HESFES field guide
Draw a map someone can use
Survey a familiar space, design a map with a working key and test whether a visitor can follow it to a chosen landmark.
35 min · Geography · Suggested starting age band 11+.
Gather paper and pencils.
Set your boundary
Choose a space you know well, such as a garden, room, park corner or permitted part of a campsite. Agree a safe boundary and keep private pitches off the map. Decide who will use it. A visitor looking for a tap has different needs from a friend following a treasure trail.
Draft and test
- Walk the edge with a partner. Mark the entrance and three permanent landmarks. Keep the paper facing the same way each time you stop.
- Measure two distances in paces. Use them to compare the length of paths and decide which features need the most room on paper.
- Draw a key for paths, barriers and points of interest. Note a step or narrow gate if it affects the route. Avoid making claims about access you have not checked.
- Give the map to someone who missed the survey. Ask them to describe a route between two landmarks without your help, then test it together.
Make a second edition
Watch for the first moment the reader hesitates. Was the problem a missing turn, an unclear symbol or the orientation of the entrance? Change that one detail and hand the map to a different reader. Keep both versions and note what changed.