June 27th, 2008 18 ways to develop a sense of place for the under 5s Posted by Melitsa in Articles, play activities, Education, Roundups, Thought of the week

Following on from the previous part on Where we live.

Developing your child’s sense of place is something that develops over time with a little input here and there.

Here are some fun play activities to try with your under 5 child.

1. When you go on your travels this summer, don’t forget to use a paper map to show where you are and where you are going.
2. Collect a postcard or two- there’s usually one with a map of the area.
3. Find a variety of wall maps, regional maps and your local town maps. Pin them up at home.
4. Find a kid’s atlas and let them flick through. Some kids like the satellite maps.
5. Collect bus maps, tube maps, cycle routes they make interesting reading for kids especially the colours and symbols.
6. Add the postcards to the map with string or be able to find and identify the place on the map.
7. Use map pins- colour coded if the children are older for family, holiday,where we’ve been, where I’d like to go etc.
8. Computer maps like Mapquest and incar navigation shouldn’t be an excuse to not know where we are but let the kids help program in directions and see too.
9. Using their favourite movies and books find where they are based on the map.
10. Map using fingers for the little ones where relatives live
11. Discuss how they get from one country to another when there’s the sea in the way.
12. map using masking tape
13. Allow your children to direct you in the car to familiar places ( school, bank, shops etc)
14. Try alternate routes so see new areas.
15. Make up names of places when pretend playing and include characteristics( on a hill,by a beach, in a city, on a farm, in a village)
16. Set up areas ( Malls, parks etc) on the Thomas the tank engine track.
17. Add people, trees, water etc to the sand pit and make up a place for the pretend play area.
18. Print photographs of different places, locally or holiday snaps compare windows, vegetation ( green, brown, concrete, lack of trees, lots of sand etc) doors, cars, roads, what you can see in the distance, to what they can see around where they live now.

What other practical ways do you use to start developing a sense of place in your little ones?

Would love to hear your suggestions.

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