Geography Educational Games

Studying U.S. geography includes knowing about the 50 states and Washington DC, which is a lot. Some children may struggle to remember them. But, board games make learning more fun and easy. I found 9 U.S. geography board games that you can play at home with your family. Most are appropriate for eight-year-olds or third graders who are starting to learn about the states. Most of them also include fascinating facts and trivia about the different states. US Geography Board Games Comparison Table GameAgePlayersRatingRoad Trip Board Game6+2‑4★★★☆☆U.S.A. License Plate Game8+2+★★★★☆Great States6+2+★★★★★United States8+2‑4★★★★☆Race Across the U.S.A.8+2‑4★★★★☆Game of the States8+2‑4★★★☆☆Snapshots Across America8+2‑6★★★★☆Sequence: States and Capitals7+2‑12★★★☆☆State the Picture8+2+★★★☆☆ U.S. Geography Board Games Road Trip Board Game (Far Out Toys) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 6+ | 2-4 players | Price $$ | Duration 15-25 min Hop on a van to take a trip around the U.S.A. with Road Trip Board Game. This spin-and-move board game takes you across all the states and regions and teaches your child: State capitalsState flagsState flowersUnique facts about the states To play the game, you need to spin the spinner and make your move. Then collect specialty cards, stars, and collectibles along the way. I recommend this game because: It uses a simplified map of the U.S.A. which helps children become more familiar with the states and regionsIt features important and unique facts about these statesIt is a great educational tool for children who are fans of Ryan’s World This game is fun to try with the family, but there are too many specialty cards to consider, and the instructions can be complicated for younger players. It also has a lot of reading involved, so non-readers need adult supervision during their turns. U.S.A. License Plate (Melissa & Doug) ★★★★☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2+ players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min Looking for a game to keep your kids occupied during a long road trip? U.S.A. License Plate will do! This board game helps your child learn about the different states, licenses, and capitals. The several ways to play at home or on the road include: Capital and Codes – have one player/passenger call out a state name. The other players race to name its capital or postal abbreviation to get the point. After, they can flip the license plate tile to remind them of the score.Where Is It? – Flip all the license plate tiles to hide the names. Then, ask children to find a particular state. Continue asking until all tiles are turned in.Add State Capitals – Similar to capital and codes, but this time have childre give both the state and the capital to get the point. I recommend "U.S.A. License Plate" because it proposes different rules. The map also enables to learn which states are closer to one another. Rules are quite simple too. A child with proficient knowledge of the states and their capitals will enjoy this board game. Great States (International Playthings) ★★★★★ For Families | Age 6+ | 2+ players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min Great States is a fast-paced spin-and-move and quiz board game. During your turn, you need to: Flip the spinnerPick the corresponding cardFollow the instructions on the card before your time runs outThe person to collect the most number of cards wins As it includes many cards, gameplay can take some time. So, you may agree upon a set number of cards that people have to collect to win the game. There are four types of cards and four hundred different trivia questions to keep your family entertained for long hours. I highly recommend this game because: It has 400 questions, so great for replayabilityIt includes a lot of fascinating and important facts about the different statesIt features a to-scale map of the U.S.A. printed in bright colors and with the states’ unique characteristicsIt can help develop listening or reading skills as your child reads or listens to the instructions on the cards However, the required reading means that younger players may need help with the cards. United States (Lakeshore Learning) ★★★★☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2-4 players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min United States is a roll-and-move board game that lets children learn and explore the history and geography of the USA. With the full-color map as the game board, players take turns rolling the dice and answering questions to earn points. This is an excellent board game because: it features over 100 questions which is great for replayabilityit will challenge children's knowledge of U.S. geography and social studies.it helps them learn map signsIt is easy to play There are also bonus tokens in the cards to keep children engaged during play! However, the questions are short answer types. So children with little knowledge of the geography and history of the country can easily get frustrated. Race Across the U.S.A. (Scholastic) ★★★★☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2-4 players | Price $$ | Duration 10-20 min Travel with your family across the USA. with Scholastic’s Race Across the U.S.A. This fun roll-and-move board game is easy and quick to play. You only need to: Pick an airplane pawn, and place it in your home state. Then, get six state cards, one from each color pile.Roll the dice and move your piece. You cannot land on state with another player on it.If you land on a state and have its state card, take a question card and have the player next to you read it.You can place the state card on your scorecard if you answer the question correctly. Otherwise, stay in the state and wait for your next turn to get another question.The first player to complete a set of six state cards wins. I like "Race Across the U.S.A" because it has over 200 questions featuring interesting facts about the states that go beyond asking about state capitals. It also has three levels of questions, fit for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. So, you can pick which set of questions is at level with your kid’s abilities. However, there are multiple errors in the answers to the questions. So, I am only giving this game four stars. Game of the States (Winning Moves) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2-4 players | Price $$ | Duration 20-30 min Game of the States is a STEM.org-approved game that teaches U.S. geography and more. Players aim to sell commodities and have the most money when the game ends. To play: Pick a truck and race across the country to buy and sell goodsWhen making a sale, flip the spinner to figure out what your products will costYou will also refer to the included to learn about where to bring your commoditiesWhen the game ends, the player with the most money wins. I like this game because it teaches geography and math skills. Children will also learn to strategize to make sure that they’re earning profit during their turn. The playing cards also include interesting facts about the states. However, some children may find reading them boring because they’re not really part of the game. It also only focuses on state names, so it may be shallow compared to the other games on the list. Snapshots Across America (Sonlight) ★★★★☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2-6 players | Price $$ | Duration 20-30 min Visit famous landmarks and attractions of different states while at home with Snapshots Across America! The goal is to stop at seven states before another opponent does. It features four different types of cards: Tourist attraction cards – includes tourist attractions and historical sitesTransportation cards – offers faster travelBad weather cards – prevent a player from acquiring a tourist attraction cardTravel alert cards – cancels a player’s transportation card This board game is easy and fun to play. Players keep six cards in their hands and move to a state by matching a tourist attraction card to its location on the map. The catch is you can only move one state at a time unless you have a special transportation card. So you will need to strategize and find the shortest route. I recommend "Snapshots Across America" because: The tourist attraction cards have bits of interesting information about the places it is easy and engaging to playIt requires and develops strategic thinking, which helps your child become more familiar with the states If you want, you can have a younger child join your game. However, you will need to guide them in finding the shortest route or remove some of the special cards to avoid upsetting them. Sequence: States and Capitals (Jax) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 7+ | 2-12 players | Price $$$ | Duration 20-30 min If you enjoy the Sequence games, Sequence: States & Capitals is a perfect game to add to your home collection. The game’s goal is to get five in a row. To play: matching the state in your hand to the one on the board.If you find the correct match, put a chip on the boardDiscard your card in your discard pile You may also play special cards (add or remove cards) Sequence games are easy to play, and this version helps your child become more familiar with the 50 different states of the US and their capitals. However, the other games in this list include fun facts for learning more about these places. State the Picture (Briarpatch) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 8+ | 2+ players | Price $$ | Duration 20-30 min If your child loves drawing and you want them to learn more about U.S. geography, then State the Picture is a great game to have! This game was invented by an 11-year-old who also won the 2014 National Young Game Inventors Contest. The goal is to reach the end of the board before your opponent does. To play: The youngest player starts first. First, take a card, then think of how you can draw it to help the other players guess it.The player who guesses correctly moves their pawn the number of steps indicated in the card. Then the person who drew gets to roll a die and moves accordingly.If no one guesses correctly, no one moves. The game rules are simple, but playing can be hard. It takes knowing the states and their unique characteristics and products to learn what to draw. Or you can be witty and use signs and symbols to spell the state’s name without using letters. I recommend it for children who already know most of their states and just need to become more familiar with them. Otherwise, they will only get frustrated at every turn. I rate this game three stars only because it doesn’t really teach more about U.S. geography, especially if the other players use signs and symbols to draw the state. Other US Geography Games to Play with the Family Learning about US geography takes you across the 50 states of the country and Washington DC. It is fun and exciting but can also be challenging. So, including tabletop games like board games and card games can lessen your child’s frustration and keep them more engaged. If you are looking for more geography games for the family, check out these posts: 6 Countries Of The World Card Games – A Complete ComparisonUS Geography Card Games