How to Make Geography Fun: 9 Creative Ways to Explore the World with Kids
I’ve never taught “geography” to my kids but my 4th grader can name a huge percentage of countries. Why? Because we study the world as we learn history and science. Study an ancient civilzation, do map work! Study a scientific theory, find the country where the scientist was born! Listen to a folktale from Africa, find it on the map! Need more suggestions, read on.
9 ways to learn geography by falling in love with the people of the world
Geo-Puzzles and Board Games:
Some kids just love a good puzzle! Provide puzzle pieces representing different countries and have students assemble them to form a world map. Even better, make your OWN puzzle. Print a LARGE map, have kids color and cut it out, and map away! There are also great board games like “Where To” which pack in the fun!
Cultural Showcases:
Learn about the traditional food, music, dance, clothing, and important cultural practices of each country. Have kids dance, dress, and fall in love with cultures of the world.
Pen Pals and Virtual Connections:
Connect children with children from all around the world. It has never been easier to translate text to foreign languages. But better yet, learn a foreign language!
Storytelling and Folktales:
This one of my favorite in my house. We listen to Circle Round which tells traditional stories from all over the world. Then we place a pin on a map on the country where the story originated. Exploring folktales and traditional stories of different countries gives you a small glimpse into the soul of a country and what is important to its people.
Travel Journals:
Not everyone can afford to travel but having children create travel journals for imaginary trips around the world is a fun way for them to engage with cultures. Ask children where they would like to visit. They can research and write about the culture, history, landmarks, and cuisine of each country they "visit." I often take my kids on virtual visits to the amazing structure all around the world: The pyramids of Giza, the pyramids of Sudan (did you know there are actually more pyramids in Sudan than Egypt?), Hagia Sophia, Parthenon, the Roman Forum have been some of my family’s favorites.
Create Interactive Maps:
Have children research the most popular food, tourist destination, or even how to say “hello” in each country and use that to label a map instead of just the name of a country.
Documentary Screening and Discussions:
Screen documentaries that focus on a particular country, its people, culture, and history. Follow up with discussion and activities related to the documentary content.
Guest Speakers or Virtual Tours:
Invite guest speakers from different countries to share their experiences, or organize virtual tours of museums, landmarks, or cultural sites in various countries.
Geocaching or Scavenger Hunts:
Organize geocaching or scavenger hunts where students need to solve clues related to a country's geography, culture, or history to find hidden treasures.
The whole point of geography is to learn about the world. So, teach kids about the people of the world.
If we want a kinder, more peaceful world. It starts with learning about each other, about what makes us human, about our similarities. Help kids fall in love with the people of the world.
~Claire Honeycutt
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