Maps and directions
Grade 2 · Geography
Explore places, read maps and discover the world around you.
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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 Grade 2 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 Grade 2 geography collection, you can practice 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
In the game, children label all eight points of a compass, then say which direction each place in a park is from Jigby. The Quick quiz asks which point lies between two others, which point is opposite, and which way you face after turning by 45°, a quarter turn or a half turn. These are the same skills children need to describe where one place is from another, such as "Edinburgh is north-west of Newcastle".
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
Practice 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
The eight-point compass: north-east, south-west and more
Suggested grade 2 practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
NCSS C3 Framework teaching connection: Geographic representations and places. Use place names, compass directions and physical features as background for reading maps and asking questions about places. Extend the game with a map or photograph; recognizing labels alone is not a complete geographic inquiry. Read the framework.
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. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.