Screen-free play

Treasure Map Directions

Age 7–11 10 min Indoor Normal

Why Treasure Map Directions works

Use a treasure map to translate drawn directional information into a route through landmarks. Locate the starting point and treasure. Identify the first directional instruction.

Set up — Locate the starting point and treasure

Prepare paper before the child is asked to locate the starting point and treasure. The setup is ready when the child can locate the starting point and treasure and then move on to the instruction to identify the first directional instruction without a new explanation. Use age-appropriate pieces and avoid small loose parts for children who may mouth objects while those two steps are connected.

Step 2 — Identify the first directional instruction

After completing the instruction to identify the first directional instruction, pause and ask what changed from the earlier step where they had to locate the starting point and treasure. Use that answer to decide whether they are ready to trace to the next landmark.

Step 3 — Trace to the next landmark

Keep the adult prompt brief while the child tries to trace to the next landmark. If needed, return to the earlier step to identify the first directional instruction before asking them to continue instruction by instruction.

Step 4 — Continue instruction by instruction

Keep the pace slow while the child tries to continue instruction by instruction. If the effect is hard to see, simplify that action before continuing with the instruction to check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure.

Step 5 — Check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure

Treat the attempt to check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure as a checkpoint between the earlier step to continue instruction by instruction and the coming step to check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure. A perfect answer is not required.

What to notice before Check that the final route ends exactly at…

After the child has tried to continue instruction by instruction, ask what changed. An answer connected to the earlier attempt to trace to the next landmark is good evidence of which clue, position, or relationship supports the answer before the final step.

Make Trace to the next landmark easier or harder

If asking the child to trace to the next landmark is too demanding, use fewer items and make the relevant difference more obvious. Once that step is comfortable, add one plausible distractor, remove one cue, or ask the child to explain the rule before returning to the final request to check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure.

Finish after Check that the final route ends exactly at…

Check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure. Once that result is clear, end the round and leave any harder variation for another time. Find the next activity in the activity search, or make a new one with the activity generator.

What you need

  • Paper

How to play

  1. Locate the starting point and treasure.
  2. Identify the first directional instruction.
  3. Trace to the next landmark.
  4. Continue instruction by instruction.
  5. Check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure.

Make it easier

For a shorter round, treat the first two actions as the whole round. Keep “Locate the starting point and treasure.” and “Identify the first directional instruction.” This reduces complexity without turning it into a different activity.

Make it harder

In Treasure Map Directions, for the next level, remove one adult reminder at the middle step. The step that stays central is “Trace to the next landmark.” Do not add speed or competition.

Play together

In Treasure Map Directions, for partner play, let the first person handle the opening step and the second person handle the middle step. Use “Locate the starting point and treasure.” as the opening job and “Trace to the next landmark.” as the handoff point. Then reverse the jobs once.

Two or more kids

In Treasure Map Directions, when the activity has multiple participants, rotate who handles each major step. Keep “Check that the final route ends exactly at the treasure.” as the common finish. In Treasure Map Directions, only start a second cycle after every role has been used.

Skills practised

Logic, Pattern Recognition, Problem Solving, Working Memory

Safety

Keep physical routes floor-level and uncluttered; paper routes are safest for complex directions. Avoid blindfolds, stairs and backward walking.

Supervision: Awareness