Me on the Map Geography Activity: Nesting Can Project for Kids
This post may contain affiliate links.
Looking for a creative way to teach kids about their place in the world? This Me on the Map geography activity uses nesting cans to visually and physically demonstrate how geography moves from large to small: Earth, continent, country, state, city, street, and home. It’s a perfect companion to the beloved children’s book Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney.
What Is “Me on the Map”?
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney introduces children to geography concepts by walking them through where they live—from the planet all the way to their bedroom. It’s a fun, approachable way to help young learners understand their place in the world. This nesting can activity is a fantastic hands-on extension to bring that concept to life!
How to Make Geography Nesting Cans
This geography project is easy to customize for your home or classroom and is great for preschool through early elementary.
Supplies Needed:
-
6–8 cans of decreasing size (formula cans, soup cans, etc.)
-
Colored paper or printed scrapbook paper
-
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
-
Tape or glue
-
World map, country map, state map (or access to Google Maps)
Directions:
Gather Cans: Use clean, empty cans that nest inside one another. Label or decorate each can to represent a level of location:
- Earth (outermost)
- Continent
- Country
- State or province
- City or town
- Street
- House
- Bedroom (can be a paper folded inside)
Decorate Each Layer: Have kids color or decorate each can with drawings, labels, and/or scrapbook paper. Use maps or Google Maps to find real images or satellite views.
Nesting: Once completed, kids can nest the cans from smallest (personal space) to largest (the world). It’s a powerful visual representation of spatial awareness!
Extension: Draw or print a floor plan of your child’s room and place it inside the smallest can. You could even add a family photo inside the house can!
Learn with Maps
Enhance the lesson by exploring maps at each level:
-
Find your continent on a globe or world map
-
Use a country or state map to identify major landmarks
-
Search for your neighborhood on Google Maps and look at satellite images
This activity helps kids practice map skills, spatial awareness, and geography vocabulary while also learning how to interpret different types of maps.
Great Books to Pair with This Geography Activity
-
Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney
-
Where Do I Live? by Neil Chesanow
-
Follow That Map! by Scot Ritchie
-
There’s a Map on My Lap! by Tish Rabe (Cat in the Hat Learning Library)
Educational Benefits of This Geography Activity
-
Teaches relative location and geographic hierarchy
-
Encourages fine motor skills and creativity through decorating
-
Enhances visual learning with a physical, hands-on model
-
Sparks curiosity about maps, globes, and spatial relationships
Variations on the Activity
-
Use boxes or stacking cups instead of cans
-
Create a digital version using Google Slides or Canva
- Make a paper version with round circles and attach them together with a metal brad to make it like a little flip book.
-
Turn it into a keepsake by adding photos of your child at each level
Part of Our Geography Projects from A to Z
This is part of our Geography A to Z series, inspired by Geography from A to Z by Jack Knowlton. Explore other creative geography projects we’ve done so far:
Check back soon for more fun geography ideas!
Save This Project
Pin this Me on the Map nesting can project to your favorite homeschool or classroom geography board!
This hands-on geography craft makes abstract concepts meaningful—and fun. Let me know if you try it with your learners!
I like the idea. Very hands on way of presenting such a concept to a young crowd.
So cute! I don’t think I have ever seen this used with cans before!
This is a great idea! I am forever trying to explain to my youngest son that France is not in our state of PA! This will do the trick. Thanks for sharing at Creative Learning.
That can idea is a really good one – it would help one of mine who thinks it’s confusing that we live in Texas and also the USA! I love making geography real to my kids. I got good grades in school, but some things like geography never sunk in until I started homeschooling! 🙂
What a clever idea! I wish we hadn’t already done the traditional paper version of this craft this year so we could do this one! Great idea to use Google Maps, too!
I love how concrete this is for little learners! This was such a hard concept to teach students in the classroom, but this activity would have been very helpful.
I love this book, and I love the hands on aspect of this. I’ve always taught this using a layered book for them to make, but I like the stacking cans.
I love the idea! I think this is something we will definitely use. Thanks for sharing it!
~Lori
What great ideas to explore geography!
Your nesting cans are an amazing idea! I need to make a set for JDaniel. I will be sharing this post on Facebook and Pinterest.
Great idea! I’ve seen this kind of idea before, but not with cans. Thanks for sharing!
I love your cans! They are so cheerful but teach the lesson so well… Oh, and I love Me on the Map. Great book!
What a great idea. My daughter has a hard time grasping concepts like the relation of her town to the country and continent. I will try this approach. I hope you’ll consider sharing this on Look What We Did.
-Savannah http://hammocktracks.com/buttons/
Love the nesting cans to teach geography – so clever!
Thanks for linking up to TGIF! Hope to see you linked up again later today! Have a great weekend,
Beth =-)
What a wonderful idea for this book!! I love using the cans. So clever. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Wow, this is such a genius way to teach basic geography. Definitely pinning this for the future! Just have to start saving those cans!
This is such a creative hands-on way to approach basic geography. Love it!
This idea is pretty cool and great for the Earth!
I featured it on my blog post today.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Mr. Giso’s Room to Read
This is great! May I ask where you found the perfect size printable maps?