How To Draw A Map Of Your Bedroom

How To Draw A Map Of Your Bedroom

At-Home Activity: Create Your Own Map

July 23, 2020 / Mirka Zapletal

In order to make sense of their surroundings, humans have been making maps for thousands of years. One of the oldest surviving maps of the world is actually a small clay tablet dating back to 700 to 500 BCE called The Babylonian Map of the World. It shows the City of Babylon in the center with the Euphrates River crossing through the city, with the ocean surrounding it.

Maps during ancient times were not always accurate representations of the world. They often acted as a work of art, or a creative way for the map holder to grasp the idea of what the world was. Nowadays, most maps are made with computers and are very accurate, but that does not stop modern people from creating artistic maps as well. Today, you too can create your own map, with either accuracy or creativity in mind. Or both.

In a previous post, we explained the different types of maps out there, as well as the features that most geographical maps (maps that show a location) have in order to help the map holder navigate or study the location. These map types and features will come into play today depending on what type of map you would like to create, so feel free to brush up on some map knowledge by taking a look at that post.

First, let's figure out what kind of map you'd like to make. You'll need paper and writing utensils such as colored pencils, crayons or markers. A ruler and compass would help as well. Below are some map theme ideas that you are welcome to choose from.

A Treasure Map

This is a fun sort of map that does not require perfect accuracy since it will be coming from your imagination. Treasure maps are often featured in books or movies about pirates who bury their stolen treasure hoard on a small deserted island. Treasure maps can also look old and brown, so crinkling your piece of paper, gently tearing the edges, or staining it with a damp brown tea bag will give it that "ancient look". Once you have your map paper ready to draw on, think about what kinds of things you want on there.

An example of a hand drawn treasure map complete with compass rose, title, and labeled landmarks. (Image credit: alex dehnel)

Some ideas could include:

• Palm trees or other plants

• Rocks

• Beach creatures

• Buildings

• Mountains or hills

• Rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water

• Fantastical creatures such as mermaids or sea serpents

• The most important thing: a large red "X" that marks the spot of the buried treasure and a dotted path from a starting point of your choice

• If you want your map to be more accurate, feel free to draw your own compass rose, grid lines, scale, and legend.

• Don't forget the title!

A Map of Your Bedroom

Try to imagine that you are a bird flying above your room. If you looked down, and could see the whole room, what would you see? Could you map it? Most maps have the northern direction at the top, but you can choose any direction based on how you want to draw your room. Just remember to list the directions on each side of the map or use a compass rose. You'll need a compass to find out where the four directions are in relation to the items in your room. Here are some things to consider:

• You probably won't need grid lines, but a legend would help someone else figure out what they are looking at. An alternative to a legend would be to directly label the items on your map.

• Do you want your map to have a scale? If so, you would measure the length and width of your room and translate that onto your small map. For example, let's say your room is 10 feet long and 8 feet wide. In order for the map reader to know how long 10 feet is on your map, the map scale could say that one inch equals one foot. The room on the map would be a 10 by 8 inch rectangle. The reader could then count the inches on your map to see how big your room is.

• Every bedroom is different, but most have a bed, dresser, and nightstand. These could be drawn as simple squares with labels, or drawn as detailed as you want. Feel free to color everything in if desired.

A Map of a Local Park

If you desire to get out of the house and explore a bit, you could take a parent with you and venture to a local park. This may be a bit tricky to accurately draw, especially if the park is rather large, but the goal here is to create a map showing the main elements that the park has. As you're exploring the park, and drawing your map, think about these things:

When you are drawing a map of a park, try to imagine what it would look like from a birds-eye view. (Image credit: ConcordNH.gov)

• What is the shape of the park? Is it a perfect rectangle, or does it seem to have an irregular shape?

• Does the park have paths or sidewalks in it? If so, try to draw them on your map, and see if they connect.

• Some parks have many trees, while others only have a few. Drawing your own tree symbols on your map will help if you plan on having a legend.

• Statues, benches, fields, gardens, restrooms, and fountains are all things that you may find in the park that you could draw on your map.

• Try creating your own symbols for the items that you find. You may know what that squiggly line is because you drew it, but could another person who has never seen your map figure that out? Create a legend for the symbols.

• Bring a compass along with you to find where north is. This may help you decide which direction of the park will be on the top of the map.

• It may be hard to figure out a scale for your map unless you know the size of the park you're in.

• What is the park called? Where is it located? Include that in your map title.

Want More Map Ideas?

Here is a list of more map themes that you can use to help jump-start your creativity and map-making skills. No matter which type of map you decide to create, stop and think about what features your map should or should not have. And have fun!

• Your house

• Your backyard

• Your town

• Your state

• Your classroom

• Your school

• A playground

• A different country

• An island

• An ocean

• The world

• The moon

• A made-up world

• A map from your favorite story

Check out a gallery of maps that were created by kids during a map-making challenge hosted by The American Museum of Natural History.

By Megan Goldsmith

How To Draw A Map Of Your Bedroom

Source: https://www.starhop.com/blog/2020/7/23/at-home-activity-create-your-own-map