bbcovert@juno.com

When I was in grade school, geography consisted of writing the names of states and countries on a blank map. It was a time-consuming - not to mention boring - process, and my hand cramped from all the tiny writing to make the names fit! Was I supposed to care about places I would never see? For what reason did I need to know the names of all the capitals? Those exercises held no meaning or interest for me. 

Have I got news for you! Learning about geography can be fun--really! You can make this area of education fun for your children, and if your knowledge of geography is blurred by years of non-use, it can be fun for you, too! Geography isn’t just about memorizing names of countries, states, cities, and rivers. It’s the study of the world God created - from savannahs and deserts to woodlands and rainforests and the arctic tundra. It’s the study of the people in those lands and the animals that inhabit those lands. I’ve learned so much about geography since I became a homeschool mom; this subject that was once boring to me has become exciting! 

If you have a young map-lover in your family, you have an educational outlet whether you are traveling across country or across town. You can explain north, south, east, and west. Your map enthusiast can follow your route on the map. This activity could also include drawing maps of neighborhoods. An inexpensive globe - or a globe beach ball - could be a fascinating and educational toy. 

A music lover may enjoy tapes and CD’s that put the names of the countries, the U.S. states and capitals, the continents, and the oceans to music. My daughter loves to memorize songs, no matter what the content, so this idea has worked well for her.  

My favorite way of teaching geography is through the use of games. Talk about making education fun--and they’re not just for kids! There are many geography games available. Some of them are in the form of card games and involve matching countries to their continents or bordering countries together. We have Quick Pix Geography and Borderline-world edition. Whoever gets rid of all their cards first, wins! These are best for students who already have a basic knowledge of world geography. 

Geography board games work for both beginning and advanced geography students as well as adults. To study the USA and its national landmarks, try Snapshots Across America - the Vacation Fantasy Game. The board is a map of the USA. Small cars are the markers. The object of the game is to be the first to visit each of the states that you draw from the deck of cards, beginning in your home state. Each card features a city with a landmark or tourist attraction in that state. (What a sneaky way to teach kids about the Golden Gate Bridge, the St. Louis Arch, and the Kennedy Space Center!) Ship and plane cards may help speed you to your destination, but natural disaster cards may hinder you! 

Another fun game comes from National Geographic, which offers a variety of geography games. The National Geographic GeoBee Challenge Game is the only game that asks official GeoBee questions! Many homeschoolers (including my children) have participated in geography bees, and this game is a real asset to own. It’s great for learning about countries, landforms, cultures, history, environment, and more. Players win award tokens when they correctly answer questions. Skill levels range from novice to expert, so the whole family can enjoy GeoBee together.  

You can combine an interest in planes with geography if you acquire the Take Off! game for ages 6 to adult. Players get a fleet of jets and fly around the world! The board is actually a 48" x 21.5" laminated world map. The game comes with two 8-sided dice and about 200 country profile cards filled with information about the various countries of the world.  

Those are just a few of the games we enjoy. I didn’t buy them all at once! One of them I purchased used, and the others I bought one at a time, usually once a year. If you’re on a tight budget, you might search for used games from homeschool families who have outgrown them. These make great Christmas and birthday gifts as well. Perhaps a grandparent would be willing to bless your family with one of these games during the gift-giving season. 

My final suggestion for teaching kids geography is to invent games, such as Stump Mom. For this game, the students pick a country on a map or globe, and Mom (or Dad) has to guess which one it is by asking yes or no questions! Now, this game won’t work if you don’t know basic geography terms, so brush up on those map skills! Then you can ask questions such as, “Is it in the Northern Hemisphere?” or “Does it border an ocean?” This game can be played while you are preparing meals, driving down the road, or sitting in the dentist’s waiting room. Ask your children to make up some geography games. Their ideas might just amaze and impress you! 

Happy homeschooling!

Copyright 2004 by Brenda B. Covert