3 Fun Geography Games for Kids

 Betsy is sharing fun map themed games for kids – 2 geography games and an astronomy game.

It’s officially spring, which means sunshine, barbeques, and gardening in the back yard! Unfortunately, springtime also means the occasional rain cloud. But what better way to enjoy a rainy day inside than to become a world explorer? With these fun, educational games, your kids will have a blast learning about maps of the earth and sky, all from the comfort of your living room!

3 Fun Geography Games for Kids

Global Green light Go

This is a fun game that can be played with 1-4 children, and incorporates the children’s classic game Green Light Go with world trivia questions. This game can be adapted for kids of any age, and they will love playing it for years to come!

Items Needed:

• 1 roll of masking tape
• Printouts of 30 countries (they don’t all need to be different; you could use three countries ten times or ten countries three times, or 30 different countries.)
• Notecards with facts about each country
• 1 fun prize for the winner!

Instructions:

Print out 30 shapes of different countries and cut them out. With the masking tape, place a grid on the floor with three columns and ten rows, with a country taped to the floor in each box. Have your child stand at the “start” line at the beginning of the grid. Ask a question about one of the countries in the first three boxes, and if the child guesses correctly, he or she gets to move forward one row. If they answer incorrectly, they must move back and answer correctly about one of the three countries in the previous row. Continue until your child gets ten correct and ends up at the finish line, where you have a prize waiting.

World Twister

Your child will have so much fun stretching their limbs and their minds in this educational take on the classic game Twister. The setup is quick and easy, and your child will have a blast exercising their bodies and brains!

Items Needed:

• Construction paper
• 1 marker (if you choose to write the names of the continents on them)
• 1 roll of masking tape
• 1 pair of scissors
• Notecards with facts about the continents (if you choose to use facts)

Instructions:

Cut out each continent on a different color of construction paper, either by tracing them from a map of free-handing. You can choose to write the names of the continents on them, or leave them blank to make it a bit harder.

Trace an oval on the floor with the masking tape to make the world, and then tape the continents on the floor inside your world. Your finished World Map should be about 4’ by 3.’

Have your kids stand in the center of the world, then call out a hand or foot, followed by a continent. For example, “Right foot North America!” Continue until your kids are all twisted up! You can insert facts instead of calling out the name of the continent, for example, “The Lion King took place on this continent!”  or “The Queen of England lives on this continent!”

Starry Night

It’s time for bed, but we still have one more game to play that will capture your child’s imagination. This is a great opportunity to put on your matching family pajamas and send your child drifting off to sleep dreaming of the stars.

Items Needed:

• 1 Flashlight or table lamp
• Black construction paper
• White Chalk or markers
• Examples of constellations
• 1 pencil (And adult supervision)
• 1 laser pointer

Instructions:

Using either a computer or an almanac, look up a few of your favorite constellations. Trace them onto the black construction paper with your white chalk, or you can use a marker if you like. With adult supervision, carefully poke a small hole through the paper where the stars should be.  Turn out the lights and curl up in your matching family pajamas  then shine the light on the back of the paper to watch your constellation light up  the ceiling. Use the laser pointer to have your child trace the constellations on the ceiling and let their imaginations drift as you tell the story behind the images.

Just because it’s raining outside doesn’t mean you can’t still explore the world. With these fun and educational activities your child will gain the knowledge of an international traveler, and have just as much fun, too!

Enjoy your map-themed rainy day!

Betsy is a mom who is fascinated with travel and learning.  She enjoys everything from creating unique, educational games for her two children to exploring the world with her family.