Treasure Map

Learning activity - make a map of your garden or area in your house.

Resources Needed: Paper, pencils / crayons, small bag of coins or other 'treasure'. Optional: small trowel for digging, tea for staining paper.

The children have already explored maps in school. Remind them that a map is a drawing of an area that shows where things are. They have learnt that it is a 'bird's eye view' of an area. (They have not done North, South, East and West yet, but you may like to introduce them to this...the symbol on the map is called a 'compass rose')

Ask them to describe the garden / room - What shape is it square? rectangle?

What are the main features in the area e.g. garden shed, tampoline, tree / TV, sofa, coffee table

Ask them to draw the area and mark in main features using 'symbols'.

Give your child a small bag of coins.

Ask them to hide the coins (if in the garden, they might like to bury the bag)

Tell them to put an X marking the spot where the coins are buried.

Mammy / Daddy / Sibling can look for the buried treasure

Alternatively - Child draws the map, parent hides the treasure, child finds it using map.

Differentiated / Extended map activity - If you're going for a walk to the park / shop ask your child to draw a map drawing in all the main features.

Art/ Craft activity - create 'ancient' paper by soaking paper in tea, scrunching up, tearing the edges a little and allowing to dry. useful link