Maps and directions
Year 3 · Geography
Explore places, read maps and discover the world around you.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more
Which direction is opposite north-east? What is 45° clockwise from west? A free Year 3 geography game on the eight points of a compass.
Play The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more
Learning about maps and directions
In this Year 3 geography collection, you can practise The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Keep a globe, atlas or simple map nearby. Ask your child to point to a place or direction before naming it. Relate a map symbol or feature to a real example, and compare places rather than memorising isolated names.
Ask: “Where would you look to check your answer?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more
An eight-point compass adds four in-between directions to north, east, south and west: north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west. Each one is exactly halfway between two of the main points, so the eight points are spaced an eighth of a turn (45°) apart. In Key Stage 2, children use the eight points with grid references, symbols and keys, including on Ordnance Survey maps.
Try an example: Which direction is opposite north-east?
Swap north for south and east for west.
Show the answer
South-west.
What to look out for
Saying "east-north" instead of north-east. The convention puts north or south first: north-east, south-west.
Read the full The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more guide
Practise away from the screen
- Use a compass app to find north at home, then work out which room is to the south-west.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Geographical skills and fieldwork in the National Curriculum in England. The programme groups requirements by key stage; the year shown here is our suggested practice placement. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with maps and directions?
Start with The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This collection brings together the games currently available for this learning area. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.