Summer Camps at Desert Botanical Garden will return in early June. Reserve your child’s spot today, and try your hand at another one of our popular activities: map making.
This activity allows children to lead an outdoor adventure that will teach them to appreciate the natural world by using their senses and creating representations of their surroundings. Best of all, watch their eyes light up as you follow a route they have created.
Materials:
- Paper
- Pencil and Eraser for sketching map
- Clipboard or other firm surface for writing
- Other art supplies as desired for the final map (crayons, markers, paint, etc.).
- Optional: “Treasure” to bury and/or some digging tools
- Explore Maps Together
Before starting, look at different examples of maps with your child at home, on the internet or other materials with interesting, child-friendly format features. Ask them questions about the mpas: Are there symbols or images? What do you think they mean? Point out natural features like water or trees, and familiar structures like stop signs. Share your interest and curiosity and have fun looking through maps.
- Pick a Map Style
Pack up your materials (along with a snack and some water) and tell your child that you want their help creating a fun map of the neighborhood, a local park or another outdoor space of your choosing. Together, decide what kind of map you will make. Below are two favorites from our Summer Camp:
- Treasure Map: This type of map consists of a starting point and am ending point to bury your treasure, and you can leave a natural object (like a fun rock you find) at the end.
- Adventure Map: This map usually starts and ends in the same place and has stops along the way with things to see or do. You can call your stops points of interest.
1. Get Mapping!
Head outdoors together and pick a starting point. Have your child write or draw a symbol to indicate where to start.
Ask your child to use all their senses. This mindful practice helps to ground children in the outdoors and creates an intimate connection to the space.
- What do they see around them?
- What do they hear? Does the breeze blow through trees? Are there any birds chirping nearby?
- What smells are in the air?
- What does this place feel like—is there soft grass, rough stone or concrete? Is there a place that is inviting to lay down and feel the ground?
- Can any of these features be added to the map as clues?
Adding a picture of something your child observes with their senses will help them understand that a good map includes images and clues for others to follow.
Let your child take the lead and decide which direction to go. As you walk, help them draw a line to indicate which way you are heading. Don’t worry about using terms like North, East, South, West, unless these are already interesting and exciting for your child.
Now, create points of interest. Have your child add images from their surroundings. Perhaps there is a rock with interesting colors on the route, or maybe a neighbor has some unique lawn ornaments.
Tip: If you are creating a Treasure Map with a specific route, remember to note any branches in the road or path. Later, you will want to remember when you took a turn, and when you continued straight ahead.
Tip: Be sure to keep the lines and images small so you have plenty of room to draw your map. You can use multiple pieces of paper if necessary. This first map can be a sketch—keep drawings and symbols simple and have your child create a much more detailed map when you get home.
When you have finished your path, celebrate the adventure you just had together! If your child observes you having fun and enjoying the outdoors, they will, too.
Head Indoors to Embellish the Map
Add details and color to your map, or use this as a draft to create a second version. This can be done with colored pencils, crayons or markers, pictures that can be used as a collage, or any other materials your child wants to use.
Try it Out!
After completing your map, invite a friend to use it to recreate your adventure. It is best if your child can go with them to observe their reactions and experiences along the way. Remind your child’s buddy to be encouraging and positive as they go. If they do get to a feature they don’t recognize, or they are not sure which way to go, it’s ok to ask questions!
Keep Going
Once you have created one together, encourage your child to create new Adventure Maps or Treasure Maps on their own. Each map they create will help them learn to pay attention to their surroundings and appreciate the details of the world, and you will cherish every outdoor adventure you take.
