Pin Maps

I was lucky enough to be invited to be in a "Continent Swap" were several families joined together to share materials,ideas and media about the 7 continents.  Each participant was assigned a Continent....mine was Asia.  For the swap I made pin maps, here is how I made them. 

1. I printed out the map.  This took me at least 2 days to pick the image that I wanted to use.  I finally pick the image from Google images.  I printed out a map and blacked out the names of the countries with a black marker, laminated it and used this as the pin map.

For the control map, I did not like how the names of the countries were not that clear, so I printed out a copy of the map and  printed out the names of the countries that I typed up on Microsoft Word. I cut out each name and glued it where it should go, then I laminated it. 

2 .I bought 8x11 craft foam and cut a piece of cardboard the same size.  I glued them together using white craft glue.  I stacked 4 pieces of foam with a layer of glue between each layer. I glued the pin map with countries blacked out on the top (the glue did not hold the laminated map well to the foam (but I fixed it latter with packing tape around the edges.)

3. Then I piled a bunch of heavy books onto and they sat for a couple of days to dry.

4. I printed out the Asian flags from this site....Montessori materials

I laminated them and cut them out.

5. I used round colored toothpicks instead of pins to keep it safe for small siblings to be around, I think they worked great.  I used clear scotch tape to attach the flags to the toothpicks.

6 When they were dry I used a toothpick to poke the holes where the countries are that the flags would go.

7 I used clear packing tape around the whole edge to make sure that the pin map was on nicely and it made a nice finished edge around the whole  thing.

I think they cam out very well done, and they work! We have not used it yet with Mason, I will let you know how he likes it.  Now I have 6 more continents to go........