Does anyone know of any books of road-maps aimed at children?

[Caligula]

My DS is obsessed with maps. Particularly road-maps - he likes tracing routes. (Oh dear, future train spotters.) All the road-maps are quite difficult to read for a child, I wondered if there are any brightly coloured nice ones with pictures of castles etc. along the routes, which people know of?

Any use?

How old is he Caligula?

The children's maps and atlases I've seen have been quite disappointing, and not really worked. When the boys were tiny I created a map of a regular long journey we made, along with a list of towns and landmarks.

DS2 (6) is obsessed with maps now: he always likes to have the roadatlas in the car, and just spent some of his Christmas money on buying a new one!

bigger atlases are easier to read - those with just main routes and motorways. my son "helps" me when he accompanies me on a trip up north, he reads the map, find the motorway and i tell him that the black square with the number on is the "junction" and i need junction 'x' he then follows it and tell me when the junction is coming up and looks out for the motorway signs which say "manchester 100 miles"

could you face a long motorway drive for the "fun" of it?

LOL at going for a long motorway drive "for the fun of it!"

Interesting. DD sometimes likes to look at the A-Z and we always say she's doing The Knowledge I suppose I should put some other books in the car really!

I think there is a huge gap in the market here Caligula - I have a ds interested in maps, directions etc, and if there was a road-map aimed at the I-Spy age group he'd be thrilled.
I've also thought the main TOCs could do this for long-distance rail journeys - how often have any of us, whatever age, looked out of the window and thought "What's that river/castle/weird building"

DS had a "young kingfisher learning" or similar set of books for christas - 10 books - one of them is called "Maps" aimed a 5 years plus

Absolute bargain from the book people - 10 books for £10 instead of £49!

It isnt a book of maps though - only about maps

What age is he? If he can get to grips with OS maps now it is a great skill to have. You can often get maps at boot fairs and charity shops. Get some cheap and cut them up into handy sizes and laminate them, make a book or just let him get creative.

Map Zone have a look at link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/sysm/landscapes/and scapes with goggs

the land ranger maps give good detail and on the ground you can match up features easily, get one of your local area.
can you tell i am into maps, i always wanted to be a cartographer .

Try that bit again......

Map Zone have a look at Mapability
Land Scapes with Goggs

This looks great Skribble - I have a ds who is fascinated with maps too.
There used to be a simple map of France called La Route Gastronomique which I would study for hours on long car jouneys through France every summer. It had all the main places on, as well as details of all the good things you could eat in every region - endless fascination with strange bits of animals and funny looking cheeses. Would love there to be something like that for the UK, but maybe that's unrealistic??

Precisely jmb. Michelin's topography was always hopeless (where are their contours FFS!) but I too love their themed maps - the Gastronomique and the Carte des Vins LOL - and think that something like this would be good for children.
Thanks for the suggestion though skribble, he can read OS basics and helps with the Explorer on walks...but their size does flummox him so cutting and laminating might be a good idea.

Tescos do a free map showing stores and petrol stations, free so another one to cut up and use for whatever. Pick it up in the petrol station.

Bargain books do cheap road atlas too. I got a ring bound one that is a good size and a bit easier to handle. You can pick up city guides cheap there to which my kids find interesting.

Where is it?
Natianal Geographic printable maps .
National Geographic Kids .
Google Earth , love this see if he can find his own street.

We all used to squabble over the 'Cock Book' in the car on summer holidays (it had a french cockerel on the front)..