If you have kids – CAMPS can become their best companion when they travel. Each age group can reap their own benefit, and build on these as they grow.
Possession of the book also is a handy reward for good behaviour, it puts them in the prestigious position of navigator, “the keeper of the keys”.
How do CAMPS AUSTRALIA WIDE maps help children learn?
Spatial thinking
Their interaction with our world. Maps make you take in your surrounds. The app and Sat Nav may take you to your destination, but the map pages give you more information, you may not find out on the screen – a stop off the beaten track, a walk, or water hole.. When travelling in South Eastern NSW – we found a viewing platform and platypus. That sighting made our day, but we wouldn’t have known about it if we’d relied on our App and GPS, and not been looking out for road signs and landmarks.
Literacy
In an effort to find the campsite for the night, or the next town you’ll reach – they will come across unfamiliar words and build their vocabulary, they can read out directions or caravan park or camp site names. When we did our lap, I was struggling to have our youngest two read a book – but to them a CAMPS book wasn’t reading. It held relevance for our everyday, and so absorbing the information was of value to them.
Maths
Maths applications are on every page – they can add up distances between stops, or towns, calculate the day’s kilometres and compare to previous days, understand the dollar difference between $ or $+
Geography
Gives them perspective on just how big our country is. Depending on age – remember to explain what roads, rivers, national parks and even the ocean looks like. Map basics – so they learn the key, and understand scale is also useful.
Understand symbols
With CAMPS maps, there’s not just symbols on the maps, there’s different types of sites (overnight versus caravan parks and dump points) but each site has symbols to comprehend. Although there is an easy guide to this symbols, with regular use, it is not long before family members recognise them. They take on real relevance – as it guides decision making for what sites are best choices for that particular night.
Decision making skills
They can help decide where to stop for the night, which in turn develops confidence.
Direction
This is a simple as left to right, east to west… there is nothing in the digital world like following the route with your finger on paper!
Planning
Before you even set off, involve your children in choice of a destination or a camping site. Using the book – they can easily compare photos of sites to help them decide – the older they are they can
So many kids (and adults) live in a world where the SAT NAV or App show you where to go. They are losing the ability to read a map. Reading a map comes in handy in a mega shopping centre to find your way back to your vehicle. However, it could save their life if they are in the bush.
They can learn so much with the CAMPS maps – but it is step wise for kids, so be patient. Before you know it, they’ll be telling you where to go!
