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Math activity

Map Maker

Create a simple map of your room using blocks and toys. Learn position words like above, below, next to, and between while placing objects on your map.

Hands OnAbout 25 minutesScreen-freeParent preview recommended

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

Create a simple map of your room using blocks and toys. Learn position words like above, below, next to, and between while placing objects on your map.

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Clear a space on the floor. This will be your 'map' of the room.
  2. Use blocks to represent furniture: 'This block is the bed, this one is the dresser.'
  3. Place each block where the real furniture is in the room.
  4. Practice position words: 'The bed is NEXT TO the window. The chair is BETWEEN the desk and the door.'
  5. Walk through the room checking if your map matches the real layout.
  6. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Use position words: above, below, next to, between, behind
  • Create a simple spatial representation of a familiar space
  • Connect real objects to their positions on a model

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Draw a bird's-eye-view map of a room or your yard on grid paper. Use simple coordinates like 'row 2, column 3' to describe where things are located.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Look down at a room from above (imagine you are a bird). What shapes do you see?
  2. Draw the outline of the room on grid paper. Each square represents one step.
  3. Draw furniture as simple shapes in the correct positions on your grid.
  4. Label 5 objects on your map with their grid position: 'The chair is at row 2, column 4.'
  5. Give directions using your map: 'Walk 3 squares forward, turn right, walk 2 squares to reach the bookshelf.'
  6. Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.

Learning objectives

  • Draw a bird's-eye-view map on a grid
  • Use simple row and column coordinates to describe positions
  • Give and follow directional instructions using a map

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Create scaled maps using a coordinate grid. Plot locations using ordered pairs, calculate distances between points, and design a neighborhood map with a key.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Draw a coordinate grid (0-10 on both axes) on large paper or graph paper.
  2. Plot 8 locations from your neighborhood or an imaginary town as ordered pairs: library at (2,7), school at (5,3), etc.
  3. Create a map key with symbols for each location type.
  4. Calculate the distance between two points by counting grid squares (horizontal and vertical moves).
  5. Write directions from one location to another using coordinates: 'Start at (2,7). Go right 3 and down 4 to reach (5,3).'
  6. Add a scale: '1 square = 1 block.' Calculate the real distance between your two farthest locations.
  7. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Plot points using ordered pairs on a coordinate grid
  • Calculate distances between points on a grid
  • Create maps with appropriate scale and key

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Design detailed maps using all four quadrants of the coordinate plane. Calculate exact distances using the coordinate distance formula, plan efficient routes, and explore map projections.

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Create a coordinate plane with all four quadrants (x from -10 to 10, y from -10 to 10).
  2. Plot at least 12 locations across all four quadrants representing a town or adventure map.
  3. Calculate the straight-line distance between 5 pairs of points using the Pythagorean theorem: d = sqrt((x2-x1)^2 + (y2-y1)^2).
  4. Plan the most efficient route to visit 6 locations starting and ending at the origin. Calculate total distance.
  5. Add a compass rose and scale to your map. Convert grid distances to real-world units.
  6. Research: how do cartographers deal with mapping a round Earth onto flat paper? Draw examples of 2 different map projections.
  7. In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.

Learning objectives

  • Plot and read coordinates in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane
  • Calculate distances between points using the Pythagorean theorem
  • Design efficient routes and apply scale to calculate real-world distances

Safety and evidence note

Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.

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