Recommended Age: 4 and ½ years and onwards
Level of Parent Involvement: Low after the initial presentation of the continent cards, the child may paint their world map with low supervision after learning the names of the continents
Prerequisites
- Prior to painting the map, the child should have a 3 period lessons to learn the names of the continents using the continent cards
- The child must have reasonable control using a paintbrush to paint the sections of the map in their respective colours
Materials
- Laminator
- Laminating sheets
- Coloured paint (pink, brown, light blue, orange, yellow, green, red, white)
- Paint pots or palette
- Paint brush
- Smock
- Cup of water for washing the brush to change colours
Preparation
- Print the continents 3 part cards
- Cut and laminate ONLY the control card for this exercise (the card with the picture and label, the labels and pictures on their own may be prepared later for independent work when the child uses them as 3 part cards)
- Put the different coloured paints into paint pots or onto a palette
Steps
- Invite the child, letting them know that today they will be painting a world map
- The child may get their smock and put it on, whilst you bring the materials to the table
- Show the child the printed world map paper, asking them what they recognise (the child should recognise all if not some of the continents from previous 3 period lessons with the continent cards)
- Point to each continent on the paper, asking the child “what’s this called?” you may name if the child cannot recall
- Take the continent cards and invite the child to match the cards with the continents on the paper
- Show the child the paints, ask the child which continent they would like to paint first, the child then takes the corresponding coloured paint and paints the continent
- The child repeats painting all continents as per the colours on the continent cards
- Once the child has finished painting the continents, let them know they must now paint the oceans blue, invite the child to paint blue around the continents
- Let the child know where they may place their world map to dry
Variations
- The child may work independently with the continent 3 part cards
- The child may use the continent 3 part cards to label their world map, using strips of paper to write the labels, then stick them on their map
