Sunday, January 5, 2014

Teaching U.S. Geography with a simple board game



When family asked what they should get our girls for Christmas, I included some board games on a list. One of those was rated for older children, but I thought my 5-year-old might like it anyway. I need to give a big "Thank You!" to my brother- and sister-in law, who purchased "Scrambled States" for my daughter. It has been a HUGE hit, with both her AND me.

In our homeschool, we have focused a lot on world study - history, geography, culture, religion - but not so much on American geography. Scrambled States might be the best resource I've found, thus far, for teaching American geography.

The game is rated for ages 8+, but the instructions do allow for a variation of the game for children who might not be reading on their own or reading well. This variation simply makes the game a bit less competitive.

So here is why I love this board game:
  • My daughter LOVES it.
  • She is working on her reading by reading the challenge cards.
  • She is learning how to read a map, continuing practice on using the compass rose and understanding West, East, North and South. 
  • She is memorizing the layout of the United States.
  • She is memorizing state names and shapes.
  • She is learning state capitols. 
  • When counting up her final amount of cards, she practices counting them by twos. 
  • And did I mention that she loved the game?
I appreciate this game so much that I wanted to share a short review of it with all of you. This game is a great way to teach your child the geography of the United States. And the best part about it is that your kids won't have a clue that they're learning! 

What are some of your favorite board games? What do you use teach your kids US Geography?

No comments:

Post a Comment