Map Our House
Here's What To Do
Draw the shape of your home's perimeter on a piece of paper (if your home has more than one level, pick one floor to draw). Draw the front door on the map.
Walk around your home with your child. Ask them what room you're in, and where they think it should go on the map. Draw the shape of the room, and add a label (like: "bathroom").
Continue until you've drawn every room.
Let your child add details to the floor plan. They can draw furniture, toys, people, pets, or anything else they think is important to add.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Let's practice noticing things about our home. I spy something you use to brush your teeth, can you find it?"
Engage:
- "We're going to make a map of our house. Let's start at the front door. What is the first room you see when you come in?"
- "Okay I'm going to draw the kitchen on the map. If you were looking at it from above, like a bird, the walls make this shape. And from above, the sink is here and the stove is here, so I'll draw those too. Now I'm going to label it- Kitchen."
Encourage:
- "Hmmmm, let's think. Does the bathroom go here? Is the bathroom right next to the kitchen? Or is there another room in between?"
- Space and directions can be difficult for children to understand. If your child is getting frustrated, help them take a calming deep breath and try again.
Reflect:
- "What was tricky about making a map? What did you like about making a map?"
Not quite ready?
Have your child draw the rooms on the map without your help. Write out the room labels and see if your child can copy the words onto the map.
Ready for more?
Help your child draw a map of their favorite room or of your entire home.
As your child masters this skill...
They will know how to make a basic map.