Learn Map Reading Skills with a Snack Map
We had fun this past week learning map skills together thanks to a recent conversation in the Horizon Healthy Families community. Caroline of Food and Art had the idea of hiding food all around a room for kids to find – sounds like fun! We decided to mix it up a bit and added a map. My third child is obsessed with Dora and maps right now, this was the perfect activity for her! Check out the community tomorrow evening – Thursday, 3/29 @ 8pm CST – we will be chatting all about healthy snacks on the go!
Map Skills for Preschoolers:
We looked at the map and I explained how to figure out where we are on the map and where the “landmarks” were (our couch, the dollhouse, the kitchen table, etc.). Then we filled our snack cups – loved using a muffin tin to help organize our activity. The kids then went to the play room to count while I hid a snack in the livingroom. When they came back I would mark where I hid the snack on the map and the kids would go “find” it. They were fast! After they found one snack they went back to the playroom and we repeated the process till all the snacks were found.
This was a yummy geography lesson. Next time we do this I am going to try and map our entire house and the backyard to add some complexity. I thought the map of my living room/kitchen would be complex enough for my almost 4 year old, but really, shegot the concept of how to read a map in seconds! I wish I had their intuitive directional skills!
.
.
Do you have any fun ideas of ways to make snack time fun? How about tips on making snack time more convenient on-the-go? If so, I’d love it if you would join our chat tomorrow night! Thanks Horizon for encouraging families to be healthy.
What a fun way to orienteer your house.
love this idea, my kids would have a blast too.
.-= Ticia´s last blog ..Homemade explosives, okay not exactly =-.
Impressive. I have to try it too – it’s a very fun idea 🙂
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Science of the Dead Sea =-.
We did this activity this week to go with the book, My Map Book.
Thanks for the great idea!
.-= Linds´s last blog ..Chicka Chick Boom Boom Activities =-.
What an amazing idea thank you so much for sharing. Hubby does something similar with his Marines, but never thought of incorporating it at home..love it!
.-= mommyof2girlz´s last blog ..Muffin Tin Monday – Our Military =-.
I love the your tin! What fun foods.
What an awesome idea! I’m glad you guys had fun with it.
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..Muffin Tin Monday – No Theme =-.
Such a fun idea! 🙂
.-= Melissa ´s last blog ..Muffin Tin Monday – breakfast =-.
my oldest is currently “into” maps! this would be a great idea! brilliant!
.-= wendiwinn´s last blog ..they didn’t eat much of their lunch. could be all the popcorn prior to lunch made them way full. or could be the toys were very distracting. =-.
You have the coolest activities on your blog!
What an amazing idea! I’m going to have to try something like that with my little guy, he’d love it.
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..Muffin Tin Monday, Again! =-.
This is great. My boys are going to love it. Thanks.
What a fun fun idea- can’t wait to try it when my guy gets older!
What a fun great idea! Perfect to entertain my 4 year old while brothers are at school. Thinking can even do a fun outdoor one this summer too! LOVE IT 🙂
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this idea. My kiddo would really enjoy it. I frequently hide his toys and leave him written clues to find them. He would have fun reading a map to get his snack. Thanks for sharing this great idea!
What a lovely idea! Can’t wait to prepare this for my daughter. Thanks for linking up to Kids Coop.I am sharing your post on my FB and pinterest. http://www.facebook.com/smilinglikesunshine
What a fun activity! I found you thru the weekly kids co-op, thanks for sharing!