The cardinal directions can be hard to remember, so we use many acronyms. My favorites are Never Eat Shredded Wheat or Never Eat Soggy Waffles. For a long time, I believed the myth that taking the first letter of the cardinal directions and combining them created the word “news.” However, I also heard that “news” was created from “notable events, weather, and sports.” I’m curious if there is truth in either story, but nevertheless, they are still interesting.

Remembering the order of the directions can be tricky and requires practice. Trying to memorize them is not much fun; rote memorization could be more engaging. However, we know that repetition is helpful for skill and knowledge acquisition. So how do we get the students to repeat the cardinal directions and learn them while having fun? We turn it into a game! They are active and learning by utilizing an old fan-favorite game of Twister and using the cardinal directions instead of colors.
On a side note - If the student is also interested in maps, practical map usage requires them to know their cardinal directions for navigation.

Materials: 

·      Version #1

o   Some type of place marker that can be labeled

o   Two hand-made dice or cubes that can be labeled (probably made out of paper)

§  If At-Home, a computer with access to Zoom or Skype-like apps

·      Version #2

o   Some type of place marker that can be labeled

o   For the teacher – A long list of cardinal direction combinations for the students to memorize in the game

Minimum Number of Students Needed: Both versions could be played by as few as one students but can easily accommodate more.

Age: All Ages