Fun and Educational Wall Maps: Gifts for Kids

Looking for the perfect gift that is both fun as well as educational? We've picked out the top educational wall maps as perfect gifts for kids this holiday season! Give the gift that looks awesome on their bedroom wall and is a useful tool for homework reference and exploring the world! Educational wall maps are available for every grade level and age.

Cindy is halfway through first grade. We’re choosing a colorful World Deluxe Political Wall Map with protective lamination. We used poster putty to adhere the laminated wall map close to the ground, next to her coloring table. She has special dry erase markers she can use to decorate the world wall map.

Jennifer is in the fifth grade. She has a big test at the end of the year in which she has to write down every state and its capital by memory. The US Flags Wall Map has more than enough information to help her study! We recommend the US Wall Map with wooden rails so the map can be pulled down and revealed for study time.

Abraham is entering high school next year. He’s already into WWII weapons and machinery, so the World War II Europe Wall Map is the perfect choice for his interests as well as his World Cultures Class. We choose the magnetic wall map so he can track the location of troops as he reads more about the war.

Find Wall Maps for Kids

• Wall Maps on wooden rails
• Shop Wall Maps by Grade
• World, USA, Continent, State Wall Maps
• Historical, Social, Political and other wall maps
• Wall Map Bundles for classrooms or gifts

Map News: This Month’s Best Articles and Maps

I've scoured the web for the most interesting Map News this month for all you map-lovers!

Map Comic this month from Savage Chicken

New Maps of Alaska: : New mapping data changes what we know about the landscape of Alaska, with some data that hadn’t been updated for 50 years! The results? The highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley, is shorter than previously thought…Read More

Even with a GPS, You Can’t Get There From Here: Join us on a road trip through Maine, where getting lost with a GPS is painfully easy. Get your paper maps ready for visiting the rural portions of the USA…Read More

Where is the Center of Each United State? And why would you care to know? Some interesting and some funny insights…Read More

What Did the Continents Look Like Millions of Years Ago? Features an interview with artist-geologist Robert Blakey. This article goes into serious depth and really shows the making of these astounding maps in detail. The comment section is pretty interesting as well!…Read More

Facts for Features: Halloween: Did you know the Census Bureau publishes a series on dates and holidays? It boosts interesting facts gathered from all over the immense census database. For example, 47,800 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the US in 2012! Read More Halloween Facts

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Weekly Map News

This Week in Maps

Sharing your one-stop list for interesting mapping, geography, GIS, and cartography news, articles and new maps!

Atlas of True Names - Find the literal meaning of any location! USA and Canada atlases released this year.

This is Your Brain on Maps - Humorous article showing how distorted the human head looks on popular map projections. A powerful example of the difficulties of displaying a 3-D globular object on a 2-D space.

'Squatch Watch: 92 Years of Bigfoot Sightings in the US and Canada - Mapping Bigfoot Sightings, Joshua Stevens finds a correlation between high sightings and low population that narrows down possible locations...mapping fun, even if you don't believe in Bigfoot!

Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World's Most Beguiling Map - A fantastical exploration of bizarre and imaginary creatures, by Joseph Nigg, published by University of Chicago Press last month.

New Thermometer Charts for Fundraising, Goals and Competitions

How to use Fundraiser Thermometer Charts for Fundraising

Introducing…DaVinci Business Graphics Website Relaunch!

NEW: Thermometer Charts display your progress in a visual, large chart. Simply write in your goals with dry-erase markers and then color the laminated thermometer as you reach your goals! Thermometer charts are a great motivation tool for fundraisers, sales team, businesses, schools, or any other goal-oriented project.

New Thermometer Charts for your Business & Community

Fundraising Thermometer Charts: Get organized and reach fundraising goals with DaVinci Business Graphic’s Fundraising Thermometer Chart. Schools, community groups and more use Fundraising Thermometer Charts to keep track of donations, services or items, or volunteer sign-ups. You can take a Fundraising Thermometer Chart anywhere with you. Get more donations with a vibrant & visual chart!

DaVinci Business Graphics Also Offers These New Thermometer Charts:

Goal Thermometer Charts: Track the progress of any sales, business or personal goal with a Goal Thermometer Chart.

Dual Thermometer Charts: Foster healthy competition while tracking goals side by side with a Dual Thermometer Chart.

Choose your size, color, and add a custom title before ordering. It’s easier than ever to customize your thermometer charts online…or call today to further customized your charts, calendars and maps!

Check out what else is new on DaVinciBG.com!

Why Is North Up on Maps? Upside Down Maps Break Conventional Perspective

Why Is North Up on Maps?

We see it everyday, even on google maps: North is at the top, up, above on most 2-dimensional depictions of the world. But why is north up on maps so often that countries become unrecognizable when show 'upside down'?

Maps Throughout History

Throughout history, the orientation of maps has actually changed more than you might have assumed. In medieval Europe during the crusades, Jerusalem was positioned at the top of the map, putting East at the top. This alignment to where the sun rose helped give us the word ‘orient’.

Arabic maps placed south at the top. Possibly because when one wakes up to face the sun, south is on the right (right having a positive connotation).

In the west, the tradition of orienting maps to the north began with the 5th century Alexandrian geographer Claudius Ptolemy. Ptolemy’s work, the Geographica, is considered the first known geography. Ptolemy was familiar with Polaris, the North Star, and in order to encapsulate his known world and celestial space, he chose to make north up on maps.

North-South Up-Down Concept Affects Perceptions

Similarly, as explorers continued on the quest to map the world in later centuries it was easier to start a map at the top, with the area explorers were most familiar with: the Northern hemisphere. Writing location names and notes in this orientation discouraged the turning or rotation of maps so north remained up on maps.

The orientation of maps is reflective of and has an effect on our perception of the world. We often think of space in the form of ‘above’ and ‘below’ according to the North is Up perspective on most modern maps. That city is ‘below the river’. The United States is ‘above Mexico’ and ‘below Canada’. Australia is known as the ‘land down under’. Although literally ground is below and sky is above nearly any given location, because maps have taught us that north is up and south is down, we talk about places in this way.

View The World From a Different Perspective on Upside Down Maps

Upside down maps force us to view the world differently. When we see south at the top of the map and north at the bottom, we may notice new things about the world. For instance, on an upside down map it is easier to notice:

• most of the land mass of the world is concentrated in the northern hemispheres
• South America is more south-east than directly south of North America
• Europe appears less significant ‘below’ the large continent Africa

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Master List of Map and Geography Jokes!

mapsales.com has searched the web far and wide for the best map jokes. We’ve included funny geography jokes and travel jokes as well. Whether you are taking a family trip or teaching students about geography, map jokes can break the ice and get children and adults conversing about places around the world, geography and maps!

Enjoy these funny map jokes!

Q. What do John Wayne and a map key have in common?
A. Both are legends.

Q. Why do paper maps never win at poker?
A. Because they always fold.

Q. What did the mapmaker send his sweetheart on Valentine’s Day?
A. A dozen compass roses.

Q: What always sits in the corner but can move all round the world?
A: A stamp!

Q: Why is it easy to get into Florida?
A: Because there are so many keys.

Q: What is round at each end and high in the middle?
A: Ohio.

Q: What did the sea say to the shore?
A: Nothing, it just waved!

Q: What do fish and maps have in common?
A: They both have scales!

Q: What kind of maps do spiders make?
A: Web-based maps!

Q. What is smarter, longitude or latitude?
A. Longitude, because it has 360 degrees

Q. Why does west longitude need to be cheered up?
A. Because it is always negative.

Q. What map element plays in the band?
A. The symbols (cymbals).

Q: What’s a map favorite type of syrup?
A: Map-le syrup!

Q: Where do fish keep their money?
A: In riverbanks.

Q: Where is it always 90 degrees, but never hot?
A: The North and South Poles.

Q: What do you get if you cross a farm animal with a map maker?
A: A cow-tographer!

Q: What rock group has four men that don't sing?
A: Mount Rushmore!

Q: What would you get if you crossed a river and a desert?
A: Wet and thirsty.

Q: Who is the coldest relative on earth?
A: Aunt Arctica.

Q: What's the coldest city in Germany?
A: Brrr lin (Berlin).

Q: Where can you find lots of shoes?
A: In the foothills!

If you liked these map jokes, share them with your friends!

Maps for Walls: How to Decorate with Wall Maps

Maps are everywhere right now, stretching across whole walls. Do you need special wallpaper for maps on your walls? No, you just need to find someplace like mapsales.com that will print your map as large as you need it!

On wall maps you see where you've been and dream about where you're going. Maps connect the past, present and future all at once in our physical space. Display your travels and the scope of your dreams with maps that stretch across the wall.

We've picked a few beautifully decorated spaces and we'll show you how to get the look with maps for your walls!

We love the bright colors in this wall map.

Find a World Wall Map

Decor Tip: Find maps for walls with vibrant colors to pull a room together.

Yellow Vintage Wall Map

Decor Tip: Or choose a map in one tone for a bright conversation-starter.

Island Maps for Walls

Islands are prime backdrops for pirate and treasure-seeking adventures. Maps on walls inspire imaginative play and set the scene for good night story-telling.

Decor Tip: Cut your maps and mix up islands for new variety across walls.

Islands of the Pacific Wall Map

Decor Tip: This Islands of the Pacific Wall Map features dozens of islands, with dozens of possibilities for wallpapering, creating a collage or framing different islands.

Indonesia Wall Map

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World Satellite Explorer Wall Map

How To Get Permanent Marker Off Laminate Maps

Did you accidentally use a permanent marker on your laminated map? Don't give up! Try this for a quick fix!

"I swear it said Dry Erase!"

1. Take a regular dry erase marker and mark over the permanent mark, completely covering it
2. Wipe off the marks as usual with a dry eraser or cloth.

That should take the permanent marker on your laminated map (or poster!) right off!

Just as Good as New, USA Outline Wall Map!

The Oddest, Most Bizarre Maps

"Mapping our world" can mean a multitude of things. From our first map of a schoolyard or home, to maps of our favorite places to dine, maps of places we've traveled, maps play different roles in our lives, from the classroom, in our minds, in vacations and to artwork. Take a look at a few of these strangely bizarre maps. They'd make great decor and conversation starters at least!

Click on the pictures to zoom in on any wall map; take a detailed look at the world from an unusual perspective!

Titanic Navigation Chart Wall Map
Chart the the path the largest ship of it's time took across the Atlantic Ocean! Marine Charts are usually coveted by a very specific set of people, but the legacy and myth surrounding the story of the Titanic's maiden and final voyage makes this an usually popular map!

Muir Glacier Alaska Wall Map
Artistic and minimalist, this map of Alaska shows the Muir Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. The challenge of mapping a glacier make this bizarre map a work of art.

Upside Down World Wall Map
View the world from a different perspective with this Upside Down World map. After all, there is no "UP" in outer space! This bizarre map shows us how the image of the world "right-side up" is imprinted and ingrained into our minds.

Mars Physical Wall Map
We've barely started exploring space but we can already map out our sister planet Mars. This odd map shows more than it appears to at first glance, just zoom in to see!

New Baseball Map - Track Your Favorite Teams this Season

Baseball season has begun! Track your favorite teams this season with mapsales.com’s comprehensive Baseball Map. This wall map compliments collections of baseball memorabilia, brings a favorite sport to offices in a professional display and encourages children’s interest in Little League. The new baseball map from publisher MarketMAPS shows the city stadium locations of 303 teams from 26 Major, Minor and Independent Leagues across the US and Canada.

Explore Favorite Teams and Discover New Favorites
Marvel at the sheer amount of teams and stadiums across the US and Canada. Find your favorite team on the wall map and learn about lesser known teams, spring training leagues and baseball popularity in any area. Track their travel as favorite teams play at different stadiums throughout the season. This comprehensive wall map includes team classes, baseball symbols for league types, city sizes, state boundaries, and major highways. 24 smaller maps showcase each league and the locations of their teams’ stadiums.

Decorate with A Baseball Wall Map
This baseball map comes in a range of sizes, starting at 3x3 feet, perfect for any wall. The wall map’s color scheme embraces the green of the field balanced with sophisticated warm tones. mapsales.com recommends an executive frame for this wall map for professional and decorative display!

Is GIS the Future? Prepare for New Jobs with Educational Wall Maps

GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems, systems designed to capture, manipulate, and present all types of geographical data. It combines technology, geography and data in ways that are quickly changing all aspects of life and how we approach the world. But are our children prepared to become the experts in this field? mapsales.com takes a look at the future job report, GIS innovations and educational wall maps to find out.

Recently in the news, we’ve heard reports about GIS being used to help fight crime in New York, Los Angeles and now Australia. The UN recently promoted the use of GIS in disaster risk reduction, preparedness and emergency response. All of these new innovations mean that GIS is an emerging sector of the workforce.

More jobs are a good thing, right? Not if Americans are ill-equipped to fill those positions.

In this letter to Congress, a former teacher urges everyone to support the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act. He explains that “There is an enormous demand in both the public and private sectors for people with the ability to interpret and analyze geographic data. There are 70,000 new jobs in geospatial technology each year, but we are not training Americans to fill them.”

Educational Wall Maps - World

It is important to educate young Americans in the way that will best prepare them to take over governance of the USA. This includes immersing children with educational wall maps, and encouraging them to have an opportunity to become interested in the world. Most importantly, starting to do so at a young age. Think about encouraging geographical skills that could help the world and shop by grade level for Educational Wall Maps.

Do you agree that GIS will be the way of the future? How should we prepare our children for a technological world?