This post contains affiliate links.
Geology fascinates many children! These geology card bingo games and flashcards should get the attention of your children or students.
Some can be played as young as five years, and they all introduce different geology concepts. Most are quiz card games that you can also use to review geology topics for older children.
Geology Card Games, Bingo Games, and Flashcards Comparison Table
| Game | Age | Players | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gems and Minerals | 6+ | 1+ | $$ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Rocks and Minerals Flash Cards | 6+ | 1+ | $$ | ★★★★☆ |
| Volcanoes Top Trumps | 7+ | 2‑6 | $ | ★★★★☆ |
| Can Do! Earth Game | 7+ | 1+ | $$ | ★★★★★ |
| Rock-On | 8+ | 2-6 | $$ | ★★★★★ |
| Rock + Mineral Card Games | 8+ | 1+ | $$$ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Professor Noggin’s Earth Science | 10+ | 2-8 | $ | ★★★★★ |
| Rock Cycle | 10+ | 3-30 | $$$ | ★★★★☆ |
| Rocks and Minerals Flashcards | 10+ | 1+ | $$ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Earth Science Vocabulary Builder Flash Card Set | 11+ | 1+ | $$$ | ★★★★★ |
| Mineral Rummy | 12+ | 2‑6 | $$$ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Wreck It & Collect It | 12+ | 2‑4 | $$ | ★★★★☆ |
Geology Card Games
Volcanoes (Top Trumps)
★★★★☆
For Families | Age 7+ | 2-6 players | Price $ | Duration 10-20 min
If you’re a fan of the Top Trumps games, Volcanoes
is a great game to add to your home collection! Teach your child about the different destructive volcanoes across the world and let them learn and compare:
- Explosivity
- Height
- Deadliness
- Wow! Factor
- Unpredictability
- Devastation Potential
I like this game because there is only minimal reading involved. So, non-readers can still join the fun and learn more about volcanoes. I also recommend this because:
- It is easy to play; you only pick a category where you think you will best your opponents and compare
- You learn exciting facts about volcanoes with the bite-sized information presented in the cards
- It features a short paragraph that shows more fascinating facts about volcanoes.
The only problem with this game is the number of cards. There are only thirty cards in this set, so this game has low replayability.
Rock-On (Leanne Thomas)
★★★★★
For Families and Schools | Age 8+ | 2-6 players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Teach your child about the rock cycle with Rock-On, an independently published matching card game by teacher Leanne Thomas. This set comes with two decks of color-coded cards featuring the different rock types and processes.
This game is really easy to play. To play:
- Deal 7 cards to all players, then put the remaining deck in the middle.
- Pick a card from the deck and put it face up in the middle.
- The first player has to place a card that matches the one in the middle (sedimentary, magma, igneous, metamorphic, sediment) or put a card that changes the type of card on the table (cycle cards)
- If a player doesn’t have a matching rock or a cycle card, they must draw a card from the pile. Then if there is a march, they can play it. Otherwise, they have to say pass.
- A player wins the game when they’re no longer holding any card.
I recommend this game because it includes two decks, so you can use it in classrooms. It is also very educational while still fun to play. Moreover, it uses actual photos of rocks to help children become more familiar with each type.
Can Do! Earth Game (Lakeshore Learning)
★★★★★
For Families and Schools | Age 8+ | 2-6 players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Lakeshore Learning’s Can Do! Earth Game is a quiz card game featuring multiple-choice questions about:
- Rocks and minerals
- Weather
- Landforms
It is very simple to play. First, you move the spinner to know what type of question to answer during your turn. Then draw the card, read the question, and answer. If you get a correct answer, you will collect a token. When all the questions are done, the player with the most tokens wins the game.
I highly recommend this game because:
- It uses age-appropriate vocabulary words
- It is a fun review material about earth science topics (not only geology)
- Groups or teams of students can play it, so it can be played in schools
- It features self-checking question cards for instant feedback
Professor Noggin’s Earth Science (Outset Media)
★★★★★
For Families and Schools | Age 10+ | 2-6 players | Price $ | Duration 10-20 min
Professor Noggin’s Earth Science is a quiz card game with two difficulty levels for differentiated learning and varied gameplay. The questions revolve around these topics:
- Atmosphere, Clouds, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Rain, Snow, Weather forecasting
- Metamorphic rocks, Minerals, Precious minerals, Sedimentary rocks, Igneous rocks
- Canyons, Hoodoos, Erosions
- Caves and caverns
- Continental drift, Earth’s Core, Earthquakes, Volcanoes
- Islands, Peninsulas
- Oceans and seas, Rivers and streams, Lakes & ponds, Glaciers & icebergs
- Prairies, Rainforests, Desert
The game comes with a custom die and 30 card games with trivia, true or false, and multiple-choice questions. I recommend it because the cards already show the answers, so children receive immediate feedback. There are also 180 questions in this game, so it has high replayability.
This set covers earth science topics, so you may opt to remove the questions that do not relate to your geology lessons.
Mineral Rummy (Flinn Scientific)
★★★☆☆
For Families and Schools | Age 12+ | 2-6 players | Price $$$ | Duration 20-30 min
The goal of Mineral Rummy is to create minerals by combining ions. This card game features these ions:
- Aluminum
- Calcium
- Carbonate
- Copper
- Fluoride
- Hydroxide
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Oxide
- Phosphate
- Silicate
- Sulfate
And during the game, players have to meld these ions to form minerals. To play:
- Deal two mineral cards to each player, then deal seven ion cards.
- The first player checks their hand for enough ions to form one of their mineral cards. If none, draw a card, then discard another card.
- If the recently discarded card can form a mineral of another player. They may claim the card by saying “rummy on board.” The player needs to meld as soon as they pick the discarded card.
- The round ends if the player forms the mineral.
- The round will also be over if a player calls “Rummy” and discards all their cards in one turn.
I like this game because it explains how minerals are formed in a simple manner. It is also aligned to NGSS standards, so it has age-appropriate content. The set also comes with four decks, so you can use it in classrooms.
However, the game can be complicated as there are many things to consider during play. It also takes a lot of understanding of chemistry because it requires combining different ions. So, this game is not helpful for students already struggling with that subject area. It may also take some time, so you will need to set aside a portion of your schedule to play the game.
Gems and Minerals (Heritage Playing Cards)
★★☆☆☆
For Families | Age 6+ | 1+ players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Gems and Minerals is a deck of playing cards featuring different gems and minerals with their name and illustrations. And you can use them for any classic playing card game.
I like the illustrated gems and minerals because they show what they really look like. And they’re a bit educational as they teach your child the names. However, I only give this game two stars because it shows very little information. So while it is fun to look at and play with, your child will not learn much from this deck of cards.
Wreck It & Collect It (The Game Crafter)
★★★★☆
For Families | Age 12+ | 2-4 players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Wreck It & Collect It is a trading card game where players each get a deck of cards and try to defeat their opponent’s moves. The cards feature different minerals and the following information:
- Rarity
- Mineral class
- Crystal system
- Chemical Formula
- Specific Gravity
I like this set because it shows actual photos of the minerals. It also shows the essential details in bullet form, making it easy to understand and remember. It also develops critical thinking skills as you strategize to win the game.
For two players, you simply split the deck in two. However, you have to buy multiple decks if you want to play with more players because each one needs to have its own.
Geology Bingo Games
Rock Cycle (NewPath Learning)
★★★★☆
For Families and Schools | Age 11+ | 3-30 players | Price $$$ | Duration 10-20 min
Rock Cycle is a bingo game that features review questions or challenges in its call cards. It comes with 75 review cards (call cards) that tackle the different processes involved in the rock cycle – weathering, transport, formation, and reformation – of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
The game is simple. It follows the same bingo game rules, except students have to answer a question to find the match in their bingo cards. You can use it when introducing the rock cycle processes or reviewing this topic.
I recommend this game for homes and schools because:
- It features both basic and challenging questions to challenge your students
- It is easy to play
- It helps you introduce or review the different concepts about the rock cycle in a fun way
- You can also use these cards as flashcards when reviewing with your child at home or school
- It has self-correcting cards, so your children receive immediate feedback
- Students can use it without an adult supervision
The bingo cards are reusable. But for more durability, it is recommended to put them in protectors.
Rock & Mineral Game Set (National Geographic)
★★★☆☆
For Families and Schools | Age 8+ | 1+ players | Price $$$ | Duration 10-20 min
If you’re looking for a geology bingo and card games set, the National Geographic’s Rock & Mineral Game Set may be what you need. It comes with:
- 25 rock specimens
- 6 double-sided game boards
- Deck of playing cards showing rocks and minerals and a short trivia about them
- Bag of polished gemstones
I recommend this game for schools and homes because:
- Multiple groups of students can use it at the same time
- It features different games like bingo, tic-tac-toe, and memory games
- You can use the deck of cards to play any traditional playing card games
- You can use some of the games and the rock specimens and gemstones for younger players
However, I rate this only three stars because the rock specimens are not labeled. And it isn’t easy to name all of them, even with the accompanying cards. Some sets are also incomplete or come with fewer stones and gemstones.
Geology Flashcards
Rocks and Mineral Flash Cards (DK Publishing)
★★★★☆
For Families and Schools | Age 6+ | 1+ players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Rocks and Minerals Flash Cards is a set of 54 flashcards featuring different rocks and minerals. They also show:
- Name pronunciation guide
- Interesting facts and trivia
- Simple review questions related to the included facts and trivia
- Colored illustrations of the rocks and minerals
These flashcards are a pre-order set. And I think it is a promising one to buy because it introduces the topic of rocks and minerals to younger children. The cards also have pictures that make them more interesting to young users. I also like the added questions which test and help your child remember the details more.
Rocks and Minerals Flashcards (Kingfisher)
★★★☆☆
For Families and Schools | Age 10+ | 1+ | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min
Another geology flashcard set to check out is Rock and Minerals Flashcards. Each card shows a fun illustration of the rocks or minerals and their:
- Type (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic)
- Minerals found in them
- Grain size
- Hardness
- Colors
- Common name
- Texture
- Look-alike rock
- Fast facts
- Brief description of how they’re formed and what they’re generally used for
I recommend this set for homes and schools because it features each card is packed full of information. However, I am only rating it three stars because:
- I think it is better to show real-life pictures of these rocks and minerals and their uses
- The brief description is a bit wordy
- The illustrations are entertaining, but they’re not helpful when reviewing the different rocks and minerals for school
Earth Science Vocabulary Builder Flash Card Set (NewPath Learning)
★★★★★
For Families and Schools | Age 11+ | 1+ players | Price $$$ | Duration 10-20 min
Earth Science Vocabulary Builder Flash Card Set comes with 200 cards covering key terms related to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on earth science.
The cards are double-sided. One has the questions and related pictures or diagrams, and the other side shows the answer and a brief explanation of the topic. The questions can be multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or true or false.
I highly recommend this set because:
- It features different standardized question formats, which makes the set educational, more interesting, and engaging
- It shows actual photos of the topics presented
- It is grade-level appropriate as it is based on NGSS standards
- Information is presented in a bite-sized format for easy recall
- It is excellent for reviewing the concepts for tests
You can also organize the flashcards per topic as indicated on each card. So you can make learning more individualized for your students.
Other Science Card Games for Homes and Schools
Geology is a fascinating but challenging subject to learn for your children. And other science subjects like biology and chemistry can be complex too. Imagine having to remember so many scientific terms from so many different topics! Fortunately, there are a lot of card games available in the market that can help our young students learn more while still having fun. So, if you need more help in your science class at home or school, you may look at these posts:
- 14 Chemistry Card Games for Middle School and High School Students
- 26 Biology Card Games for Families and Schools
Edudingo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.