Mind Mapping Magic: The Brain Dump That Actually Makes Sense!

A simple mind map of castles

You know that moment when your child asks about something—dinosaurs, space, Ancient Egypt, whatever—and suddenly they have a MILLION questions and ideas all tumbling out at once? And you're frantically trying to remember it all while they're already three topics ahead?

Yeah, that's where mind maps come in. And honestly? They're kind of brilliant.

What Even Is a Mind Map? (And Why Should You Care?)

Think of a mind map as organised chaos. It's basically a way of getting everything out of your head and onto paper in a way that actually makes sense—but without the boring, linear "start at the top and work down" approach that makes some kids want to poke their eyes out.

Here's the deal: you write your main topic in the middle of a page (I usually get the Tiny to draw a circle or bubble around it), and then you draw branches coming off it for all the different ideas connected to that topic. Then those branches have smaller branches. And those have even smaller branches. It ends up looking a bit like a tree, or a spider web, or—if your kid gets really into it—some kind of beautiful, colourful explosion of ideas.

And the best part? There's no wrong way to do it.

Why Mind Maps Are Actually Genius for Kids

After years of using these in classrooms and with my grandson at home, I've realised mind maps solve a bunch of problems all at once:

They match how our brains actually work. Children don't think in neat paragraphs and bullet points. Nor do I. They think in connections, jumps, and "oh! and another thing!" Mind maps let them follow those natural thought patterns instead of fighting against them.

Visual learners LOVE them. If your child groans at worksheets but lights up with coloured pens and drawing, mind maps are your new best friend. You can use colours, pictures, symbols, stickers—whatever makes it visually interesting. In fact the more doodles and colour the better.

Here are some more examples of colourful mindmaps. Like an Art lesson mixed with planning. And the good thing is, it doesn't have to make to anyone but you. Look at all the interesting things that are great learning opportunities from just the word Castle.

Castles and Dragons

Dive into the history of castles

They show the big picture. Instead of getting lost in details, kids can see how everything connects. "Oh, if we're learning about castles, we could look at who lived there, what they ate, how they were built, AND the weapons they used to defend them!" Suddenly, one topic becomes ten fascinating directions to explore.

There's no pressure to be perfect. You can't really mess up a mind map. Forgot something? Draw another branch. Changed your mind? Cross it out or draw an arrow. It's messy and creative and real, which takes the stress out of "getting it right."

They work for ANY learning style. Words, pictures, colours, symbols—whatever works for your child's brain. My grandson likes to add tiny drawings. Some kids prefer neat, colour-coded branches. Others create wild, scribbly masterpieces. All valid!

Starting a New Topic: The Mind Map Launch Pad

Here's where mind maps really shine—right at the beginning of learning something new. Instead of you standing there explaining everything whilst your child zones out, you flip the script and let THEM tell YOU what they want to know.

Here's How It Works:

Step 1: Write the topic in the middle

Let's say your child wants to learn about Vikings (because who doesn't love Vikings?). Write "VIKINGS" in a big bubble in the centre of the page. Let them decorate it, draw a little Viking helmet, whatever—making it fun matters.

Step 2: Ask "What do you already know?"

This is where it gets interesting. Your child probably knows more than you think. "They had boats!" "They wore helmets!" "They invaded places!" "Didn't they discover America?"

Each thing they say becomes a branch coming off the centre. Don't correct anything yet—just get it all down. This shows you what they already understand AND what misconceptions you might need to address later.

Step 3: Ask "What do you want to find out?"

This is the gold. When kids get to choose what they're curious about, they're invested. "How did they steer those boats?" "What did they eat?" "Did kids have to fight too?" "Where exactly did they go?"

More branches! These become your learning roadmap. You're not imposing a curriculum—you're following their curiosity.

Step 4: Look at what you've got

Now step back and look at the mind map together. You'll probably see natural clusters forming. Maybe there's a bunch of branches about boats, another cluster about daily life, some about battles and exploration, maybe some about their beliefs and mythology.

Congratulations—you've just created a personalised learning plan without writing a single formal objective!

How Mind Maps Show You ALL the Learning Strands

This is honestly my favourite thing about mind maps for planning learning. That one topic—Vikings—suddenly reveals itself as a gateway to learning in SO many areas. Let me show you what I mean:

Let's Break Down Our Viking Mind Map:

The "Boats and Navigation" Branch:

• Science: How do boats float? What makes them stable? How does wind power work?

• Technology: Ship design, tools for building, navigation methods

• Maths: Measuring for boat building, calculating distances travelled

• Geography: Where did they sail? Reading maps, understanding oceans and coastlines

The "Daily Life" Branch:

• History: What was life actually like? How is it different from now?

• Literacy: Reading stories and sagas, learning about runes

• Art: Viking jewellery, carvings, and designs to recreate

• Food Tech: What did they eat? Can we make Viking bread?

The "Exploration and Invasion" Branch:

• Geography: Where did they go? Map work, understanding why certain places

• History: Impact on other cultures, timeline of events

• Critical thinking: Were they explorers or invaders? Depends who you ask!

• Literacy: Different perspectives, bias in historical records

The "Beliefs and Culture" Branch:

• Literacy: Norse mythology, storytelling traditions

• Art: Illustrating myths, creating designs

• Drama: Acting out stories, understanding character motivations

• Philosophy: What did they value? How does that compare to today?

  
  

See what happened there? One topic just exploded into weeks (or months!) of learning across every subject you can imagine. And because it came from your child's questions and interests, they're way more likely to actually engage with it.

Making Mind Maps Work in Real Life

Let me share some practical tips from actually using these with real kids (who sometimes really don't want to sit down and "do learning"):

Start simple. Your first mind map doesn't need to be an elaborate work of art. A circle in the middle, a few branches, and you're done. You can always add more later.

Let them lead. Seriously. Bite your tongue when they want to add something you think is "off topic." If they want to add "Vikings probably had pets" under daily life, let them! Following that thread might lead somewhere interesting. (And yes, they did have pets—dogs, cats, and horses. See? Worth exploring!)

Use it as a living document. Stick the mind map on the wall and keep adding to it as you learn. "Oh! We need to add longhouses to the daily life branch!" This shows learning as an ongoing, growing thing, not a one-and-done activity.

Make it colourful. Different coloured pens for different branches help visual organisation. Plus, it's just more fun. My grandson has very strong opinions about which colours go with which topics.

Add pictures and symbols. Can't spell something? Draw it instead. Want to remember something important? Put a star next to it. Symbols make it more memorable and more personal.

Don't worry about neatness. I cannot stress this enough. Some of the best, most useful mind maps I've seen look like a toddler got hold of a pen. If it makes sense to your child, it's perfect.

Use them for planning AND reviewing. Start a topic with a mind map to see what you know and want to learn. Then create another one at the end to see everything you've actually learnt. Comparing them is pretty amazing—kids are often shocked by how much they've absorbed.

When Mind Maps Click (And When They Don't)

Mind maps are brilliant for:

• Starting new topics

• Brainstorming story ideas

• Planning projects

• Making connections between ideas

• Kids who hate traditional note-taking

• Visual and kinaesthetic learners

• Showing learning isn't linear

• Seeing the big picture

  
  

They might not work as well for:

• Kids who find too many choices overwhelming (start with just 3-4 main branches)

• Very sequential thinkers who prefer lists (though it's worth trying!)

• Situations where order really matters (like following a recipe step-by-step)

  
  

And that's okay! The goal isn't to force every child to mind map everything. It's to have another tool in your teaching toolbox for when it's the right fit.

Real Example: How We Used Mind Maps for "The Ocean"

My grandson became obsessed with the ocean after watching a documentary. So we grabbed a big piece of paper and started mapping.

Centre bubble: THE OCEAN

His initial branches (what he knew):

• Fish live there

• It's salty

• It has waves

• Sharks are scary

• There are shipwrecks

His question branches (what he wanted to know):

• Why is it salty?

• What's at the bottom?

• How deep does it go?

• Do mermaids exist? (I love his optimism)

• How do submarines work?

• What's a tsunami?

  
  

From there, we kept adding as we learnt:

The "Animals" branch grew to include zones (sunlight, twilight, midnight), food chains, adaptations to pressure, bioluminescence...

The "Ocean Floor" branch led to volcanic activity, tectonic plates, hydrothermal vents, and eventually we were building a model of the ocean floor with salt dough.

The "How It Moves" branch covered waves, tides, currents, the moon's influence, which led to some basic physics and astronomy.

The "Humans and the Ocean" branch went into shipping, fishing, pollution, exploration, diving technology, renewable energy from waves...

One topic. One mind map. Literally months of engaged, excited learning that touched on science, geography, history, technology, art (we did a LOT of ocean art), maths (measuring, graphing, comparing depths), and literacy (reading everything we could find about the ocean).

And it all started with a messy mind map and a curious kid.

Your Turn!

Next time your child shows interest in something—anything!—try this:

1. Grab a big piece of paper (bigger than you think you need)

2. Write the topic in the middle

3. Ask what they know and what they want to find out

4. Draw branches for their ideas

5. Stand back and admire your personalised learning plan

Then just... follow the map. See where it leads. Add to it. Cross things off. Draw arrows connecting ideas. Make it messy. Make it colourful. Make it THEIRS.

Because here's the secret: when kids can see their learning laid out like a map of treasure to discover rather than a list of things to trudge through, everything changes.

That's not just a mind map. That's a learning adventure waiting to happen.

Now go make a glorious mess! 🗺️✨

Want to Get Started? Here's Your Mind Map Starter Kit:

What you need:

• Big paper (A3 if you have it, taped-together A4 if you don't)

• Coloured pens, pencils, or markers

• Your child's curiosity

• Permission to be messy

Easy topics to start with:

• Their current obsession (whatever it is!)

• An upcoming trip or holiday

• A book or film they love

• A question they keep asking

• Something they collect

• A skill they want to learn

Apps if you prefer digital:

• MindMeister (user-friendly for kids)

• Popplet (visual and fun)

• SimpleMind (does what it says!)

But honestly? Start with paper. There's something about the physical act of drawing, colouring, and adding to a paper mind map that just works, especially for kids who spend a lot of time on screens already.

Give it a try and see what happens. I bet you'll be surprised at what unfolds!