Me on the Map Activities – Neighborhood Maps

Turn your class into junior cartographers with this always-popular map skills activity! Elementary-level kids can use this activity to plan and design a community map of their own. 

With this project, students will design and create their own My Community Map by using different map parts, cutouts, and map symbols. Young learners can develop their mapping skills by placing buildings, landmarks, and symbols on our community map design templates. 

This geography project is a fun way to teach your students about cardinal directions, map symbols, map keys, and more. With this project,  Students will design and create their own map by using different map parts or map cutouts and map symbols.

This resource will be an amazing addition if you are looking for the following

📍Me on the Map Activities

🗺️Map Activities for Kindergarten

🌐Map Activities for First Grade

🌎Open House Display Ideas

You could also create a whole class map using our templates as well!

✂️ Give Them the (Safety) Scissors 

This project makes for a bonus cutting skills activity, depending on your students’ ages and abilities. 

With adult supervision, cutting skills help students work multiple muscle groups and their brains, plus:

• Strengthen finger and hand muscles
• Build dexterity and fine motor skills
• Improve hand-eye coordination
• Develop focus and attention

And all of these skills are necessary to use a pencil and a fork; button a shirt and tie shoes; write, type and swipe.

Scissor skills are brain and muscle skills! 

Download & Print — It’s Child’s Play! 

This project is available in multiple formats for you to choose from. Use the dropdown arrow to select the Color or Blackline version of your choice, and determine if you would prefer the Google Slides version or Print-and-Go PDF file. Grab one, print it out, and you’re off and running!

It is recommended that you print the map cut-outs on cardstock or heavier paper for durability.

NEXT: Check out a whole unit on mapping skills for primary grades.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter collaborator.

While you’re here, check out more map activities and Geography teaching resources that fill your lesson plans and students’ brains:

teaching resource

Me on the Map - Map Elements Presentation

Teach the components of a map with a map elements teaching presentation.

teaching resource

Giant Coloring Sheet – Community Map

A large, printable coloring sheet featuring a map of a community for your whole class to use in a variety of ways.

teaching resource

Elements of a Map Match-up Activity

Answer the question "What are the key elements of a map?" with a map element matching activity.