Right now, your kids probably aren’t exploring like they were a few months ago. So give them another option: Have them explore the world by making maps.

Maps show more than how to get from Point A to Point B—they also tell a story. They can reveal the travel path of a bug, explore animal patterns in your neighborhood, or even envision a future world.

Mapmaking keeps kids’ brains active by promoting language, geography, history, and art skills. Using a different perspective to think about people and places inspires creativity, and understanding spatial relationships increases reasoning skills important for STEM learning.

And during this time of social distancing, maps might be more important than ever. “They can help kids discover other places and