One of my favorite ways to work on memorization with my kids is to play games. I have at least one board game for each core subject in our home school.
Lately, we’ve been playing The Scrambled States of America Geography Game a lot. We’re studying USA geography, so I’ve been using it to help my girls remember the states and their capitals.
This game is based on the popular book, The Scrambled States of America, where all of the states decide to switch places to see what life is like in another part of the country.
It’s a fun educational game for the whole family.
How to Play
In the box, you’ll find a small country map for each player, a stack of red scramble cards and blue state cards. Each player is given five state cards to form their “states line.”
On each state card, you’ll find the state’s name, picture, capital and nickname. The scramble deck include two types of cards – Find-It and Go the Distance.
The Find-It cards have different problems that directly relate to the state cards. For example, one challenge may be to find a capital with four syllables. If you have a state that matches, slap your card while shouting out the capital’s name. If you are the quickest player, you “win” that state and you can move the card into your home pile.
Other challenges on the find-it cards include finding a:
- state that starts with a certain letter
- capital with two words
- state with two of the same letters in a row
- border with three or more straight edges
- state that doesn’t touch an ocean
- nickname with a plant or animal name in it
- and LOTS more!
When a Go the Distance card is revealed, a state card is turned over as well. Each player looks at their five states card and chooses one that is the closest, geographically, to that state. The person whose state is the closest neighbor gets to add both state cards to their win pile.
The object of the game is to collect the most state cards by correctly matching a state to what’s on the scramble card. Do that and you’ll be declared the winner.
Building Geography Skills
So how does all of this add up to learning geography? Simple. Instead of working on rote memorization drills, play this game frequently. You’ll be amazed at how much your child will remember.
Think about it, each time you play, you’re working with a map, as well as all of the information about the states. With each round, kids memorize a bit more.
It’s a fun way to learn!
What educational games do you use in your home school?
Megan has been homeschooling her girls from the beginning and learning is a way of life for their family. Most days you will find them exploring their Central Florida community, having fun while learning. She is constantly looking for new and interactive ways to engage her children. She helps families discover creative ways to learn together over at Education Possible.
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