Home > Professional Development Channel > Archives > Strategies That Work Archive > Strategy of the Week

Playground Maps

Description

A large-scale map painted on playground asphalt “provides a 'clean slate' on which students can do all kinds of activities," says Ed Bonne, known in schools throughout the United States as “The Playground Map Guy." Students can practice place-name and location geography as they use tempura paints to paint major political, physical, or other geographic information on the map. State names and their capitals are usually a good first activity to do with students… but there are many more.

Learn More About Playground Maps

Every School Should Have a Playground Map
Ed Bonne, "the Playground Map Guy," has been painting playground maps at schools since 1987. Thanks to him, many students are learning geography in a most active way. Included: Tips for painting your own playground map.

Playground Maps Are an Endless Source of Fun -- and Learning
A playground map is an ideal tool for planned activities that extend classroom curriculum. Ed Bonne, "The Playground Map Guy," offers more than a dozen ideas for using playground maps to extend the geography curriculum.

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
Copyright © 2008 Education World