Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Window Geography Spy: Free Printable Chart for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Window Geography Spy is a free printable chart for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children look out of a window and tick what they can spot. Then they sort what they have seen into things made by people and things made by nature. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help, a stretch idea and answers.
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 your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children look out of a window, or step outside with an adult, and tick a checklist of five stamp boxes. Each box names something a geographer might notice in a view. Next, children fill in a table that sorts what they saw into two groups: made by people (human) and made by nature (physical). They look carefully, make choices and use real geography words.
- Stamp: I spotted a road or path
- Stamp: I spotted a building
- Stamp: I spotted a tree or grass
- Stamp: I spotted a hill, river or sea
- Stamp: I spotted the weather
- Made by people (human)
- Made by nature (physical)
Why start geography at the window?
Geography looks at places and the people in them. Two big ideas are human features and physical features. Human features are things that people have built, made or changed. Physical features are natural and were not made by people. Year 2 children meet these words in Key Stage 1 and use them to describe the area around their home and school.
Fieldwork means learning about a place by going and looking at it. For young children it can be as simple as looking out of a window and noticing what is there. Careful looking comes first. Once children can say what they see, they can start to sort, compare and ask why a place looks the way it does.
Keep windows closed or safely restricted, and never lean out. If you take the sheet on a walk, an adult stays with the child and manages any roads. On a car journey, children stay seated with their seatbelt on and look out of the closed window.
Quick geography facts
- Geography is the study of places, and of the people and nature in them.
- The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- A map is a drawing of a place as seen from above.
- A compass has four main points: north, south, east and west.
- Weather can change from one day to the next, and even within a single day.
Skills and curriculum link
- Observing
- Sorting
- Using geography words
- Local area awareness
- Simple fieldwork
Ideas to help you help
- Say the words togetherSay human and physical out loud a few times before starting. Children remember new words better when they hear and say them.
- Use the view you haveEvery window shows something different. A busy street, a garden or a school playground are all fine for this sheet.
- Ask why questionsTry "How do you know?" or "What made you choose that group?" Explaining a choice is a big part of the learning.
- Keep the focus on lookingAsk your child to point at something before they tick or write. This keeps the work tied to the real view.
Key words
- GeographyThe study of places, and of the people and nature in them.
- FeatureSomething you can see in a place.
- Human featureA feature that people have built, made or changed.
- Physical featureA feature that is natural and was not made by people.
- Local areaThe place around your home or school.
- FieldworkLearning about a place by looking at it for yourself.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for the grown-up.
- Choose a window, or plan a short walk or car journey. Read the stamp boxes aloud together first.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice and ask your child to point at what they see.
- Check against the notes and answers on page 2. Ask, "Why did you put it there?" The thinking matters as much as the answer.
- Come back to it another day, maybe from a different window. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Do the table out loud first. Point at something in the view and ask, "Did people make this, or did nature?" Look for one stamp at a time. Once your child feels sure, let them write their answers in the table.
To stretch confident children
Draw a simple map of the view and label three features. Add a title, and use a small symbol for each feature. Then ask a grown-up to use your map to find each one in the real view.
Make it a game
Make it a spy game. Each player tries to spot all five stamps first, and the winner shouts "Passport stamped!" For a quieter round, take turns saying "I spy something made by people" or "made by nature" and let the others guess.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child ticks a stamp from memory or a guess, without checking the view.
Try thisAsk them to point at the real thing before they tick. Stay at the window while they look.
Watch forA child thinks everything outdoors counts as natural.
Try thisAsk, "Did people have to make or change this?" Say the words human and physical together to link each group to its meaning.
Watch forA child cannot find one of the features from their window.
Try thisThat is fine. Leave the box blank, try another window or a short walk, or come back on a different day.
Talk about it
- What is the first thing you notice when you look out of the window?
- Which things in your view were made by people? How can you tell?
- Which things would still be there if no people lived nearby?
- What is the weather doing today? How is it different from yesterday?
- If you drew a map of this view, what would you put on it first?
- What would you like to see out of a window somewhere else?
Take it off the page
Walk and tally
Take a short local walk with an adult. Make a tally of things made by people and things made by nature. An adult manages any roads. Compare the totals when you get home.
Model landscape
Use card, paper and play dough to build a small place. Include some features made by people and some made by nature. Label each one.
Window postcard
Draw the view from a window on a piece of card. On the back, write two sentences about what you can see to send to a friend or relative.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Work in short bursts, and stop while they are still enjoying it. If they get stuck, do the table out loud and point at the view.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity when teaching human and physical features. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, plus answers for quick marking.
Home educators
Pair it with a walk, a trip in the car or a favourite book about places. Use it again for brothers and sisters, or return to it a few weeks later to see how their words and sorting have grown.
Where this fits in geography
Before this sheet, children notice the world around them. They talk about their home, school and street, and about the weather. Looking carefully and naming what they see is the starting point for human and physical geography.
After this sheet, children can use simple maps and compass directions. They can compare their local area with a different place, and carry out more fieldwork outdoors. Sorting features into human and physical is a foundation for all of this.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Window Geography Spy for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Confident Year 1 children may enjoy it with help, and older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise spotting and sorting human and physical features in their local area, as part of simple geography fieldwork. They also practise observing carefully and using words such as human and physical.
- Do we need a window?
A window is the easiest way to use the sheet, but you can also take it on a walk or car journey. Adults manage roads and safety. Children stay seated and belted in a car.
- What if it feels too hard?
Do the table out loud first. Point at things and ask whether people or nature made them. Look for one stamp at a time, and let your child write once they feel confident.
- Is it free, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. You do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can print it again for other children.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support, stretch and answers.
- Can we do it in more than one go?
Yes. There is no set time. Some children like to finish in one sitting, others look for one stamp at a time. Coming back on another day or from another window works well.
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.