Best World Maps for Kids of 2023

This Akros illustrated map shows the countries of the world, along with each country’s capital city. You would expect this in a map. But where the Akros map excels is in its use of colorful illustrations which highlight an important aspect of each country.

Some countries have pictures of important and famous landmarks such as Egypt’s pyramids. Other countries have drawings of wildlife such as the pandas in China. Yet others have pictures of people in national dress, examples of the local transportation, or cartoons of national exports.

We found this helps younger children remember where each country is as they have the pictures to assist them.

For the younger explorers in your life, how about a kids’ world map in the form of a beautiful area rug? And this is not just any old map of the world either. This rug is one of a series by Home Dynamix, which uses elements from dearly loved Eric Carle books to illustrate where in the world certain animals can be found.

The rug also features an Eric Carle animal border which includes many childhood favorites, like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said The Sloth.” This makes it a great spot for sitting on the floor together and sharing a book.

On the downside, this area rug doesn’t have much in the way of detailed country information. But for younger children, it does clearly distinguish and label the continents of the world. It’s ideal for nurseries, kids’ bedrooms, playrooms, and dens.

If you sit your little one down on this soft and brightly illustrated rug, they can begin learning about the world even before they can crawl.

Motivation Without Borders has designed a colorful, laminated kids’ world map poster that will brighten your child’s wall for many years to come.

Each continent is assigned a color, and each country is a different shade of that color. That makes it easy for children to distinguish between the continents and the borders of each country.

The map also features cartoon-style animals, food, and landmarks for some countries, as well as the occasional cultural artifact, such as the boomerang in Australia.

While this is a cute map suitable for all ages, some older kids might find the cartoon illustrations a bit too childish for their tastes. For this reason, we have rated this map as the best for kids from the ages of 3 to 8 years.

Like a giant lottery card of countries, the Scratchiez scratch-off map is a fun way for your kids to get to know the countries of the world. When you scratch off the gold foil upper layer of each country, the colorful copy of the same country is revealed underneath.

The erasable gold marker included, allows your child to write notes on the map, to plan their travels, or to record where they have already been.

This world map for kids comes in packaging designed to look like an old-fashioned telescope and includes:

• A bonus U.S. scratch off map.
• A “guitar pick” scratching tool for the precise removal of the scratch-off material.
• One microfiber cloth.
• An erasable gold marker for making notes on your map.
• A magnifier in the shape of a credit card so you can make out even the smallest of details.

This is a great pick for animal lovers. If you are looking for a fabulous way to brighten up your little ones’ walls, you might like this map. These removable vinyl decals are wonderful for brightening up a large empty wall, while at the same time providing an educational opportunity for your children.

The map is delivered in a sturdy tube and you unroll the decal sheets, remove the individual elements and apply them to your clean, dust-free walls. You could also apply them to a decorative piece of plywood and hang that on your child’s wall.

No tools or expertise is needed. If you’re unsure of where the continents should go in relation to each other, there is an image of how the finished map should look to help you.

The interactive USA map for kids from Think Gizmo has almost 500 facts and figures waiting to be discovered. This information includes capital cities, climate, history, National Anthem, and fun facts.

When you press the name of one of the states, the map will “speak” to you, providing you with information such as the geography and climate.

Using the menu at the top of the map, you can select different modes for quizzes. The map can be used on the floor or the wall.

The one drawback to this map is that its information is only limited to the 50 states of the U.S compared to a world map where you can tour the world for free.

Not every would-be explorer has room for a world map on their wall. Or perhaps your little traveler-to-be wants to take their world map with them wherever they go. In this case, how about a world map coloring book for kids?

Don’t make the mistake of assuming this coloring book is the cheap and cheerful, almost throw-away quality coloring book of your childhood dollar store memories. This 48-page paperback is printed on excellent quality paper.

Each map has the countries and capital cities marked on it, but the fun doesn’t stop there. The pages also have plenty of animals, landmarks, buildings, and people for your child to bring to life with their coloring expertise.

For kids of all ages, the Sleepwish bedding comes in standard twin, full, queen, and king sizes, and with five different styles, there is something for everyone’s taste.

For the little ones, there is a cute cartoon animal and people design. This version has lovely land creatures and birds on the areas of the map where they can be found, but doesn’t have the individual countries marked. Nor does it have any borders, cities, or other information printed on it.

For the more hardcore geographers, there is a set that features what you might consider to be the “traditional” world map. This one has the countries, borders, and capital cities, as well as some major geographic features such as mountain ranges, the larger lakes, and more. This one is like sleeping under a giant soft map.

Finally, for the funkier tweens and teens out there, the last option for this bedding set has the world’s major landmasses in a kaleidoscope of colors on a back background.

Some kids are bookworms. They are not interested in fancy, talking, or interactive items, so we felt compelled to include one children’s atlas on this list of the best world maps for kids.

However, this is no ordinary atlas. The Dorling Kindersley “Where On Earth?” atlas is packed from cover-to-cover with amazing images and information. There is much more material than you could ever cram into even the largest world map.

It has sections covering the climate of different areas of the world, animals, people, populations, flags, and much more. “Where On Earth?” is the most comprehensive, yet accessible, guide to the countries of the world for children in the tween/preteen age range.

This Mudpuppy map is a 78-piece jigsaw puzzle that measures 23 by 16.5 inches when fully assembled.

Printed in bright, vibrant colors and backed with a hard-wearing board, the puzzle is designed and made to stand up to even the most vigorous play.

Since there are many pieces to this puzzle, it’s best for older kids to develop their memory skills. You can add it to your arsenal of things you bring with you on trips to keep your youngster occupied.

This globe doubles as a bedside light and can also be set to show the major constellations of the stars — there are 88 of them in all. It comes with an information booklet and instructions for downloading an accompanying app. It will keep your child’s room lit up at night while it teaches them something.

The stand is resistant to tipping and has a 360-degree rotation. The LED lights are replaceable, and the globe will need access to an outlet.

This world map for kids is a giant wall hanging and features simple animal cartoons that children will love. It’s a colorful and eye-catching, fun addition to your child’s room.

The map shows and names the continents, but not the individual countries, so it’s not the best option if you want to teach your child about the countries of the world.

You can choose from different sizes, depending upon how big or small you need the tapestry to be. You can also use it as more than just a wallhanging — it’s a great tablecloth for a child’s birthday party too.

This travel rug comes with a wooden boat, plane, and car for your little traveler to explore with. These accessories can help spark your child’s imaginative play. The rug also comes with a toy passport and passport sticker set for your child to keep track of where they have been.

The colorful rug is decorated with adorable cartoon animals, labeled continents and oceans, and a compass rose which provides a world of play opportunities.

For parents who are also elementary school teachers, after your child has outgrown this rug, it’s a great thing to add to your classroom.

This waterproof foam USA map puzzle provides educational bath time opportunities. It comes with 29 pieces which fit together to form a basic map of the USA. When they get wet, they stick to the tile of your shower or bathtub.

To make it easier for your child, these pieces will float in the bathtub, so they’re easy to spot.

In addition, there are fun animal and landmark illustrations that decorate the map. It comes with a mesh bag so you can store the pieces together after bath time without worrying about losing an entire continent.

This small 3-D puzzle globe has brightly colored, plastic continents that can be removed and replaced by the littlest of hands.

The sturdy plastic construction gives the impression this globe will last for years. Since kids can remove and replace the continents, it is more likely they will remember what each one is named and where it goes.