Where are we?
Start with the globe, find a continent and zoom into a country. Ask learners to describe its position before naming it.
MapSnap for UK & US teachers
Put the world
in their hands.
Turn a map lesson into something pupils can explore, build and talk about. A practical companion for geography lessons, small groups and home education.
Designed for children and families · Ideas below focus on ages 9–12
No pupil accountsOffline gameplayNo in-app advertsiPhone & iPad
Explore together. Think out loud.
A map is the start of a conversation.
What’s next door?
Use puzzle pieces to talk about neighbours, borders, coastlines and relative position. Ask what clues helped a piece fit.
What do we remember?
Follow a map activity with a short quiz or an oral question. Ask learners to explain the answer, then return to the map to check it.
Two starting points
Make it relevant to your classroom.
Suggested activities to adapt to your class and local curriculum.
For UK teachers
Move from the four UK countries into English cities and selected rivers and mountains. Use England’s counties for a further location challenge.
Video description
A 20-second iPhone demonstration of UK country pieces, English city locations and physical geography. All information is visual; sound is optional.
For US teachers
Travel from the globe into the USA, then watch West Coast states snap into place. Connect the big picture with state borders, neighbours and relative location.
Video description
USA Globe Dive (MSV-001): a 34-second journey from the interactive globe into the USA, ending with West Coast state pieces joining the map. Sound is optional.
Ready to try
Three short lesson starters.
One device per pair works well for these ideas. Let one learner navigate while the other explains; swap roles halfway through.
UK · 10–15 minutes
From country to city.
- Find the UK on the globe and name its four countries.
- Build the UK map in Explorer. Describe which countries share land borders.
- Try the England Cities activity. Choose two cities and describe where they sit.
Exit question: “How would you describe that city’s location to someone who cannot see the map?”
US · 10–15 minutes
Think like a neighbour.
- Find the USA on the globe. Locate your state and its capital.
- Use a state puzzle in Explorer. Predict a neighbouring state before placing it.
- Swap roles and explain a clue from a border or coastline.
Exit question: “Which two states did you connect, and what helped you decide?”
UK & US · 15 minutes
Build Europe. Then test it.
- Find Europe on the globe and name a country you recognise.
- Build a section of the Europe map in Explorer, naming neighbours as you go.
- Try Junior Quiz. Discuss a flag or capital question before answering.
Exit question: “What is one place you can now locate that you couldn’t before?”
These are suggested classroom activities, not a claim of curriculum certification or a complete scheme of work. Timings are suggestions. Some activities require MapSnap World.
One app. Different starting points.
Adjust the challenge,
keep the curiosity.
Use Explorer for directional help, Adventurer when learners are ready for fewer cues, and Pathfinder for a harder spatial puzzle where supported.
Junior and Senior Quiz levels give another way to adjust the challenge. Choose by confidence and prior knowledge rather than treating the levels as age tests.
Pair the app with discussion, an atlas or a classroom map. The most useful question may be “How did you work that out?”
Planning classroom use
A few practical answers.
Do pupils need an account?
No MapSnap account is needed. Progress and scores stay on the device; MapSnap has no teacher dashboard, class roster or remote pupil reporting. Use discussion and your own observations to assess learning.
Do we need Wi-Fi?
Gameplay works offline after installation. Buying or restoring MapSnap World requires internet access. Check the activities you plan to use on the classroom device before the lesson.
Can we use one iPad with a group?
Yes—take turns navigating, placing pieces and explaining choices. For whole-class demonstration, use your school’s existing display setup if it supports sharing an iPad screen.
What should we buy for school devices?
Try the free activities first. MapSnap World adds more activities through a one-time in-app purchase. Before planning use across multiple managed devices, contact us and discuss the purchase setup with your school’s device administrator.
Can I request help or share classroom feedback?
Use the Project42 Apps contact form, choose MapSnap and tell us your country, year group or grade, and the topic you want to teach. Please use an adult’s contact details and leave out pupils’ personal information.
Let’s make geography click
Tell us what you’re teaching.
UK primary or secondary, US elementary or middle school, or home education—we’d like to hear how MapSnap could help your learners.