Map Skills for Kids: Compass, Keys, Grids and the Globe

For parents and teachers · 3 min read

Reading a map is a skill children use for the rest of their lives, and it’s taught in the first years of school geography. The good news is that each part is simple on its own. Here are the four building blocks, in the order most schools teach them, with activities you can try at home.

1. The compass points

Start with the four main points: north, east, south and west, going clockwise. A rhyme helps with the order: “Never Eat Soggy Waffles”. On most maps north is at the top.

Once those are secure, add the four in-between points: north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west. Point out that the in-between names always start with north or south.

Try it: find which way north is from your front door (a phone compass helps). Stick N, E, S and W labels on the walls of a room.
Play “Simon says turn east” in the garden or park.

2. Map symbols and the key

Maps use small pictures or symbols instead of words, so they don’t get crowded. The key (or legend) is the box that explains what each symbol means. Children often know more symbols than they think: a blue line for a river, a cross for a church, a P for parking.

Try it: draw a map of your child’s bedroom or your street together and invent symbols for the bed, the door, trees or houses. Add a key.
Look at a real map of a park or a zoo and find five symbols in the key.

3. Grid references

Many maps have a grid of squares with letters along the bottom and numbers up the side. To find square C3, go along to C and then up to 3. A saying that helps: “along the corridor, then up the stairs”. The same idea later becomes coordinates in maths.

Try it: draw a 5 by 5 grid, hide a small picture in one square, and give your child the grid reference to find it.
Play a simple game of battleships on squared paper.

4. The globe and its lines

A globe is the most accurate model of the Earth, because the Earth is round. Flat maps have to stretch some places to fit, which is why Greenland looks much bigger on many maps than it really is.

Two imaginary lines are worth knowing early. The Equator runs around the middle of the Earth, halfway between the North and South Poles. The Prime Meridian runs from pole to pole through Greenwich in London. Places near the Equator are generally hot all year; places near the poles are cold.

Try it: use an orange as a globe. Draw the Equator round the middle, then peel it and try to lay the peel flat. It won’t lie flat without tearing, which is why flat maps stretch.

Bring it together

The best practice is real use. Let your child hold the map on a walk, find the toilets on a museum plan, or follow the route on a car journey. Afterwards, a few minutes of Map Skills on Flagoo checks all four building blocks with picture lessons and eight questions.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What is an easy way to remember the compass points?

Going clockwise from the top: north, east, south, west. Rhymes like “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” help children remember the order.

How do you teach grid references to kids?

Teach “along the corridor, then up the stairs”: read the letter along the bottom first, then the number up the side. Practise with a hidden-picture game on a small grid.

What is the difference between the Equator and the Prime Meridian?

The Equator runs around the middle of the Earth from east to west. The Prime Meridian runs from the North Pole to the South Pole through Greenwich in London.

Flagoo team · Updated 2026-10-12

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