What is north?

North is the direction where the sun seems to rise every morning.

Imagine you're playing with your toy cars on a big floor mat. You pick one car and drive it straight ahead, that’s like going north! Now, if you turn left and keep driving, you’re heading west, just like when you go from your bedroom to the kitchen. If you turn right, you’re heading east, like walking from school to the park.

Sometimes, people use a special tool called a compass to find north. It has a red needle that always points to north, no matter where you are, just like how your favorite toy always stays with you, even if you move around the room.

But you don’t need a compass! If it’s sunny outside, you can look at the shadow of a tree or a stick on the ground. At sunrise, that shadow will point south, so the opposite side is north, just like when you stand in front of your mirror and see yourself, but backwards!