Exploration of the world in the early years can be supported with an interactive map of your local area. Marianne Sargent offers some guidance on making one.

The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that children are given opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that will help them make sense of the world around them. Early years practitioners know that these explorations should be hands-on. Children should gain first-hand experiences through physical investigation of the environment around them.

When it comes to children finding out about and exploring their local area, there is no substitute for taking children on a walk and stopping to see and talk about various places of interest along the way.

However, it is also possible to use ICT to create a supporting resource that can be used to help the children reflect on their experiences. Below, I explain how to use a digital camera and presentation software to create an interactive map of your local area. For practitioners who are less confident with ICT, I have provided a detailed step-by-step overview of the process.

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