Maps CAN be FUN!!

(ETHAN is famous for using the middle finger for pointing... Ryan gets on him quickly for it!)

We have been learning the states over they years in a few different ways. I was always intimidated by maps and honestly still can be! I want these kiddos though to be oriented to their place in this WORLD so we have gone over the different continents and pictures of kids from many areas of the world. Compassion International had given us a book that contains so many sites we seldom see here in America and we have been touched by the photos of kiddos all over the world going through their day to day as well! We notice the differences in what we eat, the different customs and needs of the population.

There are many wipeable maps out there even from Target in their $1 section! Each state has a different shape and color on the map... we note these... like Kentucky is shaped like a KFC drumstick! The kids love to color and write on each state as we talk about it: )

Sometimes we pretend we are pilots in flight and we use our map and PLENTY of weird sound effects as we talk on our pretend headsets flying from state to state taking off and landing in a new one they pick out and spell. We note the sites of some of the states as we are in flight: )

Our newest purchase from the teacher store is this enlarged map. When we sit and eat we make time to go from one state to another trying to remember which state grows the most wheat- Kansas, has the most tornadoes- Oklahoma, where the most toothpicks are made- Maine, or where there is TONS of guitars and country music singers- Tennessee. We found lots of little facts that came with our map and add from our other map from Target that has little images of things like a race car for the state of Indiana. Remember you know things about the states... where lots of Native Americans once lived... where Aunt Betty lives, where Mom's good friend lives: )