When used effectively, a mind map is a cutting-edge thinking tool that can help your kid to be creative. The mind mapping technique helps to assimilate information, generate fresh ideas, increase memory, make the most of one’s free time, and perform better at work.
Among many other things, mind maps can be used for innovative design and planning, giving a sharp perspective of a subject, motivating new ideas, discovering solutions, and escaping wasteful thought patterns.
Mind mapping has broad applications for school students. Using mind maps to think in an expansive way will help kids perform better in STEM education, coding for kids and robotics for kids.
Mind maps can even be a stand-alone exercise to stimulate your brain and develop your creativity.
What is Mind Mapping
Tony Buzan who invented mind mapping, defines it as a two-dimensional method of taking notes in which a mind map is created utilising all the pertinent information about a specific subject. One can fully utilise our brainpower by organising essential phrases or word pictures using imagery, drawings, and colour.
A mind map is a visual depiction that organises and presents information in various ways.
Mind mapping involves using words that succinctly define a given characteristic and serve as a foundation for the subsequent association. This personal development tool is an efficient technique that completely syncs with how our brains work and makes the best use of that capacity.
A mind map is frequently composed of a notion or topic inscribed in the centre of a piece of paper or another object. The central issue is supplemented with related representations, concepts, words, and images. The map employs a hierarchical structure, with lines indicating relationships between various components of the whole.
A mind map is comparable to a city map. Your mind map’s centre is similar to the urban core. It stands for your central concept. Your critical thoughts in your cognitive process are represented by the main roads going from the centre; your secondary thoughts are represented by the secondary roads, and so on. Unique images or shapes might illustrate sites of interest or exceptionally intriguing concepts.
Mind maps can be hand-drawn or sketched and more intricately created using computer templates or programmes.
How to Mind Map
By utilising skills ranging—from the logical and mathematical to the creative and inventive—mind mapping helps realise the brain’s enormous potential. An excellent mind map offers a space for creative brainstorming that combines words and imagery.
You can increase your mental clarity, insight, creativity, and freedom of thought by using mind mapping to expand your frontiers of thought. Mind Maps combine the powers of association and imagination. It creates the ideal environment for the proliferation of ideas, and the more ideas you develop, the higher the likelihood that they will all be of high quality.
Buzan has laid out specific laws of mind mapping which must be kept in mind to create a good mind map.
Let’s look at what they are:
1. Use a blank sheet of paper that is always landscape-oriented. To generate subbranches and sub-subbranches, make sure the sheet is big enough.
2. In the middle of the page, create a picture representing your subject using at least three different colours.
3. Utilise dimensions, images, codes, and images throughout your mind map.
4. Choose a few keywords, then capitalise them.
5. Each text or image should be placed on its branch to stand alone.
6. From the main image, radiate flowing branches emerge. The Mind Map’s branches should be thicker in the centre and thinner as they spread out into subbranches.
7. The branch length should match the length of the text or image on it.
8. Utilise colour throughout the mind map and create your branch-specific colour scheme.
9. In your mind map, emphasise connections between several related ideas and draw arrows and connecting lines to show where they occur.
10. By placing your branches in thoughtfully planned spaces, you may create a mind map that is clear and concise. Remember that the distance between them is often just as critical as the objects themselves.
By adhering to the Laws, you can create your distinctive fingerprint while maintaining the fundamental principles of Mind Mapping.
To create a mind map, you need simple resources such as blank paper, colour pencils and pens, your brain and your imagination.
Seven Steps to Mind Map
Buzan has laid out seven steps to creating a mind map.
1. Start at the middle of the blank page :
The page should preferably be turned into landscape size. Beginning from the middle allows the brain to spread out in different directions and express itself more organically
2. Image for a core idea:
3. A picture has the power of thousand words and can spark your imagination. A central image helps you concentrate, keeps you interested, and stimulates your brain more.
4. Throughout, use COLORS.
Visuals and colours both excite the brain in similar ways. Colour makes your mind map more lively and alive, gives your creative thinking a considerable boost, and it’s fun!
5. Build Connections
Associations are the basis of brain function. It likes to connect two or more things. The main branch should be related to the main image, and your second and third-level branches to the first and second levels, etc.
You will comprehend and recall information much more quickly if you connect the branches. Connecting your primary branches also develops the foundational framework or architecture of your thinking.
6. Make your branches curved.
Curved branches are attractive to the eyes and brain. Use them instead of boring straight lines
7. Use words instead of sentences
Single keywords provide your mind map with greater flexibility and muscle. Every word or picture acts as a multiplier, producing its own unique set of associations and connections.
When you only utilise one keyword, each one is more liberated and is, therefore, more equipped to inspire fresh thoughts and ideas. Sentences or phrases tend to lessen this effect of triggering.
8. Use Images Throughout
Images are more powerful than words. Just like using a central image for the main idea, use images throughout the branches.
Mind mapping can be handy for children who encounter difficulties in learning and understanding subjects in school. Children can have fun while taking notes and eliminate boredom using mind maps.
Mind Maps are also brilliant route maps for memory, allowing you to organise facts and thoughts so that your brain’s natural way of working is engaged right from the start.
