CCI makes fantastical maps of places with young children, their schools and their families. These celebrate the real and imaginary worlds around us, bringing together words and images and ideas we discover on our shared creative adventures and helping us see our worlds with new eyes.

The games in this collection – we call them wild exchange games - can help you to begin creating your own fantastical map. They can be played anywhere by anyone. You could start with just your bedroom or even under your bed or create one for your road or the park you are walking to. You don’t have to go far to discover the fantastical.

You will need some paper and pencils and another key ingredient – time, as much of it as you can spare. You need to embrace the idea of slowliness too – this is a word we use in our work a lot. Take your time to listen carefully to each other and the world around you. Give yourself and everyone else permission to be playful and let go of certainties. In the world of fantastical mapping there are no right or wrong answers – just ideas and questions. Your unique map will include lots of different ideas and once complete, can also be offered to others as a starting point for their new journeys and discoveries. 

There are 5 different maps in the set – Maps from other minds – and three other games you can try out. Together they offer at least 20 different prompts for how to start your own creative adventures.

With thanks to all the communities in the Fantastical Cambridgeshire projects who inspired these games.