Yoda's house

Max (4 years, 2 months) drew the location of "Yoda's house" (Yoda is a character from the film "Star Wars"). He has shown a route indicating how to get to the house.

Talking about Jamaica

Tiyanni was sitting in the garden at a table with her friend and an adult, Mandy. Together they were looking at a map in a large diary;

Mandy talked about the time Tiyanni went to Jamaica, and pointed to Jamaica on the map. Tiyanni explained, "That’s where my Grandma and Grandad is" and Mandy talked about the beach in Jamaica. Picking up a blue pen, Tiyanni made some marks in the diary, and pointing to them, added, "This is swimming." 

"And that's my nursery."

From his father's interest in maps, Isaac (4 years, 1month) had developed a fascination with maps, and at home his father had put some old, framed maps on the walls. Isaac decided to draw his own map for the wall, explaining it as showing the route they drove from home to the nursery. Isaac lives in a large city and sometimes the route must have seemed circuitous! Pointing to a place on the map, he explained, "And that's my nursery." Isaac was very interested in location and direction and understood how to use a compass.

        Visiting the forest on another day, Isaac told an adult, “I think we’re going west […] That way is south." Then, concerned that they might be lost, Isaac asked, “Are we north or south? This is a mystery path! I don’t want to go south – it will go to Africa and my bedtime’s at six o’clock." 

Caitlin drew arrows to direct people Caitlin (5 years, 8 months) drew a detailed map of the village where she lives, including a roundabout, "the two hills", the village hall and "my old house". And in the distance, she drew the beach and the airport.

"Round lots of corners"

 Lydia (5 years, 5 months) drew a map to show how to get to the swimming pool (lower right). She explained the zigzag shape on the top right as,"You have to go round lots of corners" and has included lots of directional arrows lower down. This suggests embodied learning.