Treasure Maps!

Since I'm going to be ordering some maps soon, I thought I should do some preliminary map activities.  So, last week instead of going to the school room, we mapped my bedroom.  Its funny how we take for granted the ability to understand that something on paper can represent a room, house, neighborhood, etc.  Once I got started, Link picked it up quickly.  I drew the room and explained what it was.  Then asked him to point to all the doors and showed him what they looked like on the map.  I asked him to point out things in the room, then I drew them on the map.  We did a sorta-three-period-lesson with things to be sure he understood what the map represented.

Then, the most exciting part - I drew an X on the nightstand, and told him that there was treasure in there.  For a good five minutes, I couldn't get him to go see what it was because he was laughing so much.  It tickled him every time I said it, but finally, he went and checked the nightstand.  Then we did it again in the kitchen.  He really enjoyed this and spent the rest of the day "drawing maps".

Over the weekend we all went to Bald Head Island for a little family vacation.  Unfortunately it rained almost the entire time.  However, since it wasn't exactly beach weather we decided to go see some things on the island we haven't visited (because we're usually too busy at the beach!).  So, Daddy, Link and I hopped on the golf cart with our map of the island and made our way to the Old Baldy.  On the way I attempted to teach Link his left and right so that he could tell Daddy which way to go.  I also pointed out points of interest on the map and asked Link where he'd like to go and where we were or where we were going.

I'll probably continue these activities for a little while just because Link enjoys them so much.  Hopefully once we get our maps of North America and the World Parts, and our globes, it'll all come together.