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Whether you have a geography buff or are starting an around-the-world unit, you will love these fun geography board games for kids!
Geography is a subject that weaves its way in and out of studies from a very young age through advanced grades. Whether you are doing an in-depth ancient history study in 11th grade or learning about community helpers in kindergarten, geography plays a big role.
A lucky few of us have geography buffs at home, but many more of us struggle to teach geography in a not-boring way. I mean, there are only so many coloring-book-maps you can do before you want to chuck a crayon across the room.
The problem is: some of the homeschool history curriculum out there depends solely on coloring maps to teach geography – especially in the younger grades. Four years of coloring book maps? Four. Long. Years. At that point, it’s not only busywork, it’s boring busywork.
And there’s nothing worse than boring busywork.
Let’s make geography fun with engaging, memorable games and apps instead. Who knows – if you lead with something a little more interesting than a coloring page, you might just find you have a geography buff hiding there after all…
US Geography Games for Kids
1. Ticket to Ride
If you’re looking for “gameschooling” suggestions, Ticket to Ride is at the top of the list. This is a game that you and your kids will really enjoy getting into. Learn about US geography and 1900s history at once with this fun and interactive board game. It’s recommended for 8 and up, but with a little help younger children can play, too. There is also a US geography version for younger kids and a Europe version that is a bit more challenging.
2. Race Across the USA
Race Across the USA is our favorite US geography game! It says 7 and up, but you can play this one as soon as you have a fluent reader – and if they aren’t quite fluent, you can help a bit. In this game you travel from your home state across the USA, answering questions and learning new facts as you go. This game features leveled cards for 3rd/4th grade and 5th grade and up. A really fun way to practice US geography!
3. Sequence States & Capitals
If you’re familiar with the original Sequence game, you’re going to love Sequence States & Capitals! Get familiar with state shapes, learn capitals, and race to get five in a row. This is a great starter game for kids 7 and older, and if your kids love it they can play a variety of Sequence games right into adulthood!
4. Scrambled States
Scrambled States is a colorful, playful geography board game that provides some fun practice with the states, capitals, nicknames, shapes, and positions in the US. This game is aimed at upper elementary students in the 8-12 age range, but can be played with younger children (fluent readers) who are familiar with more complicated game play.
5. Professor Noggin’s Geography of the United States
Got a trivia lover at home? Turn them into a geography buff with Professor Noggin’s Geography of the United States game. This game has easy and hard levels and is recommended for players age 8 and up. Colorful trivia cards contain fun facts about the US with multiple choice and true and false questions. If you find you love this one, Professor Noggin also has trivia games for history and science!
World Geography Games for Kids
6. Brainbox The World
Brainbox The World is a fun and fast-paced game (judge for yourself whether your child would be invigorated or frustrated by a timed game) that will get kids familiar with facts about countries around the world. No need for prior knowledge, here, all the facts you need are on the cards. I would recommend pairing this game with a world map or globe so your child gets a better idea of where the countries are in the world.
7. Stack the Countries
Stack the Countries is a fun trivia-based app great for learning facts and engaging children in world geography. Answer questions about landmarks, land features, and geographic location to win a country. Then stack them up to reach the line. This is a progressive game that rewards you with unlocking new levels as you level up. Stack the States is also available for practice with US geography.
Mapominoes
Mapominoes is a fun domino-style game that matches countries with their borders in the same way traditional dominoes match numbers. This is an easy game to play and learn, especially if your child has had previous experience with dominoes. The above game is based in Europe, but US, Asia/Austrialia, Africa, and North/South America versions are also available.
9. Catan
I’m gonna drop Catan in right here. While Catan is not a strictly world geography game, there is a lot to learn through this game that can be applied to world geography lessons: discuss different regions, habitats, and resources as you develop roads and cities throughout Catan. This is one that you will enjoy as much as your kids! It’s recommended for kids 8 and up with 3-4 players. Great to play as a family – if you have younger children, put them on a “team” to play with someone older.
10. Risk
If you’ve never played Risk, I would highly recommend starting with your kids. Risk is just plain fun. It’s a game that you will enjoy as an educational geography game and just for fun on family game night. This game is more involved than many of the others on this list, and the suggested age is ten and up. This is one that I actually do agree about the age – it’s a heavier strategy-based game that would be great to start in upper elementary or middle school.
More geography from the Resource Room:
• Around the World, Elementary Geography Resources
• Around the World Apps & Websites
• Read Around the World with The Magic Tree House
Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.
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