K, being four, is very interested in everything we do ALL THE TIME. It's a million questions for a trip to the grocery store. So I want her to be involved and as aware of what is going on with our trip as she can be. We are going to have our maps/gps to tell us where we are but I really don't think she gets it by looking at stuff like that yet. She is only starting to realize when she sees the Arch in pictures that , hey, that's where I live.
I started brainstorming about giving her a map or something she could draw on that would be easy for her to understand and not just a regular old fold up map. She's awesome at her colors and really starting to always remember her letters and numbers.
I went online and found a site called : EduPlace . They have awesome black and white line drawing maps of the whole country and the world. So I took the whole USA map and brought it into Photoshop ( but you could use any program for this) and I traced around only the states we would be driving through. Can you see my excellent tracing skills?
I colored each a different color and put their abbreviations into each one.After I did, that I deleted the layer that the black and white map was on. I blew it up to be a whole 8.5'x 11" sheet size and added the fun border and title .
Now as we pass from state to state, I can tell her and she can fill in the state we are in. Of course the heart is home and the star is Pensacola Beach , FL where we are heading. You could do this with any road trip you are doing. If you have any questions, please ask me. Happy travels this summer!
Monday
What is the Gunny Sack -Making the world Cuter -Debbie Doo -DIY How Off
DIY Shop - Lines Across My Face -I should be mopping the Floor
Great Fun 4 Kids
Tuesday
How to Nest For Less - Tip Junkie - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia -The Kurtz Corner
Sugar Bee - Romance On A Dime - Chronic Christian Crafter - Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
The Winthrop Chronicles
Wednesday
Oopsey Daisy - Thrifty Home - Someday Crafts - Sew Much Ado
- Junk in Their Trunk - Southern Lovely
Thursday
My rePurposed Life - Beyond the Picket Fence - Somewhat Simple - Live Laugh Rowe
Loving this Crazy Life -Scrappy Crafty Happy - Fireflies and Jellybeans - The Shabby Cottage
Quality Cheap Home - The Taylor House
House of Hepworths
Friday
Naptime Crafters - Stay At Home Nation
Young and Crafty - My Turn(ForUs)
Delicate Construction
Serenity Now
Family Ever After
Saturday
Six Sister's Stuff
Be Different Act Normal
Sunday
Nifty Thrifty Things
That is so cute and clever! Thanks for sharing! Pinning. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jillian and thanks for pinning.
DeleteGreat idea!!! Happy travels. Hopping over from the newbie party XO
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katherine. Nice to meet other newbies!
DeleteWow Emily its looks like were neighbors. I too live in St Louis.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from newbie party.
Anne
My kids make up maps all of the time it is really funny to see how we get from our house to say Disneyland on their maps! Thanks for providing the link for the maps I think we will use that this summer on our travels.
ReplyDeleteJennifer
http://www.practicallyperfectprincess.com
Thanks, Jen. That's so cute that they like doing that. I hope my daughter likes it too.
DeleteThat's a really fun idea ... and I love the educational component to it as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Randi. It's fun to slip that education in there :)
DeleteThis is a great idea! I know when I was a kid, for our family trips I was always the one with a map in hand. It's so fun to look at and trace the progress.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this at Romance on a dime. I'm pinning this.
Thanks, Betsy. I appreciate the pin and the compliment.
DeleteGreat idea! When we travel my daughter always wants to know how much time we have left...in minutes. I always keep a calculator handy:)
ReplyDeleteDude... in minutes? now that's chart I can't make.
DeleteWhat a clever and cute idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks to the person with the awesome name!
DeleteWhat a smart idea! Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aunt B.
DeleteThat very cute!! Visiting from HofH.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melissa and thanks for visiting!
DeleteI just saw this on Shabby Creek Cottage and had to check it out. We live in STL and will be traveling to Destin in a couple of weeks. How cute is this? Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, neighbor. Have a great trip. I can't wait to go.
DeleteThis is a great idea! A great "tangible" tool for the little ones...love it! And, and great answer for the "are we there yet?" Thanks for sharing...so cute! Thanks for sharing with us @ Toot Your Horn Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteErin
Thanks, Erin. We'll see how it does firsthand soon.
DeleteI'm definitely going to do this before we go on a road trip this summer for my youngest. I've always shown the kids a regular road atlas, but this is so much easier for them to decipher.
ReplyDeleteCool. I hope they like it as much as mine did.
DeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteHere from the Freedom Hop, love your blog description, I can relate! Now following, would love for you to come on by and visit sometime :)
Hugs, Tanya
Thanks and you make some really cute things. I'm following back.
DeleteI love maps! My mother used to have us put together a wooden map of the United States. I also loved knowing where we were at. (We moved often) and I learned so very much about geography. I still have the puzzle. This would have been something that I loved. (hard to keep up with wooden puzzle pieces in the car,lol) Thank you for not only sharing a great idea at Freedom Fridays but also bringing great memories back to me:)
ReplyDeleteNo Problem, Evelyn. I'm glad it brought you back.
DeleteI featured your project this week at Romance on a dime!! Feel free to pick up a featured button!!
ReplyDeleteEEEEeeeeeee.... Thanks , Betsy. That is so sweet. I'll go grab that now.
DeleteCute idea and should really keep your little one busy on the trip. Map reading is becoming a lost art!
ReplyDeleteVisiting from Taylor House...
Thanks, Emma. It did..for a while :)
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this at Taylor House Thursday! You were one of the top views last week and are being featured today!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea... and wow that looks like a looong road trip!
ReplyDeleteIt was. 15 hours with stops. They did good though.
DeleteAnother great idea!! I am now your newest follower. (and a KC gal, we are practically neighbors ;) Welcome to blogland!
ReplyDeleteShelby @ The Bean Sprout Notes
Thanks, Shelby. Hey neighbor! If you are ever in the STL let me know.
DeleteThis is a great idea for the little ones!! We love it. We appreciate you linking up to our "Strut Your Stuff Saturday". Hope you'll come back soon! -The Sisters
ReplyDeleteThanks, ladies. I'll see you next week or sooner.
Delete