The best way of developing spatial awareness in children is by allowing them to explore their surroundings. Any daily situation to locate objects or people around them may be the perfect chance to understand these terms. For example, ask them to reach something from above the table, behind the door, or under their beds. Let them organize their toys or school supplies inside some drawer in the room from the left, or make a tower with cubes of colors, putting the red one at the top.

In this lesson, we will discuss the positions "top", "bottom", "middle/between", "front", "behind", "left", "right", "next to/besides", "above", "below", "inside" and "outside".

We will start with the top and bottom. These positions are easy to explain to kids since "top" is associated with height or high, and "bottom" is associated with the foot or low. Locating things on shelves at home, or reaching for groceries at the supermarket shelves, is a good way of practicing the use of these positions.

In the picture, the globe is very high, meaning it is on the top shelf. Also, the top shelf has some books, two bears, a beach ball and a camera on it. The bag is at the foot or the bottom. Some other items at the bottom are the box, the tricycle, and the cart. The bottom shelf has several books on it.

Where are the dinosaurs placed? They are not at the top nor the bottom shelves but between them. They are on the middle shelf, like the robot and the candies.

The position middle/between makes sense when we have at least three objects: one at the top, one at the bottom, and a third-placed midway. The blue balloon in the picture is the higher one, so it is at the top. The green one is the lower one, so it is at the bottom. The red and orange balloons aren't the higher nor the lower, but they are between the other two; they are in the middle.
 

Let's now check the following terms; front and behind. We can be sure that someone or something is behind us if we can't see them. But, if we are facing them, they are in front of us. We can tell that one is in front of or behind another with objects, depending on which one we can see completely or covered by the other.

Let's go back to the toys from the first example. The box at the bottom covers part of the shelf, so the shelf is behind the box. The tricycle is seen completely, and it is covering part of the box, meaning the tricycle is in front of the box. What about the beach ball and the bear on the top shelf? Well, they are behind the camera!

What is the spatial relationship between the soldiers and the train? We can tell that one is on the left, and the other is on the right. Let's focus on that now.

Positions left and right are easier to understand by kids when they know their dominating hand. But sometimes, it's not that easy for them to tell the difference between these two. For example, when they are ambidextrous or at early age.

A useful trick to distinguish left from right is by putting their hands in front of them, when thumbs touch and noticing that the left hand looks like a letter "L" as in "Left." Then, the other one has to be the right hand!
 

Once kids can tell the difference between right and left hands, we can show them how to locate objects right and left. Which of the books in the picture below is on the left? Which one is on the right? Imagine we are facing the shelf. Then, the brown book is on the same side as our left hand, meaning it is on the left of the shelf. The clear blue book is on the same side as our right hand; thus, it is on the shelf's right.

In the second picture, the ice cream with a single ball is on the left. The one with three balls is on the right. Also, the lemon ball is at the top, the strawberry ball is at the bottom, and the chocolate ball is in the middle.
 

The middle/between position also makes sense when we have elements to the right and to the left. On the shelf, the red and dark blue books are in the middle. The ice cream with two balls is between the other two. 

Going back to the toy shelf, we see that the train is to the left, and the soldiers are to the right. By the way, the bag is between the box and the cart. Dinosaurs are between the candies and the robot. Now, what's the relationship between the bag and the cart?

To answer appropriately, we should understand the position beside (next to). An object or a person is beside us if it is very close or immediately next to us. The concept of distance that kids quickly learn when trying to reach things. If an item is right where they are, it is near; it is beside them. If they have to walk or stretch a little to reach that object, it is far (not next). ≈

So, going back to the toys, the bag is next to the cart. Also, the blue dinosaur is next to the candies, and there is a yo-yo beside (next to) the tricycle.

Let's now discuss the next spatial terms above and below. These positions work with a "line of reference." It may be the border of a table, a bench, a bed, among others. The objects placed over the line are above it, and the ones placed under the line are below it. With so many lines of reference around us, it is a daily exercise for kids to determine if something is above or below them. The pillow is above the bed, but the slippers should go below it. At dinner, the carpet is below the table, and the plates are above it. In the picture, we positioned three toys so that the doll is above the wood horse, and the rubber duck is below them. 

Another fun activity is to ask children to create stories with their toys, like "two cars are driving above a bridge, with suitcases above them. Below that bridge, there's a lake, and below the lake are fishes and turtles; look over there! There's an iceberg! It is a huge ice mountain that has a part of it below the water and another above." 

An excellent way of reviewing some of the positions we have seen so far is by determining the location of objects on a grid. Some ways of representing a grid in real life are 3x3 picture collages, the icons grid on the cell phone or the computer, or shelves. The picture below, for example, represents a grid where the robot is on the top shelf, and it is also on the left, meaning the robot is on the top left. The globe is at the top, and it is also on the right; thus, it is in the top right. Also, the books are in the middle left, the piñata is in the middle right, the rubber duck is in the bottom left, and the soldiers are in the bottom right. Moreover, the car is above the unicorn, the sunglasses are below the ball, the books are next to the ball, and the car is between the robot and the globe. 

Finally, we will discuss inside and outside. These two opposite positions are also used with a point of reference. It can be a box, a cup, a drawer, a bag… Kids need to realize that things that are somehow protected or surrounded by these structures are inside them, and the ones that they don't surround are outside the structures. Daily examples may be the dog who is outside the house, the cookies that are inside the jar, or the coins that are inside the pockets.

In the picture below, the notebooks are inside the bag, the pencils are inside the pocket of the bag, and the books are outside the bag. By the way, there's an apple next to the bag, and another next to the books. All these objects are above the table, the green apple is to the left, the books are to the right, and there's a folder behind the bag.
 

As you can see, there are plenty of daily situations where we can practice spatial sense with kids. We hope our tips help to teach kids about this subject. For more practice, go to the link below for interactive exercises, or use the worksheets to have your students improve their spatial sense.