Lost in the Woods: A Free Map Skills Lesson for EYFS to Year 6

Welcome to the first lesson in our new Talkin Adventures outdoor learning series.

At Talkin Adventures, we spend a lot of time working with schools and seeing first-hand how much children can learn when they are given the chance to take their learning outside. We also know that finding time for outdoor learning can sometimes be tricky. Teachers are busy, and outdoor activities need to have a clear purpose and fit into what children are already learning in the classroom. So, over the coming year, we're going to be sharing a new curriculum-linked outdoor learning lesson each month, designed to be practical, easy to use and suitable for schools.

The lessons have been created using our experience of delivering outdoor activities alongside the experience of a primary school teacher, so that the activities have clear links to the curriculum as well as a strong outdoor-learning focus. They can be used before a visit to Talkin Adventures at Talkin Tarn, as preparation for a particular activity, or simply as part of your school's curriculum wherever the lesson fits best. 

Lesson 1: Lost in the Woods

We're starting with something that sits at the heart of many of our outdoor activities: maps.

Before children can head out on an orienteering course, they need to understand what a map is and how it represents the world around them. In Lost in the Woods, children become map detectives. They explore what maps are, look at bird's-eye views, discover how symbols and map keys work, and think about how a route can be represented on a map.

The main activity can all be completed in the classroom, with children creating their own woodland map and then challenging another group to use it. It's a simple way to introduce map skills without needing a large outdoor space or specialist equipment.

🗺️ Download the Lost in the Woods Lesson PDF below and get started with your class.

And if you use the lesson, we'd love to hear how you get on!

Four levels of learning

One of the things we wanted to make central to this series is progression.

The same outdoor activity can be approached very differently by a four-year-old and an eleven-year-old. Rather than simply producing one lesson and expecting teachers to adapt it themselves, each lesson has four levels of learning:

🌱 EXPLORE – EYFS

What can I see, find and do?

At the Explore level, children are introduced to a new idea through simple vocabulary and hands-on discovery.

In Lost in the Woods, children might explore simple maps, identify things they recognise and use positional language such as near, far, next to, behind, left and right.

The emphasis is on exploring and talking about what they can see.

🔵 DISCOVER – KS1

What can I notice and explain?

Children begin to use more subject-specific vocabulary and understand how maps represent real places.

They explore symbols, map keys, landmarks, directions and routes, and begin to create and read simple maps.

🟠 INVESTIGATE – LKS2

How can I test, solve and find out?

At this level, children start applying their knowledge to a problem.

They can work with compass directions, grids, coordinates, distance and route planning, using their map-reading skills to make decisions and explain their thinking.

🟣 CHALLENGE – UKS2

How can I test, solve and improve?

The Challenge level encourages older children to use their knowledge more independently.

They can create and interpret more detailed maps, consider different routes, use features such as scale, grids and bearings, and evaluate how effective their map or route is. 

Where does it fit into the curriculum?

The main curriculum link for Lost in the Woods is Geography, particularly geographical skills, map work and fieldwork.

There are also opportunities to link the lesson with Maths, English, PE and PSHE.

Depending on the age of the children, the lesson can support learning around:

• maps and aerial views
• symbols and keys
• positional and directional language
• compass directions
• coordinates and grid references
• routes and distance
• problem-solving
• teamwork and communication.

For EYFS, there are also opportunities to develop spatial awareness, positional language, communication and understanding of the world around them.

The full lesson plan sets out the different learning objectives and activities for each age group, so teachers can choose the level that works best for their class. 

From the classroom to the outdoors

Although this first lesson can be completed entirely in the classroom, it has been designed with orienteering at Talkin Tarn in mind. Once children understand that a map is a representation of a real place, and have had a chance to practise reading symbols, following routes and thinking about direction, they are ready to take those skills outside. That's where the learning can really come alive.

At Talkin Adventures, children can put their map-reading skills into practice through orienteering, alongside activities including woodland skills, team challenges, canoeing, kayaking, raft building and archery.

You can use the lesson before your visit to help children arrive with some of the key vocabulary and knowledge they'll need, or use it independently as part of your Geography curriculum. 

What will be coming next?

This is the first in our new Talkin Adventures outdoor learning series. We'll be adding more lessons and activities to the collection over time, exploring different aspects of outdoor learning and making links to the activities we deliver with schools at Talkin Tarn.

Each lesson will have its own lesson plan, curriculum links, activities and resources, with ideas that can be adapted for different ages and abilities. Our aim is to give teachers practical ideas that make it easier to bring outdoor learning into the classroom and, where possible, take that learning outside too.

So, whether you're planning a visit to Talkin Adventures or simply looking for a different way to approach part of your curriculum, we hope you'll find something useful in the collection.

🗺️ Download the Lost in the Woods Lesson PDF below and get started with your class.

And if you use the lesson, we'd love to hear how you get on!