I came up with this idea from my daughter’s obsession with playing with her figurines and maps. She has a few of these map sets that come with a large fold-out map, a book and a bunch of related figurines (they have these at Barnes & Noble).
This project taps into children’s natural interest in miniature toys!
I showed the 2nd graders this map with some figures (many of them had similar maps at home) and told them to bring in some little toys to the next class.
The children could choose to work alone or with partners. I gave them a large sheet of paper to draw a map for their toys. They could include things like houses, paths, rivers and other landscaping. Basically, whatever they wanted to draw for their toys was fine.
I think this project had the highest level of excitement this year. They had a blast talking about their toys and creating a “world” for them.
It was a great lesson in collaboration and planning.
This student made a whole farm/zoo scene for her animals. I also had extra toys figurines available to use in case someone forgot to bring in some.
My Little Ponies were very popular and made for some colorful maps!
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What a wonderful imaginative project for the art room and at home.
This is a lovely idea! A nice way to get kids to collaborate and share their ideas!