Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Crossing Quest Map: Free Printable Game for Year 1
- ForYear 1
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Crossing Quest Map is a free printable board game for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children roll a dice, move a counter and guide their hero to the treasure. Along the way they meet special squares about road safety and talk about why a choice is safe or unsafe. It needs only a dice, a counter each and a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to the children and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children play a quest map game in pairs. Each player has a counter and they take turns to roll one dice and move their hero towards the treasure. The map has special squares. When a player lands on one, the square is read aloud and the pair talk about why that choice is safe or unsafe. Children also say stop, look and listen together before each roll.
Why teach road safety through play?
Young children learn road safety best when it is short, repeated and talked about often. A board game gives them a calm setting to think about choices before they meet a real road. They hear a situation, decide whether it is safe, and explain why. That habit of pausing to think is what adults hope to see when children are out and about.
Playing in pairs adds listening and turn taking to the mix. One child reads or checks while the other decides, then they swap. Children hear each other's reasons, and a wrong answer becomes a chance to talk rather than a mistake to hide. A game also lets a grown up find out what a child already knows, without a test.
This game is practice only and does not replace learning on real roads. Near roads, adults should stay with children, hold their hands and choose where and when to cross. Use the game to start conversations, then show the ideas on real walks.
Skills and curriculum link
- Spotting safe and unsafe choices
- Stop, look and listen
- Taking turns
- Listening to others
- Explaining reasons
- Counting on a dice
Ideas for talking about the squares
- Ask whyAfter each special square, ask your child to say why the choice is safe or unsafe. A reason matters more than a quick yes or no.
- Link to real lifeTalk about walks your family takes, such as the way to school or the shops. Ask what children notice about roads and crossings.
- Point firstIf speaking feels hard, let the child point to the safe choice first. Then add words once they feel sure.
- Say it togetherSay stop, look and listen aloud as a pair before every roll. Saying it together turns it into a habit.
Key words
- PedestrianA person who is walking, not riding or driving.
- PavementThe path at the side of a road where people walk.
- TrafficThe cars, buses, bikes and other vehicles moving on a road.
- CrossingA place where people can cross the road.
- SafeNot likely to cause harm or hurt.
- UnsafeLikely to cause harm or hurt. A different choice is needed.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the children. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Read the rules aloud together so everyone plays the same game. Give each player a counter and share one dice.
- Take turns to roll and move. Say stop, look and listen together before each roll.
- When a counter lands on a special square, read it aloud. Ask why that choice is safe or unsafe, then check with the notes on page 2.
- Come back to the game another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence. The first player to reach the treasure wins.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Let an adult read the squares aloud. Ask the child to point to the safe choices before they move. Play alongside them for the first game and say your own reasons out loud, so they hear how to explain a choice.
To stretch confident children
Ask children to invent one new safe square and one new unsafe square for the map. They then explain each one to a partner. Check that the reasons make sense and that the unsafe square comes with a safer choice.
Make it a game
Take turns to roll the dice and move your counter. Before every roll, say stop, look and listen together. When someone lands on a special square, they explain the choice. The first player to reach the treasure wins.
Talk about it
- What do you do before you cross a road?
- Why do we stop, look and listen?
- Who helps you stay safe when you are near roads?
- What can you see and hear on the way to school?
- Can you think of a time when you waited before crossing? What were you waiting for?
- What would you tell a younger child about staying safe near roads?
Take it off the page
Chalk road
Draw a pretend road and a crossing with chalk in a garden or playground, away from any real road. Children walk across it, saying stop, look and listen first.
Toy car play
Use toy cars and small figures to act out a safe journey. Ask the child to explain what each figure should do and why.
Safety spotting walk
On a walk led by an adult, ask your child to spot signs, crossings and pavements. The adult chooses where and when to cross, and talks through each step.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first game and let them lead. Read the special squares aloud and ask for reasons. Keep rounds short, and play again another day so the ideas stick.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table game in PSHE. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Pair children so they can talk through each choice, and use page 2 to support mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider PSHE plan alongside books, outdoor play and everyday talk. It works for brothers and sisters together, and you can return to it later as a quick reminder.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this game, children learn the basics of staying safe with a grown up. They notice pavements, crossings and traffic, and they learn that adults help them choose when and where to cross. Talking about everyday journeys gives them the words they need for a game like this.
After this, children can talk about more situations in which they need to stay safe, at home, at school and out in the community. Over time they take more responsibility for their own choices. Playing again, or inventing new squares, keeps the ideas fresh as children grow.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Crossing Quest Map for?
It is written for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6), in Key Stage 1. Younger children can play with an adult reading the squares, and older children can take on the stretch idea of inventing their own squares.
- What will children practise?
They practise telling safe and unsafe ways to cross the road apart. They also practise stop, look and listen, taking turns, listening to a partner and giving a reason for a choice.
- How do I use it?
Play in pairs with one dice and a counter each. Take turns to roll and move. Read each special square aloud and ask why that choice is safe or unsafe. Check with the notes on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Let an adult read the squares aloud. Ask the child to point to the safe choices before moving. Play together for the first game, and say your own reasons out loud so the child can copy how to explain.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or to play another day when you want to revisit the ideas.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper, a pencil, a dice and a counter each, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Playing together also gets children talking and listening to each other.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour with pencils if they like, but the game works just as well without it.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.