How to teach kids map skills with a treasure hunt

Telling someone exactly where something is turns out to be tricky, because “over there” could mean almost anywhere. A grid solves that by giving every square its own name, and the lessons below build from that idea to distances and clues.

What the Batch unit “Treasure Maps” covers

Name the square, count the steps, follow the clues. It is unit 2 of the Map Masters track and has 5 lessons and 55 cards:

1. X Marks the Grid
2. How Far Is It?
3. Follow the Clues
4. Draw Your Own
5. Boss Level: Treasure Hunter

What the first lesson says

This is the actual text from lesson 1, “X Marks the Grid”, word for word:

Saying 'near the tree' could mean lots of spots. A grid gives every square ONE exact name.

To find a square: go ACROSS first to the letter, then DOWN to the number. Try it: find C2!

A question from that lesson to try together

Try it at home

Sketch a room or the garden, draw a grid over it and label the rows and columns. Hide a small object, tell your child which square it is in, and let them find it. Then swap roles.

Play the lesson

Open Batch in the browser, choose Map Masters, and start with Unit 1, Read Any Map, lesson “A Bird's-Eye View”. Units unlock in order, so Unit 2, “Treasure Maps”, opens once the units before it are finished. Whether an account is needed is answered in the FAQ.

Printables for the fridge

Two free PDFs for the Map Masters track. The checklist lists the lessons from 1 of the track's 2 units.

• What we learned (PDF)
• Fridge checklist (PDF)

More guides: all Batch guides.