Compass or cardinal directions are important clues in helping your child maintain their orientation to the world around them – especially when combined with other environmental information and landmarks. Labeling areas of your home such as the west door or the north wall of the kitchen, can help your child become familiar with these terms. Using the sun to help determine which direction they are facing will be an important skill for your child. The time of day and time of year will have some effect on the accuracy and you can discuss with your child that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Weather conditions also will vary so asking your child if they feel the warmth of the sun in open space and where on their face will be helpful. Here is how we teach it when the sun it out: Cold nose North (like the north pole) Righty Easty (feeling the sun on the right cheek) Sunny South, and Left Westy (feeling the sun on the left cheek).
Here is another sayings that will be helpful: Have your child point to the following directions as the say Never Eat Soggy Waffles (the N in Never is for North, E in Eat is for East, S in Soggy is for south and W in Waffles is for West.) You and your child can practice 90 degree turns while facing the different compass directions and helping them know which directions are opposite – doing 180 degree turns.
This is how we make 90 degree turns. “Heel to heel, point the toe in the direction you want to go”. This is a 90 degree quarter turn facing east. Two 90 degree turns equal 180 or half a turn. Now they are facing west which is opposite of east.
Have fun exploring the world with your child!