Revisiting the Conversation
“We’re working on a D and D interactive map,” shared a colleague. I looked at Allison. I had to clarify. “Are you saying Dungeons and Dragons?” I asked, as a few videos on map-making for novels came to mind. Although I had never played them, role-playing game literature (LITRPG) has been a source of great fantasy stories. I could definitely see how K-12 students, even adult learners, could spend hours engaged in world building, map making, and storytelling. The academic possibilities are endless, from geography to social studies to language learning. Even math could also play a part. “Yes, Dungeons and Dragons. My husband makes a map for our games. We want to make an interactive one, but aren’t sure how to do it. I wondered if Google Slides might work.” As you might imagine, it may be possible to create an interactive, clickable map. But Allison went on to explain that they wanted something more: a digital map on which participants could write and circle key areas.Tools for Making Interactive Maps
Creating digital maps can be a big deal. Online tools like Inkarnate make creating fantasy maps easy to do. It makes battle map, world maps, regional maps, and city and/or village maps easy to make. You can even craft maps inside buildings like taverns, houses, and more. The problem is, you may have to pay for it.
Image Source: Inkarnate website
- Azgaar’s Fantasy Map Generator
- Campaign Cartographer 3: RPG and Fantasy Map Making Software
- DonJon Fractal World Generator
- DungeonFog: Free Role Playing Game Battle Map Editor
- Inkarnate: Create Fantasy Maps Online
- Medieval Fantasy City Generator
USGS to the Rescue
To get started with maps, I didn’t want to infringe on others’ map creations. As you will see in my example, I looked into online map collections. After a chat with Dr. Aida R. Guhlincozzi, she pointed me to the USGS. So, I dug into the United States Geographical Service (USGS) Topographical Map Collection. What a treasure trove of maps.
The Digital Cartographer’s Bag of Holding
You’re familiar with a bag of holding, right? It’s a bag with an inside space that may enjoy never-ending storage. You can put anything it and the bag doesn’t get heavier. The internet is a modern traveler’s bag of holding, and Wakelet is one of the ever-expanding compartments. To get you started in fantasy map making online. I’ve collected a few of the images I found. You will discover a lot more in this magic satchel, The Digital Cartographer’s Bag of Holding. This is a Wakelet collection to get you started.
Open the Bag of Holding at https://tinyurl.com/tceamapmkr
Be warned: you can spend hours exploring the contents of this never-ending bag.
View or Get a Copy of this Google Slides Interactive Map Example
Interactive Maps with Google Slides
But let’s take map making a step further. To create clickable maps in Google Slides, you need to first arrange the images you want into your Google Slides slide. Then you create subsequent slides. To create a link from one slide to another, INSERT LINK and choose the slide number that you want.

Did You Know?
You can go deeper than you ever thought possible into Google Slides’ capabilities. Sign up now for the online, self-paced TCEA Google Slides course. This course not only covers building a presentation, but also shares how you can leverage the powerful features and functionality of Google Slides for teaching and learning. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a TCEA Google Slides digital badge and completion certificate, along with 12 CPE hours. Learn more.
Drawing on Your Map with Jamboard
Jamboard makes it easy for others to interact by adding Post-It-type notes and more to your digital map. You can create an icon that allows people to annotate the Google Jamboard version of the map.

View or Get a Copy of This Google Jamboard
Anyone can draw on the map (or you can limit sharing if you’d like). To prevent the original map from being destroyed, I used Jamboard’s SET BACKGROUND feature:
Did You Know?
You can sign up for the TCEA Google Jamboard online, self-paced course and see many exciting instructional applications. This course is not only informative, but you are going to have a jammin’ good time throughout the five modules. The course is jam-packed with how-tos, templates, and handy resources for the classroom. Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a TCEA Google Jamboard digital badge and completion certificate. Learn more online.