Activity: Design Your Own Country – Mapmaking, Laws, and Culture

Perfect for: Indoors or outdoors (chalk, paper, or digital)

Best for: Ages 7+ (builds creativity, geography, politics, empathy, critical thinking)

Activity Description:

Kids create an entirely new country from scratch—naming it, designing a flag, drawing the map, inventing the laws, choosing the language, and deciding what life is like there. It’s a powerful way to explore civic thinking, leadership, empathy, geography, and values while having loads of imaginative fun.

How to Do It:

1. Invent the Country

Start with the basics:

• Country name
• Shape of the land (islands? mountains? deserts?)
• Climate and environment
• What animals live there?
• What resources do they have?

Draw it all out on paper or using an app like Tayasui Sketches or even Minecraft.

2. Design the Culture

Let them decide:

• What do people eat?
• What games do they play?
• What’s the language like?
• What are the festivals?
• Are there mythical creatures?

They can write songs, poems, or even a national anthem!

3. Create the Flag and Symbols

Kids draw a national flag, crest, or currency using paper, felt, paint, or whatever’s around. Each symbol can have a meaning—peace, bravery, friendship, etc.

4. Make the Rules and Systems

Ask big-thinking questions:

• How do people vote?
• What laws matter most?
• What does school look like?
• Is everyone equal?
• What happens if someone breaks a rule?

This encourages thoughtful discussion about real-world society.

5. Present the Country

At the end, let them:

• Make a passport
• Create a travel brochure or ad
• Give a tour or presentation
• Host a family visit day to the “embassy” (aka their room!)

Why It’s Powerful:

This activity builds vision, leadership, fairness, and self-expression. It also lets them express who they are—and imagine what kind of world they want to build.

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