Virtual Geography Interactive Games
Learning Geography doesn't have to be dull and boring...
There are many terrific geography programs available online that will allow you to place or name all 50 U.S. States, provide access to outline maps and informative, detailed geographical orientation, which will help your children learn, and enjoy geography.
These links have provided hours of entertainment for our family. So, when the maps get ripped up out of frustration and the children have forgotten where Spain is, take a break and travel the globe from the comfort of home...
- Budget Homeschool — An extensive list of free geography resources, which will provide hours of entainment and educational experiences for children of all ages and adults alike. [Ages 5+]
- National Geographic Kids GeoSpy — Be a Geospy Agent in training. The Geospy Agency needs you to help us identity continents, countries, states and provinces. You will earn full GeoSpy status when you succeed. Kids compete against the clock in this fun-filled spy game. [Ages 7+]
- Geography Games — These geography games by Learning Games for Kids help form the basis for understanding our country, our states, our world. Find matching games, learn the capitals, play a jigsaw puzzle and much more. [Ages 10+]
- Geography Games for Kids — These fun and educational games were developed by the KidsKnowIt Network to help students develop and sharpen their geography skills. [Ages 7+]
- The USA Quiz — Once your child can read and operate a mouse, he or she is ready for this game. Simply click on the state named in the quiz. This game will not only tell you if you are correct or not but will also show you the name of the state you clicked on. [Ages 7+]
- Geo-Globe Interactive Geography! — Explore the world with Geo - Globe's selection of interactive games, and find out about strange and familiar features of the planet! Ever wondered which continent has the most countries? Do you know how deep the ocean gets? How plants survive in the tundra? Which waterfall is the highest in the world? [Ages 10+]
- Hokanson's World Geography Tutorials — Tutorials, interactive matching games, interactive puzzles of the various countries, flash cards, concentration games, fun quizzes on everything geographical in nature. This comprehesive site still has me in awe. I highly recommend Hokanson's World Geography Tutorials. [Ages 7+]
- Geography Quizzes — These interactive Quizzes will help you rapidly learn the locations of the countries and capitals of the world. [Ages 9+]
- Place the State — An interactive online U.S. puzzle, without state borders. State pieces appear one at a time, use your mouse to drag and drop the piece to its correct position on the map. [Ages 10+]
- States and Capitals — Provides details for each state, complete with links to ancestry and genealogy databases, biographies for famous individuals, web cams around the state, and links to historical documents. You will even find a link for all the zip codes within each state. [Ages 8+]
- Blank Outline Maps — Free blank outline maps of the countries and continents of the world. Terrific for coloring or creating impressive geographical reports [Ages 4+]
- World Navigator — (Available in English and Japanese.) This interactive world atlas includes resource links, and allows you to zoom in, anywhere in the world. The world isn't flat after all. [Ages 8+]
- State Report Project — Everything you need here to create your own State Report, as well as amazing facts, games, and images that will make the learning fun. When you finish up, why not try a game or two? [Ages 8-12]
- U.S. Map Puzzle — Learn the states of the United States and their capitals with this fun and educational puzzle game. How fast can you put all of the states in the right places? Free Download. [Ages 8-12]
- Test your Geography Knowledge — An (untimed) interactive geography world geography quiz. Select a continent then locate each country (allows three tries). See if you can beat mom or dad! [Ages 8-14]
- Bible Maps — These Bible study maps come complete with informative descriptions of the time periods, area information and references on the lives of Biblical characters. [Ages 12+]
- Earthshots Satellite Images of Environmental Change — An interactive ebook of before-and-after Landsat images (1972-present), showing recent environmental events and introducing remote sensing. Earthshots comes from the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls S.D., the world's largest archive of earth science data and the official National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive. [Ages 12+]
- CIA World Factbook — 20-years of world facts and World Geography from the USA CIA World Factbooks, the United Nations Statistical Office, The Library of Congress Country Studies and other sources. [Ages 12+]
- CIA Kid's Page — Central Intelligence Agency for kids provides information about the Nation's intelligence efforts as well as a geography quiz and other fun things for kids to do. Put your skills to the test. See how quickly you can assemble the CIA seal. Find the secret words hidden within the safe. Break the code and discover a special fact about the CIA. (Choose the "Games" button to play.) [Ages 8+]
- World Time — World Time is a service featuring an interactive world atlas, providing information on local time as well as sunrise and sunset times in several hundred cities worldwide. [Ages 8+]
Map Reading Skills
Being raised in a family of individuals who seemingly have no natural sense of direction, I've found map reading to be an important skill. So, in our travels I like to have an extra map or two on hand for the kids to navigate with.
I provide the child with a highlighter so that he or she can map out our course ahead of time, they assume the co-pilots seat, in the front next to the driver. Of course the driver has to follow directions carefully, never making a turn unless the navigator directs the driver to do so. (That's the hard part!)
It's fun to let the kids be in charge for awhile, teaching them not only map reading skills but also how to give clear directions. Just be sure to allow extra time for your travels until your navigator perfects his craft. You could end up in some interesting destinations to be sure. Don't forget to fill up the tank. :)
Be sure to pick up a copy of Carschooling to take along in your travels, your children will be glad you did and it could be miles before you hear, "Are we there yet?"
