One of the most important skills children should learn is being able to determine the cardinal directions. Cardinal directions or cardinal points are the four main directions or points of the compass and are: north, east, south and west. They are written in short form as N, E, S and W. Below are some of the ways to teach kids the four main directions:


1. Introduce the Compass Rose

Print a free compass rose printable from Montessori Print Shop (showing the four directions and their abbreviated form)

compass-rose

Show the kids the first print out and teach the four main directions using the Montessori three-period lesson method: 

1. Naming (Introduction) "This is the north."
2. Recognizing (Identification) "Show me the north."
3. Remembering (Cognition) "What is this?"

Tell the kids that the NORTH always points to the north pole, sometimes called the "top of the world". The SOUTH points to the south pole or the "bottom of the earth". The EAST always points to where the sun rises in the morning, and the WEST always points to where the sun sets in the evening.

After you have done teaching the first print out, introduce the second print out. Tell the kids that north can also be written as N, east as E, south as S and west as W.


2. Teach the Mnemonic

To help kids learn the four directions and the order in which they appear on a compass, teach them the mnemonic “Never Eat Soggy Waffles.” The first letter of each word represents each of the directions in the order in which they appear on a compass: North, South, East, and West.

cardinal-direction-mnemonic
Photo from geographyrealm.com


3. Coloring Activity

Print the blank compass rose provided by Montessori Print Shop (leave out the ones with ordinal direction). Let the kids color their compass roses by following the control you earlier printed.



4. Cut and Glue 

Download and print this cut and glue activity by La Maestra B from Teacher Pay Teacher for your kids to be busy with.



4. Sing the Cardinal Direction Song

Teach the four main directions to your kids through this song by Class of Kinders (Sing to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star")

If you like the oceans best
Travel east or travel west
If you like the cold and snow
North is the way you should go
If you like the hot hot sun
Head down south for lots of fun

Have the kids point to each direction on the printed compass rose mentioned above as they are mentioned in the songs. You may also check these other cardinal direction songs to teach your kids.


5. Teach Them How to Use a Compass

Show the kids how to find North using a compass. After they are get used to it, give them several sticky notes labeled “North” with an arrow pointing up. Invite them to go from room to room and find North in each room. Then have them stick the sticky notes to areas pointing north. As they find north, ask them where is the south, east and west. 


6. Explore East and West with the Help of the Sun

Ask your kids to stand facing the sun early in the morning. Tell them that they are facing east and that west is behind them. North is towards their left shoulder while south is towards their right shoulder. 

Ask them again to stand facing the sun late in the afternoon when the sun is setting. Tell them that they are now facing west and that east is behind them. North is now towards their right shoulder while south is towards their left shoulder. Note: Instruct them not to look directly at the sun.




7. Floating Needle Compass Experiment

According to simple.wikipedia.org, if a needle is magnetised and allowed to move freely (for example floated on water) it will align itself with the Earth's magnetic field which is almost in the same direction as north. The direction of the needle in this situation is called magnetic north which in some places differs from the direction of the North Pole by a few degrees. 

Do the floating needle compass experiment for kids enjoy a hand-on activity about the north direction. Youtube has several videos about it. 


8. Play games to master the directions

Practice the directions in the room by having students face north first, then south, east and west several times. This can also be done by playing "Simon Says".

Another fun way to practice the lesson is by hiding an item or a treat and asking a volunteer to find it. Have the other kids guide the volunteer to the hidden item with phrases such as “walk 3 steps to the north,” “walk 2 steps to the east,” and so on.


9. Cardinal Direction Worksheets

Test and reinforce your kid's knowledge of the topic with the following worksheets:


10. Play Compass Rose Race

Download and print the compass rose race by Pam Walker from Teacher Pay Teachers. Have the kids enjoy the game while learning the cardinal directions.


11. Online Games

Allow the kids to enjoy and apply their knowledge of the cardinal directions through these online games: