History Educational Games

My mother is a history professor. She was pleased when I developed a history card game (called HistoDingo - this one is about the middle ages :-) ), and hoped that students would get a better grasp of chronology and facts thanks to my game. This is why I am particularly interested to introduce you to this list of American history (History of the USA) playing card games, card games, and flashcards (only flashcards that can be used as games, using "real" rules). It is comprised of : US history games, based on Themes (American History Go Fish), Quizzes (Prof. Noggin's History of the US, American Trivia for example), Chronology of events (Chronology), matching cards (American History Memory Game)Games about US presidents, either playing cards (The Presidents), Quiz cards (Prof. Noggin's Presidents of the US) or numbered Flashcards (US Presidential Flash Cards, US Presidents Pocket Flashcards, ...)A game about civics, politics and US history: Presidential IQ Trivia I have sorted the games by their minimum recommended age (my recommendation, not the publisher's) so that you can easily jump to the relevant section according to your kid's ages. The following table also gives you an overview of the game's main characteristics. American History Card Games Comparison Table GameThemeTypeAgePricePlayersRatingThe PresidentsPresidentsPlaying cards8+$$1+★★★☆☆American History Go FishHistoryThematic cards7+$$2+★★★☆☆American HistoryHistoryPlaying cards7+$$2+★★☆☆☆American History Memory GameHistory Matching Card game3-6$$2+★★★☆☆Prof. Noggin's History of the USHistory Quiz Cards11+$$2-8★★★★☆Prof. Noggin’s Presidents of the USPresidentsQuiz Cards8+$$2-8★★★★☆ChronologyHistoryEvent Cards14+$$$6★★★☆☆Presidential IQ TriviaHistory, Civics, PoliticsQuiz Cards16+$$$2+★★★★★American TriviaGeography, History, Pop culture, Sports Quiz Cards14+$$2+★★★☆☆Presidents of the US (Cardia)PresidentsFlashcards7+$$$1+★★★☆☆USA Flash CardsPresidents, US statesFlashcards5-10$$1+★★★★★U.S. Presidential Flash CardsPresidentsFlashcards7-10$$1+★★★☆☆US Presidents Pocket Flash CardsPresidentsFlashcards8+$$1+★★★★☆Presidents of the US (Bendon)PresidentsFlashcards7+$$1+★★★★☆ American History Card Games and Flashcards for Preschool and Primary School Aged Children From Preschool or Kindergarten American History Memory Game (The Classical Historian) ★★★☆☆ For Homes and Schools | Age 3-6 | 2+ Players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 20-30 min American History Memory Game is a simple but effective card game from The Classical Historian. It features 64 colored picture cards for teaching small children about important places and events in American history. The images included in the game fall under the following categories: Colonial AmericaAmerican revolutionFounding fathersWestward expansionCivil War Note though that the categories are not indicated on the cards, which might be a problem for some parents who would want to play the "categories" rule (see below) with their children, and that there are only 32 different cards (each is duplicated). I like "American History Memory Game" though because it is the only game on this list that you can play with three-year-old children. There are two rules: American History Memory – use it as a memory matching game - I recommend that while your child is getting familiar with images of the country’s historical people, monuments, artifacts, and symbols, you also take the opportunity to sneak in the names of the cards and if from time to time some short explanation about what they are about (but do not overdo that of the child will get bored).Categories (age 8+) – let each player take turns arranging the cards according to these categories: the foundation of the USA, westward expansion, civil war, and post-civil war. The child who takes the least time will win the game. I do not recommend this rule becauseThere is no way to auto-correct for the kid (so it is not great for a learning station at school)Only one player plays at a time - too boring for the other player(s) It is a pity that there is no information about the featured places and people on the back of the cards. But as it is, this is a workable educational tool. USA Flash Cards (Merka) ★★★★★ For Families and Schools | Age 5-10 | 1+ players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min USA Flash Cards features facts about the 46 US presidents (with portraits) and 50 states (with a map and interesting information, which is great). I like and recommend this flashcard set for 5-10 year-olds because the cards: Are really very informative (being two-sided cards with information on both sides)But are "clean" (information is laid out in a very readable and succint way)The cards do not look too childish, so they are OK until the end of primary school There are both the states and the presidents I just regret that cards have thick borders, limiting the area for the real information. President cards are color-coded by political parties and feature Presidents': Chronological Number (in list of presidents)Dates of tenureName and nicknameAge when electedPlace and date of birthFormal educationPolitical party State cards feature: A map of the USA with the state highlightedSome iconic animals and plants found in this state CapitalState nicknameState flag Largest citiesYear of statehoodPostal code There are several ways you can use Merka's USA Flashcards with children or students, for example: Quiz each other (or them before they can read) about essential facts about the country's presidents and states.To have them arrange the presidents in numerical orderTo play a "Flag's game" where they win cards if they recognize the state though its flag (the flag is on one side, the name of the state on the other)... I do not know why but children love Flags so it was a great ide to include them in the state cards! From Primary School U.S. Presidential Flash Cards (Pint Size Scholars) ★★★☆☆ For Families and Schools | Age 7-10 | 1+ players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min The U.S. Presidential Flash Cards shows essential information for 45 US Presidents (not including Joe Biden). Each card is larger than a regular playing card and shows an illustrated portrait of the president. These are unfortunately not very resembling. The flashcards feature the following details: President's name on both sides Chronological order (in list of presidents) on both sidesNumber of termsVice president during their presidencyDate of birth (and death if applicable)Political partyPlace of birthSome short "fast facts" ==> this is a very strong point of this game, compared to some othe similar flashcards Five additional cards showing different ways to use the flashcards: Line Them Up – arrange the cards in numerical order. unfortunately, as the card feature this order on both sides, it is not possible to make this rule into a "Timeline" type game where players would guess the order and check it afterwards. This is really a pity as "Timeline" (from Asmodee) is so popular and easy to play with kids. Heads Up – hold the card to your forehead and read facts about the president. Other players try to guess which president it is. You have to mask the president's name with your finger... once again it would have been better not to write the president's name on both sides!. Many players will guess the president by just seeing the illustration, so I recommend to read the facts and only show the president's illustration after some facts as a clue. Four in a Row – race against an opponent to complete a row of four democrat or republicansPresidential Party - sort cards by they party of the president - this time it helps that the information is only on one side! Vice president - guess the vice presidents Presidents of the United States Flash Cards: From George Washington To Joe Biden (CardDia) ★★★☆☆ For Families and Schools | Age 7-10 | 1+ players | Price $20-$40 | Duration 10-20 min Presidents of the United States Flash Cards features all US presidents, from George Washington to Joe Biden. Each card has an authentic portrait (painting or picture for recent presidents), which I definitely prefer to illustrations (especially if they are no very resembling). The nice part about this flashcard set is that the portrait side does not contain any other information, which enables to play a rule such as "Timeline" (the game from Asmodee), which most children (and adults) love. It has essential information on the other side, but unfortunately not the most useful if you ask me (multiplying dates without giving any easy to remember facts is really not a good educational approach): President's name & chronological order (in list of presidents) Birth and death dates Start and end date of presidencyYears of presidential elections that he won SignaturePolitical party You can use the game: As a "Timeline" type gameAs a quiz, especially to recall president's names, political party & term period What a pity there are not more interesting facts on the back of the cards! It could really have been an awesome game. Presidents of the United States Flash Cards (Bendon) ★★★★☆ For Families and Schools | Age 7-10 | 1 or more players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min Bendon’s Presidents of the United States Flash Cards includes 36 flashcards featuring 45 US presidents. Because there are only 36 cards, some cards feature two presidents. It is the only caveat for this game and the reason why I do not give it 5 stars, as other than that it has very good qualities: Great iconography (great portraits of each president)Portrait side void of any other information, enabling to play the "Timeline" rule, and to play Quizz rules where you can show the portrait to the other players as a hint Really great information on the bach side of the card The cards highlight each president’s achievements, which is great (only matched by Trend's own flashcard set), among other information: President's name & chronological order (in list of presidents) Start and end date of presidency"Tagline" under which each president is reknowned (like John Adams as “The Father of the Navy”)Vice presidentPolitical partyState representedDate and place of birth (and death, if applicable)OccupationsReligionEducationSpouseAt least 5 facts and achievements I highly recommend Bendon’s Presidents of the United States Flash Cards as they have really great qualities - it would be even better if there were 45 cards rather than 36! American History Go Fish (The Classical Historian) ★★★☆☆ For Homes and Schools | Age 7-10 | 2+ Players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min Learning American history becomes more fun with the American History Go Fish card game. The 48 cards are divided into 12 categories (four cards per category): SymbolsColonial AmericaAmerican RevolutionImportant documentsThe young republicWestward expansionThe westCivil warAmerican founding fathersTechnologyLandmarksGeography. I like this deck because it also comes with a booklet with 4 different rules : Go Fish (7+): players need to complete all four cards in a category, and the person who gets the most sets wins. Good to get exposed to the different cards and their essential subjects Collect the Cards: players guess the subject of the card based on the three hints (written on the card) given to them by the person who drew it. The players with the most cards wins. This rule helps memorize essential facts. I like these rules, but the big drawback of the games is that the cards lack any dates - this is a big problem as children tend to have difficulties with the chronology of the events that are presented, not to mention adults (parents!) that might play with them :-). This is why I only give three stars. American History Playing Card Deck (US Games Systems Inc.) ★★☆☆☆ For Homes and Schools | Age 7+ | 2+ Players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 20-30 min American History Playing Deck features colored portraits of 52 notable people in the history of the United States. The four suits represent four periods: Colonial – includes Anne Hutchinson, Tom Paine, John Paul Jones, and Benjamin FranklinFederal – includes Edgar Allan Poe, Henry Clay, Audubon, and James MonroeCivil war – includes Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, and Walt WhitmanFrontier – includes Red Cloud, Mark Twain, Brigham Young, and Davy Crockett This deck can be used to play any classical playing cards game. It also comes with a 160-page booklet that details the history of these prominent figures. The latter is an excellent feature of this card deck. However, I think it would have been much better if a snippet of history had been already included in the card. That way, students would have immediate access to some background information while playing. The Presidents Playing Cards (Channel Craft) ★★★☆☆ For Homes and Schools | Age 8+ | 1 or More Players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min Channel Craft’s The President Playing Cards feature poker-sized playing cards with interesting facts and quotes from the former 45 US Presidents (from George Washington to Donald Trump). This deck has the complete traditional suits and ranks. I like this set because: You can use it to play any clasical card gameIt features all the past 45 presidents and some national monumentsThe facts and quotes are a real bonus that gives opportunities to learn while playing for curious children The President Playing Cards offers versatility. However, it has large blocks of texts with complex vocabulary. So while regular playing cards can be used by younger children, this set is more appropriate for older kids. Prof Noggin’s Presidents of the United States (Outset Media) ★★★★☆ For Homes | Age 8+ | 2+ players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min Professor Noggin’s Presidents of the United States is a trivia card game featuring 44 US presidents (Washington to Obama). It has 30 cards. Each card has 6 questions with their answers, organized in two levels ("Easy" and "hard"). A die is used to determine which question to answer. There are three types of questions: True/false questions For example about Barack Obama: I was the first president to visit China. | Answer: False (Richard Nixon)Multiple-choice questions For example about Barack Obama: Questions with a specific answerFor example about Barack Obama: What did I study at Harvard? | Answer: Law Each card focuses on a specific topic: Presidential firstsWho was the president when…Where are they from?SlogansFirst Ladies (two cards)Wartime presidentsWho am I? (two cards)Becoming the presidentPresidential HodgepodgePresidential MonumentsPresidential NicknamesPresidents of the 19th CenturyPresidential QuotesThe White House14 Cards dedicated specific presidents (Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Bush & George W. Bush, George Washington, John Adams & John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy, Martin Van Buren, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson) You have to get the most cards by the end of the game to win. I love the fact that: There are 180 questions overall covering so many aspects of US presidents.The two difficulty levels enable younger and older players to play together. This makes "Professor Noggin’s Presidents of the United States" accessible to 8 year-olds (but only if their knowledge of US presidents and US history is pretty strong for their age).There are really good illustrations on the other side of the cards (the one without the questions) The only reason why I do not give 5 stars is that it would certainly have been better to include a third really simpler level, as even the "Easy" level is in fact really not trivial to answer. US Presidents Pocket Flash Cards (Trend Enterprises) ★★★★☆ For Families and Schools | Age 8+ | 1+ players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min The US Presidents Pocket Flash Cards features the 45 presidents (up to Barack Obama) and 8 era cards filled with interesting facts. It also has a card with the history of the political parties and two activity cards. Each president card shows the following information: FaceName of the president Order in the presidents list Dates of presidencyOfficial White House Historical Association portraitsBackPresident name Date of birth (and death if applicable)Number of termsVice presidentPolitical partyPlace of birthFirst ladyCollege education6 to 8 interesting facts about the presidentThe president's signature Compared to all the flashcards in this post, this set offers the most information. And it also includes facts about the following eras: A Brand New Nation (1776-1819)Westward Expansion (1820-1849)Conflict and Civil War (1850-1869)Industrialization (1870-1916)World War I and Roaring 20s (1917-1929)Depression and World War II (1930-1959)Late 20th Century (1960-1989)Turn of the Century (1990-present) While I liked the added cards, I would like them even more if the details were in bullets like for the presidents cards. The information for each era is in paragraphs though, and they look bulky. They may also be hard to read and remember for younger children. American History Card Games Middles School Aged Children and Up Professor Noggin’s History of the United States (Outset Media) ★★★★☆ For Homes | Age 11+ | 2-8 players | Price $20-$40 | Duration 10-20 min Professor Noggin History of the United States features thirty game cards about US history. The cards contain different types of questions: "true or false", multiple-choice questions, questions with a specific answer that the other player must give. Each card focuses on a specific topic: Abraham Lincoln and George WashingtonAfrican AmericansAmerican RevolutionBuilding the CountryChronology of EventsCivil WarCivil War BattlesDeclaration of IndependenceDisastersEarly ConflictsEarly SettlementsExplorations in SpaceExplorersFamous DiscoveriesFamous PeopleHistorical TermsInventors and InventionsLife Before the American RevolutionLiterature and EntertainmentNative AmericansPeople of the American RevolutionPeople of the Civil WarPresidentsSports HistoryThe Civil War EndsThe ConstitutionWho Was I?Women in HistoryWorld War OneWorld War Two As you can see, the game covers US history very broadly. As there are 6 questions (divided into two levels) on each card, the 180 questions enable you to play the game several times while keeping it interesting. And the two levels enable us to play with younger and older children together (although the "easy" questions are really not that easy). Another great point is to have the answers right on the cards rather than on an answer sheet, enabling instant feedback. The set comes with a die to determine which question your opponents need to answer. You pick the card at the top of the pile and read it to the others during your turn. The person to correctly answer it will keep the card. Otherwise, you will read aloud the correct answer and return the card to the deck. Chronology (Buffalo Games) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 14+ | 6 players | Price $20-$40 | Duration 20-30 min Chronology features 429 cards with 858 historical events to test your knowledge of past and recent events in the country. Each card comes with a blue and yellow side, and before you start the game, the players need to decide which side they will play. Then everyone takes a turn drawing one card to begin their timeline. The game mechanics are simple and are similar to the famous "Timeline" game. You only need to complete a set of 10 cards to win! During your turn, your opponent will draw a card and read the historical event printed on it to you. Then, you will have to decide where it falls in your timeline. If you guess correctly, you will add the card to your set. Otherwise, other players get a chance to steal it from you. There is also an added catch to the game. Some events may happen in the same year. And if you get that card, you will need to correctly identify whether it happened before your card (of the same year) or after. I like Chronology because: It has 429 cards and 858 events, which makes it highly replayable It is easy and quick to playIt features both historical and contemporary events Chronology is a good addition to your home and classroom, but I regret several things though that make it not ideal from an educational point of view (which is why I only give three stars and do not recommend it for the classroom): The cards do not feature any illustrations. Their design is a bit dull.The majority of the events on the cards are really trivia, not of historical significance. This does make the game more fun though as they are the most difficult to answer of course (who knows when mayonnaise was invented?) There is no way to sort the cards by theme I do believe that this game will be a nice addition to your home though. American Trivia (Outset Media) ★★★☆☆ For Families | Age 14+ | 2+ players | Price $10-$20 | Duration 10-20 min American Trivia is an entertaining way to learn about the history and culture in the United States. This card game features 1000 questions covering five categories: GeographyHistoryPop cultureSportsGeneral Trivia You only need to correctly answer two questions from each category to win the game. I like the fact that it covers different topics, making it fun for both students and adults. However: Some questions are easy (who is the first American president), while others are tough (What three states are smaller than Hawaii?) even for adult players. The questions are not sorted by level of difficulty, making it impossible to play with children of different ages or levels Presidential IQ (Presidential IQ Game Company LLC) ★★★★☆ For Classrooms | Age 16+ | 2+ players | Price $40-$80 | Duration 20-30 min Presidential IQ is a trivia card game featuring 1200 questions to engage your students to learn more about 6 categories pertaining to civics and American history: GovernmentFamous quotesForeign affairsAmerican historyPresidential trivia (45 presidents from Washingto to Trump)Geography A die determines which category you have to answer. The questions also come in three difficulty levels: easy, hard, and super hard, and it defines the score value of the question. I like this game because: It is challenging yet easy and quick to play and has levels of difficulty, making it perfect for the classroomIt is an excellent supplement to a social studies class, and it covers a wide array of events in the US historyEach category has 200 questions, so you can play it many times! Other History Card Games to Play at Homes and Schools Learning history doesn’t have to be boring. Using games significantly makes it more interesting to educate your children and students about the past. So, if you are looking for more games to teach history, check out our other posts: 18 Art History Playing Cards Games for Schools and Families15 Art History Card Games For Schools And Families