Get Geography Smart

Geography was not my strong suit during my school days. I’m determined not to let my girls suffer the same fate, so I make sure to reinforce and teach the subject as often as possible. Below, find some fun ways for the whole family to learn about or brush up on geography skills.

Dine Around the World

To learn about countries around the world, designate one night as Around the World Dining night. Decide upon a country, go online to research its native dishes and cook up a multicultural dining experience. Or visit search our site for a list of great restaurants around town that celebrate a wide variety of nations.

Explore with Little Passports

Don’t let the “Little” in the title mislead you. Delivered to your kids each month, these books contain tons of great information for kids and adults alike! We opted for the U.S. series in which you receive information on two states each month.  From brain teasing games to crafts to recipes to many useful fun facts, you’ll feel as if you have visited each of the 50 states without leaving your home! Also available in world geography. www.LittlePassports.com

Guess the State Game

Did your kids have one of those wooden puzzles that is a map of the United States? Chances are good you’ve got one lying around the house. Dust it off and play “Guess the State.” Simply drop the puzzle pieces into a bag. Family members take turns choosing a piece. The others have to ask yes/no questions to try to guess which state the person is holding. The person who guesses correctly gets to keep that puzzle piece. The person with the most pieces at the end of the game wins.

Get Your Craft On

Hands-on activities are so great to help reinforce skills. Make a simple model of the Earth by stuffing a paper grocery sack with newspaper. Shape it into a ball, staple shut and paint blue. Find cut outs of the continents and have kids color or paint these green. Place the continents on the paper bag globe and then label the oceans. While younger kids love this, it’s also great practice for older kids. Have them teach the younger ones how to make the globe.

Put Together a Puzzle

Puzzles are wonderful for so many reasons. They help sharpen spatial thinking skills while encouraging family time. Place out a 500-piece U.S. or world puzzle and work on it together as a family. We recently worked on a U.S. puzzle where each state was represented by its license plate. A fun way to learn more about each state!