KidsPre-SchoolPrimary School
Help your child make a chalkboard travel map
Using a block of wood, or picture frame, you can help your child make an easy chalkboard travel map to document your family trip.
Most children love studying maps, especially if the map highlights the places you’ll be travelling through while driving to your holiday destination.
Jessica Bowers, a family travel blogger, created a chalkboard-fabric map for her children to track their progress on long road trips. “It’s quite versatile,” she says. Jessica used a jigsaw puzzle as a template to draw the cities. However, we found it far easier to paint a wooden board using chalkboard paint (instead of fabric) and then trace a map onto it with the help of a printable template downloaded from the Internet.
What you’ll need
- Travel map (choose a map of the city you’re going to – printable from the Internet)
- Wood board (size is up to you and your child), or wooden frame with chipboard backing
- Sandpaper (if needed)
- Ruler and pencil
- Pencil
- Paint roller
- Chalkboard paint
- Chalk (for curing the paint)
- Chalkboard markers
How to make it
- Select a wood board and give it a light sanding if it’s rough. If you prefer, you can also use a wooden frame with chipboard backing (just remove the glass).
- Wipe the board down thoroughly to remove any dust from the sanding. Then help your child paint the board using a smooth roller and chalkboard paint, following the instructions on the paint can.
- After the paint has fully dried, prep the chalkboard by rubbing the side (not the end) of a piece of chalk horizontally and then vertically across your entire board. Once the board is covered, wipe with a soft rag or cloth.
- Download a printable map design of your holiday destination and size the map to fit whatever size board you have. We found simple maps work far better than complicated ones.
- Help your child trace the artwork onto the board using a pencil.
- Use an oil-based paint pen to trace the pencil lines you created then allow it to dry.
- Take the map along with you on your journey, allowing your child to map the progress of your travels until you’ve reached your destination.
