lessons.

They provide a fun way to practice reading a map, understanding a map key & the symbols, and using a compass rose.

Key vocabulary words are reinforced through simple labeling activities, classroom posters, catchy songs, and small group games the kids can play over and over.

You can preview the full resource HERE. It has lots of supplemental ideas you can use to round out your unit.

MORE MAPS AND GLOBES ACTIVITIES

For more fun, try some of these maps and globes activities with your students!

• Create a Treasure Map: Have students create their own treasure maps. Give them a classroom or playground setting and let them draw simple maps with landmarks like a tree, slide, or desk. Then, give them clues to follow each other’s maps to find a hidden a treasure like stickers or a small trinket.
• Do a Classroom Map Scavenger Hunt: Create a simple map of your classroom and hide objects in different locations. Mark the locations on the map and have students use it to find the items. You can even add clues like north of the teacher’s desk or east of the cubbies.
• Try a Human Compass Activity: In a large open space, such as the classroom or outdoor court, create a large compass rose on the ground using tape or chalk. Label North, South, East, and West. Call out directions, like “Take 4 steps to the north,” and have students move according to the directions. You can add to the fun by giving instructions like, “Spin 3 times west. Hop 2 times to the south.”
• Map the Playground: Take the class outside and map the playground or another outdoor space. Have students work in groups to measure distances and place landmarks like swings, slides, and trees in the correct spaces. They can compare their maps afterward.
• Build 3D Maps: Provide materials like clay and cardboard and encourage students to create 3D models of places. These could be simple landscapes like hills, rivers, and lakes, or maps of local places like a park.

Happy teaching!

ANOTHER SOCIAL STUDIES POST TO CHECK OUT