Six-Year-Old Maps and Simple Routes

A map for a familiar route

A simple map can help a child describe where something is and how to get there. In this activity, make a small model of a room with a table, a chair, and a toy. Draw those landmarks on paper, then trace a route from the chair to the toy.

The goal is to connect a real location, a representation on paper, and a sequence of directions. The map does not need to be to scale or look like a professional plan. The child can draw, point, move a toy, or direct an adult.

Prepare a safe space and materials

Choose a clear, accessible area with two or three stationary landmarks, such as a table and a chair. Use a sheet of paper, a suitable drawing tool, and an optional toy. Check that the route does not cross stairs, sharp corners, or other hazards.

An adult can move or draw the objects if the child directs them. Do not move heavy furniture for the activity. A tabletop model using large paper shapes is an alternative when walking through a room is inconvenient.

Choose a starting point and destination

Place a toy on a safe surface near the table. Agree that the chair is the starting point and the toy is the destination. Ask the child to show each place in the room. The child may suggest a different destination, provided the route is safe and accessible.

Use clear names: “Start at the chair; finish at the toy.” If there are two chairs, specify which one or add a distinctive marker. A direction such as “go to the chair” is ambiguous when more than one matches.

Draw the landmarks

Put the paper on a firm surface. Draw a simple shape for the table and another for the chair. The child may choose the symbols or ask the adult to draw them. Add a mark for the toy’s location. Explain that the symbols stand for the objects rather than attempting a detailed picture.

A simple key can be written or drawn beside the map: square for table, circle for chair, star for toy. Ask the child what each mark means. If the child wants a different symbol, use their choice and update the key together.

Match the room to the paper

Point to the real chair and ask where its symbol is on the page. Then point to the table and the toy. The child can point, look at the symbol, name it, or direct an adult. If the paper is turned, orient it in a way that makes the relationship easier to see.

The drawing is a simplified view. It may omit other furniture, and distances may not be exact. A key and a brief explanation help a listener understand the intended representation without assuming that every line is an object in the room.

Trace a route

Draw a line from the chair symbol to the toy symbol. Before following it, look at the corresponding places in the room and decide on a safe path. The child can move a small marker along the paper or ask the adult to trace the line.

If a table stands between the start and the destination, the line should show the intended path around it rather than passing through its symbol. Adjust the drawing if it does not match the route. Do not require a child to move through an unsafe or inaccessible space.

A sample conversation

Adult: “Where does this route begin?” Child points to the chair symbol. Adult: “That is the chair. Where does the line go next?” The child traces around the table symbol toward the star. Adult: “Let’s check that path in the room.”

If the child points to the toy first, ask whether they are showing the destination. Both start and finish are useful landmarks. The adult can repeat the selected route and let the child confirm or change it before anyone moves.

Check the map against the space

Stand or sit where the child can see the starting point. Follow the agreed path at a comfortable pace, or move a toy through a tabletop model. At each landmark, compare the real object with its symbol. The child can tell the adult when to stop or turn.

If the path on paper leads through the table, pause and revise it. Say, “The table is here, so we need a line around it.” The mismatch is information about the map, not a reason to blame the child. A new line can be drawn on another sheet if the first becomes confusing.

Use a key that the child understands

A key explains the symbols. Place a circle next to the word “chair,” or draw a small chair beside the circle if the child prefers pictures. Do the same for the table and destination. Read any words aloud when needed.

Symbols do not have to resemble objects, but they should be distinguishable and used consistently on this map. If the child chooses a star for the toy, do not use the same star for the starting chair without explaining a new meaning.

Describe a route in steps

After tracing the line, offer a short sequence: “Start at the chair. Go around the table. Stop at the toy.” Point to the matching part of the map as each step is named. The child can repeat, point, or give the directions in their own words.

Keep the sequence short enough to follow. If “around” is unclear, indicate the side of the table and demonstrate with a marker. Directions can use familiar landmarks instead of left and right when those words are not useful to the child.

Left and right depend on orientation

A direction such as “turn left” depends on which way a person faces. Before using it, establish the traveler’s starting position and direction. A toy marker with a clear front can help show which way the traveler is facing.

If the map is rotated, the child and adult may see left and right differently. Turn the paper to match the space or use landmarks such as “go around the side near the window.” Do not assume that a single left-right instruction is unambiguous without a shared viewpoint.

Try a tabletop model

Place a large paper rectangle for a table and a circle for a chair on a tray. Add a toy marker and a destination. The child can move the marker around the rectangle and then draw the same route on a sheet.

This model can be used when the room is busy or the child prefers not to walk. Keep the difference between the model and the paper map clear: one is an arrangement of pieces, the other is a drawing of that arrangement.

Change the destination

Move the toy from one safe place to another and update its symbol on a fresh map or with a removable marker. Ask the child whether the old route still ends at the toy. If not, trace a new line to the new location.

A route can be correct for one destination and wrong for another. The child can compare the two versions and describe which landmark changed. Do not silently move the toy and expect the old map to remain accurate.

If a landmark moves

A chair may be pushed under the table after the map is drawn. Before following the route, compare its current location with the symbol. Ask whether to move the chair back, update the map, or choose a different starting point.

The map records an arrangement at a particular time. Moving an object can make part of that representation outdated. The child’s original drawing was not necessarily wrong when made; it may need revision for the current space.

If the child draws a different layout

The child might place the table symbol on the opposite side of the chair. Ask what each mark represents and which viewpoint they imagined. The child may be drawing from another side of the room or creating an imaginary place.

For a map intended to guide someone through the current room, compare the landmarks from an agreed viewpoint and adjust the drawing together if needed. For an imaginary map, follow the child’s invented layout instead of correcting it to match the room.

A simple first version

Use one starting point and one destination with no obstacle between them. Draw two distinct marks and connect them with a line. The child can trace the route or tell the adult where it starts and ends.

Add the table as a third landmark only if the child wants another step. A short path can be a complete activity. Drawing skill, reading labels, and independent movement are not prerequisites for discussing the route.

Add a decision point

Draw two possible paths around a table, one on each side, if both paths are safe and accessible. Ask the child to choose one and show it with a line. Check the chosen path in the real space or tabletop model.

The paths may have different lengths, but a sketch that is not to scale cannot prove exactly how much longer one is. The child can describe what they notice or compare by following both paths, without claiming a precise measurement.

Create a route for a partner

The child draws or directs an adult to draw a route. A partner uses the key and asks where to begin. The child can give directions one step at a time and check whether the marker follows the intended line.

If the partner misunderstands, pause at the relevant landmark and clarify: “I meant the side near the chair.” Correcting the explanation is part of communication. The partner should not move real furniture or walk into an unsafe area to follow a mistaken line.

Use a familiar outdoor view

From a safe location, a child may draw a path between two visible landmarks, such as a bench and a tree, if both exist in the actual setting. An adult chooses a route appropriate to the surroundings and stays responsible for supervision.

Do not cross a road or enter an unfamiliar area for the activity. Avoid including an identifiable home address or personal details in a map intended to be shared. A purely imagined outdoor map is also an option.

Make a map of an imaginary place

The child can invent a park with a pond, a bridge, and a path. Ask what each symbol means and where a character starts. The child decides whether the path goes over the bridge or around the pond.

An imaginary map need not match real geography. The useful question is whether a listener can follow the child’s chosen symbols and route. If a symbol is unclear, ask the child to explain or add it to the key.

Make the map accessible

Use large, contrasting lines and enough space between symbols. The child can indicate a route with a finger, gaze, communication tool, or instructions to a partner. Position the paper and materials where the child can see and use them comfortably.

A raised line or large movable marker may help some children, if suitable and safe. Ask what works for the child rather than requiring a particular gesture. A route can be explored on the table without physically traveling through the room.

A common error: treating the map as the room

A symbol is a representation of an object. A large square on the page does not mean the real table is a flat square of the same size. Point to the symbol and then to the object it stands for.

Similarly, the route line is a mark showing an intended path, not an actual rope on the floor. The child can trace it on paper and compare it with the route around the furniture. Both forms help communicate location in different ways.

A common error: giving too many directions

A long instruction can be difficult to hold in memory even when the map is clear. Begin with a starting landmark and one next step. Add the destination after the child has identified the first part.

Keep the map visible while following it. Consulting the key or pointing back to the route is a useful strategy, not a failure to remember. The child can ask the adult to repeat or show one instruction at a time.

Notice what helped the route make sense

Afterward, consider whether the child could identify the start, match a symbol to a landmark, or clarify a direction for a partner. A child may prefer a tabletop model or need a clearer key. Use those observations to prepare the next invitation.

Do not score drawing accuracy or compare children’s speed. A simple route with one landmark can support meaningful spatial language. The activity is not an assessment of development.

Choose symbols before drawing a route

Place a blank sheet beside the tabletop model. Ask the child how they want to represent the chair, table, and destination. They might choose a circle, rectangle, and star. Draw each choice on a separate part of the page and write or sketch its meaning in a key.

Check that the symbols do not look too similar at the size used. If the circle and star are hard to distinguish, the child can choose a different mark. The key should reflect the child’s actual choices rather than a conventional map legend imposed by the adult.

When the symbols are in place, compare them with the model one by one. A partner can point to the real object after the child points to its symbol. This establishes the relationship before a route line is added.

Follow one instruction at a time

Start a toy at the chair symbol and ask the child for the first step. The instruction might be “go toward the table.” Move the toy only after confirming the intended direction. Pause at the next landmark and ask what should happen next.

If the instruction could lead to either side of the table, point to both possibilities and ask the child to choose. A phrase such as “the side near the window” can clarify the route when the window is visible and both players know which one is meant.

The toy can stop after a single step if the child wants a break. Resuming later requires checking that the marker and landmarks are still in the same places. There is no need to memorize the entire route.

Show the direction of travel

A line between two symbols shows a connection, but the same line can be followed in either direction. Add an arrow pointing from the chair toward the toy if the child wants to show a particular direction. Explain what the arrow means on this map.

Ask the child to move a marker in the direction of the arrow. Then turn the marker around and discuss the return route. The line may be the same, but the direction of travel is reversed. Add another arrow only if the child wants to represent the return.

A child can trace the route without drawing an arrow. The arrow is one optional way to make a direction explicit for someone who was not present when the map was made.

Tell a partner where to start

Give the map to a partner and ask them to find the starting symbol using the key. If the page has a chair symbol and a toy symbol, the child can say “Start at the chair” or point to the chair in the key.

The partner places a marker on the chair symbol and checks: “Is this the start?” The child confirms or redirects. Only after the start is agreed does the partner follow the line. This prevents a correct path from being read in the opposite direction by accident.

If the child wants to share an imaginary map, they decide which symbol is the starting place. The partner should not assume that the lower edge of the page is always the beginning.

Check a path around an obstacle

In a tabletop model, put a rectangle between a chair marker and a destination. Draw a path that goes along one side of the rectangle. Move a toy along the drawn line and compare it with the open space in the model.

If the line crosses the rectangle, ask whether that represents going through the table or whether the child meant to go around. The child can revise the line or explain that the rectangle represents something else. A key resolves the meaning before the route is judged.

In a real room, an adult checks the actual path for safety and accessibility. A line on paper cannot establish that a person can safely walk the route. Use the tabletop model when the real path is blocked or unsuitable.

Compare two possible routes

Draw two lines from the same chair symbol to the same destination, one passing each side of a table symbol. Use distinct line styles, such as a solid and a dashed line, and explain them in the key. Ask the child which path they want a toy to follow.

Trace the selected line and identify the landmarks it passes. If both paths are available in the real room, compare them only after an adult checks that both are safe. The child may prefer one because it passes a favorite object or leaves more space.

A drawing that is not to scale cannot establish exact route lengths. Avoid announcing that one is shorter based solely on the sketch. If the comparison matters, use a suitable way to measure or describe the observed differences without a precise claim.

Record a route after following it

First move a toy from the chair around the table to the destination. Then ask the child to show what happened on a blank or partially prepared map. They can draw a line, place a string along the route if safe, or direct an adult’s pencil.

Compare the record with the route just followed. If the line goes to a different side, ask whether the child intended a new route or wants to revise the record. An alternative route is valid when labeled as an alternative.

A brief caption can preserve the child’s words: “around the table to the toy.” Write it only with the child’s agreement and read it back. The map can be kept or put away according to the child’s preference.

Use a map after the room changes

If the chair is moved, show its old symbol and its present location. Ask whether the map should represent the earlier arrangement or the room as it is now. Both can be useful, but a partner needs to know which one is intended.

For a current map, move a removable symbol or draw a new one and update the route. For a record of the earlier room, leave the original drawing and label it as an earlier arrangement if the child wants to. Do not erase the child’s work without asking.

The exercise shows that maps can be revised when their subject changes. It does not require that every household object be recorded. Keep only the landmarks needed to understand the chosen route.

A route with a destination selected by the child

Invite the child to choose a safe destination that is actually visible or included in the tabletop model. They may select a book on a low shelf or a toy on the table. Ask where they want the traveler to start and how the destination should be marked.

A partner can check the key, trace the path, and identify the destination. If the child changes the destination, update its mark before giving the map to someone else. A route ending at the old symbol does not automatically reach the new place.

If the desired destination is inaccessible or unsafe, explain the constraint and offer a tabletop representation or another nearby place. The child can still make decisions about the adapted route.

Continue on BrainHunters

If the child wants a separate screen activity, explore shapes on BrainHunters together. Read the actual prompt and support the child’s preferred way of responding.

The paper map is an independent home activity and is not automatically recorded on the site. A screen is not needed to draw a route or explain it to another person.