Make Learning Geography Fun in Your Homeschool

Is geography a subject you dread teaching to your child?  It doesn’t have to be that painful, I promise.  These are a few tips to sneak in some learning without making a big deal out of it, and minus all the groaning!

Geography is a great subject for learning and having fun in your homeschool. The possibilities for teaching geography in a fun and engaging way are endless. When people think about geography they think about boring lessons about maps, but the truth is its a great way to tie all major social studies together. Teach them about cultures, history, great scientific discoveries, food, fashion, and entertainment. These fun ideas will help you bring geography to life.

Make Learning Geography Fun in Your Homeschool

*Get a new globe that comes loaded with games or interactive activities, such as this smart globe *affiliate link*. These fun globes keep kids learning about different points around the world and enjoying it. Toys are a great way to get kids interested in learning.

*Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? If you remember this show (and Netflix is coming out with a new version soon!), you will be happy to know you can buy Carmen Sandiego merchandise and dive into geography with your kids.  Check out these affiliate links for Carmen Sandiego DVDs, books, or PC Games.

*Have your child draw their own maps of places you learn about. Start with outlining the state or country. Fill in major cities, landmarks, and memorable places. This is another way to burn these things into memory.

*Make geography a whole new ball game by bringing food into the equation. Each place you yearn about has dishes they are known for. Why not try cooking popular dishes from places you study or visiting a restaurant that serves food from the area you are learning about. Food is common ground a door into the lives of others and how they live. You can even find cookbooks with the entire purpose of trying recipes from around the world.

*Grab some snacks and watch movies set in the places you are learning about. Try watching some documentaries and news stories from the places you look up on the map. Bring that ink to life, making it feel like a real place rather than just a flat mark on a paper.

*Grab an inflatable globe *affiliate link*. Toss it to a child and have them pick a random point on the globe. Then Google that location to learn about it. This is a good way to burn off energy in the house while teaching the kids. Pass the ball to the next child and dive into a new location.

*Buy a scratch-off wall map *affiliate link*. These are great for scratching off the locations you study so your child can see just how many places they have learned about and it encourages them to find other places on the map they may want to study on their own to reveal another spot.

*Talk to people from the places you are learning about. If you have an immigrant neighbor, ask if they could talk to your child about the country they came from. This personal connection your child makes will foster a sense of connection and community to other cultures.

*If you are studying local geography or are lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel, you can get up close and personal with geography. Visit landmarks, go to lakes, mountains, and other forms of land in person to help your child get a bigger picture of the world around them.  

I hope you’ll try some of these ideas for teaching homeschool geography.  So many of the ideas can be used with kids of different ages, making them just right for full family participation.  What is your favorite way to teach your kids about the world and geography?