🧭 Map skills quiz for kids

The answers, and why

1. On most maps, which direction is at the top? North. Most maps put north at the top, and many show an arrow or a compass rose to say so.
2. What is the opposite of east? West. East and west are opposites, and so are north and south.
3. Where does the sun rise? In the east. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
4. What does a map key (or legend) tell you? What the symbols mean. The key explains the map's symbols, like a tent for a campground or a blue line for a river.
5. What does blue usually show on a map? Water. Maps use blue for oceans, lakes and rivers.
6. What does a map's scale tell you? How far real distances are. The scale says how many miles or kilometres an inch or a centimetre on the map stands for.
7. Which way does a compass needle point? North. A compass needle is a magnet that lines up with Earth's magnetism and points north.
8. What direction is halfway between north and east? Northeast. Northeast sits halfway between north and east on a compass rose.
9. What is a compass rose? The drawing that shows directions on a map. A compass rose shows north, south, east and west, and often the in-between directions.
10. If you face north, what is on your right? East. Facing north, east is on your right and west on your left.