Each week my two youngest are given a preschool adventure work box full of lots of exciting activities for them to do throughout the week. They are allowed to have a quick look through to build up their excitement for the week ahead. This week their B4FIAR book was The Red Carpet and the theme for the week was ‘maps’. Most of the activities were based around this theme.
Read aloud fiction books
Go along non fiction books
We read through The Red Carpet every morning. It was a huge hit with my girls. They enjoyed the illustrations and A4 immediately recognised the street scene from Katy Kangaroo. We also loved the rhythm and rhyme. We have rowed this book slightly differently to the others because I particularly wanted to introduce my pre-schoolers to map work so I could slowly move one of their study days to an earth study theme, in line with a topic a day for proper FIAR, which we’ll be integrating with B4FIAR next year.
For more book related ideas:
Little Worlds
We read through Me on the Map, which is such a lovely introduction to the world of maps. The night before I had made a file folder type activity for A4. Using different coloured foam, I cut out the shape of her and B2’s bedroom and added the area which is used as a wardrobe. I also marked the doors. Then I cut out two beds, a rocking chair, chest of drawers and rocking horse- the sum total of everything in the room:

I asked A4 to try to put together her room in a map form, just like the little girl in Me on the Map. She found this so hard. I took her upstairs and we looked at the room from the door and chatted about where everything was in relation to us. We returned to the activity. She continued to find this hard, so I helped her out by putting her bed in. From then she was off and totally got it:

She completed the map very quickly, once she understood:

Trays
Most of our activities this week revolved around maps of some sort so I didn’t do too many tray activities with them, although we did manage to borrow a play mat which the girls LOVED! (Thanks Becky!)


Mummy and A4 activity
In Mapping Penny’s World we learnt about all the uses of maps, one being that it shows an individual which the shortest route to a destination would be. I designed a small map of our nearby community. We live behind a row of local shops, one of which is a coffee shop. I marked the coffee shop with an X

We can get to the coffee shop two ways:
- Down the silver alley way to the right of the map
- Through our back garden and down the alley way on the left of the map
It is obvious (to me, anyway!) that the first route is shorter. Not to A4 though! When asked which way would be the shortest and therefore the quickest she answered the second route through the garden. We decided to check it out by walking both routes and counting our steps:

We found the first route was 138 steps, whilst the second route was 168 steps. She understood straight away that she had been wrong. You can see the routes marked in red on our map:

Special Activity
For our special activity the little girls and I decided to make a treasure map for their brother and sisters as a surprise. First we made a map of the garden using shapes I had cut out of card. We did this at the end of the week and it was obvious to me that A4 fully understood all the concepts I had been teaching her:

I had the two little girls mark on the map where they would like to bury some treasure:

And then they both went outside to hide their ‘treasure’ (fruit roll ups which looked like the red carpet):




We also hid one by the rabbit hutch, but that photo seems to have disappeared. The littles then went and called their older brother and sister very loudly and very excitedly. It was good for them to be doing something special for the older ones rather than the other way around! The older ones were in their independent study and were very happy to have been interrupted out of it!


Muffin Tin Meal

For our Red Carpet muffin tin meal I made some hotel shaped tortilla, cucumber and cheese slices; traffic lights out of red, orange and green peppers on toothpicks; two cars made from apple slices and grapes held together with tooth picks; a fruit roll up for the red carpet and some pretzels as they were mentioned in the book.
For more MTM ideas:
DVD’s and any other learning bits and pieces
I would really recommend this DVD for anyone wanting to teach mapping skills to very young children. It is so clear and very well done. We watched it everyday.
Printables
We don’t often use printables, but next year when we revisit each book I’ll be using them.
http://homeschoolcreations.com/TheRedCarpetPrintables.html
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/red_carpet.php
More Inspiration
http://delightfullearning.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/red-carpet-b4fiar.html?utm_source=BP_recent
http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/08/the-red-carpet-book-unit-prek-5k-corner/
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/0743931726_137-146c.pdf
For more creative ideas:
For more B4FIAR ideas:
I love all these activities, and the way you’ve written the post helps me follow through your adventures as if I were there! How very fun! The cutout shapes to be put on the map is such a good idea for the little ones, since it removes the difficulty of drawing precisely the shapes and relative sizes of each item in the room. Getting A4 to test out her reasoning by walking both routes is a really good way for her to understand distance.
I couldn’t get hold of this book when we did B4FIAR, so it’s very interesting for me to read about it. I’m getting so many good ideas for the time when I’ll get to do such activities with my grandchildren… talk about forward planning! I’m thinking at least 15 years ahead now. 🙂
Gosh, I do hope Tiger is ready to provide you with all these grand children you are planning to teach!! (I don’t mean ready RIGHT this minute, you understand!!)
Thanks for the encouraging comment. Whilst I really liked the book, and wanted to teach the girls about maps, I didn’t feel the two went together perfectly. I did my best though!
Great activities! I, too, love the way you write your posts.
Thanks Phyllis!
We made maps like that with my kiddos back when they were that age using Me on the Map, LOVE that book. Ours didn’t turn out so pretty because the kids drew them, which at that age was more of scribbled them.
She enjoyed the foam map and really got into the whole map reading business. I found her reading books about maps all week!
Well done A4. You have done a great job putting the map together. Looks like you had great fun.
Thank you Daddy. I love you!
Thanks for all of the wonderful ideas. I pinned your post so I would remember them this summer when we learn about maps!
Thank you for popping by, and for the lovely comment. Have a great weekend!
What fun activities. I love the map of the garden especially. Have a great weekend. Stopping by from Hammock Tracks.
Thank you!
What wonderful maps! They are really well done. I had totally forgotten about this book. I need to see if our library has it. I will be sharing this post on Facebook and Pinterest.
My guys loved the book, I hope you manage to find it! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Purposeful, meaningful, and FUN! Especially like how you tied in maps to this row. Great job!
Thanks Michelle. The maps did work out well as a learning tool.
Love how thoroughly you plan your lessons. And the muffin tin meal looks great!
Thanks. They are not nearly as cute as your though- but I try!!
Those are great maps! love the idea 🙂
-Reshama
www,stackingbooks,com
Thanks Reshama!
I’ve never read this book. Thanks for the recommendation and activities to go with it.
No problem!