Cartography for kids

What your kid makes

Your kid ends with a map of your own street, drawn to scale on grid paper, with a legend, a compass rose, and a title, checked on a walk with you.

The 4 lessons

1. 

   Lesson 1. A bird's-eye view

   A map shows a place from above, so your kid draws the tops of things.

   1. Picture your room from the ceiling
   2. Draw the bed, the rug, and the door as shapes
   3. Put each one in the right spot

   Where: Paper

   Watch it free above

2. Lesson 2. Measure with your feet

   Steps turn into squares on paper, so the map is to scale.

   1. Walk to the corner with a grown-up
   2. Count every step and write it down
   3. Pick a scale, like 1 square for 5 steps

   Where: At home

   In the app

3. Lesson 3. Symbols and north

   Symbols and a legend say what's on the map, and a compass rose shows north.

   1. Make five symbols, like a circle for a tree
   2. Put them in a legend box
   3. Draw a compass rose and find north

   Where: Paper

   In the app

4. Lesson 4. Draw your street

   Your kid draws the street to scale, then walks it with you to check.

   1. Draw the road, then houses and trees
   2. Add the legend, the compass rose, and a title
   3. Walk the street and add what's missing

   Where: Paper

   In the app

Lesson 1 transcript: A bird's-eye view

1. 0:00

   Hi, I'm Krea! Today you make a real map. A map of your own street!

2. 0:07

   A map is a picture of a place, seen from above. Like a bird flying over it.

3. 0:13

   People who make maps are called cartographers. It's a real job!

4. 0:18

   Let's start small, with a bedroom. Here it is, seen from the ceiling.

5. 0:24

   From above, the bed is a rectangle. The rug is a circle. The desk is a little box.

6. 0:31

   You don't draw the sides of things. Only their tops, right where they are.

7. 0:36

   Your turn. Draw your room from above. Put the bed, the rug, and the door in the right spots. Then press Next.