Gifted & Talented
Teachers of the gifted look for creative activities which challenge children to ask big questions and discover answers. The pin maps introduce cultural and physical geography in a way which will peak their curiosity. They will want to learn more about what they pin on the maps and you can encourage them follow their interests and research topics in depth.
Children with Learning Challenges
Pin maps are also great for children with learning challenges. My daughter has dyslexia and has struggled with reading. She was one of my inspirations to create maps which would make learning geography fun.
Maps typically have the country names, capitals, land and water forms labeled, which make them cluttered and hard to read even for people without dyslexia. For a child with dyslexia, it is overwhelming. The pin maps do not have words printed on the continents and the control maps break the names down into four different maps. They each are labeled with only one topic.
Children with learning challenges are often kinesthetic learners and are better at remembering and understanding concepts when they can physically manipulate materials. The pin map activities provide both the hands-on and visual experience that these children need.