Geography refers to the knowledge of places and the relationship between people and their environment. The study of geography is something that’s being left behind because STEM learning has become the main focus.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but geography still deserves attention because it allows children to make sense of the world. You want your children to know where they are and if you travel, you want them to appreciate the different places they visit.
These 3 tips will help you make your children understand the basics of geography and have a greater awareness of the world!
- Use Songs
Songs are one of the most effective ways to get children to memorize information. They are catchy and they will allow you to teach your children anything because they are an easy way to make sense of things. You can use songs to teach children about the solar system, the continents, or even countries and capital cities.
Perhaps the best song to teach children geography is “The Continents Song” because it’s catchy and it will allow them to memorise all the names. Once they master that, you can get a map or a map puzzle to show them where the continents are located. []
- Map Puzzles
Map puzzles are another great way to learn geography. Instead of staring at a map or other educational images, puzzles allow children to be more hands-on. You can find map puzzles of the 50 states and help your children put them together while reading the name of each state out loud. There are also map world puzzles, such as this one by Mideer, which will help children learn more about world geography.
- Play Map Games
Map games are a fun way to teach geography to kids and there are many ideas to try.
Pass the Globe:
For one, you can play Pass the Globe. You’ll need an inflatable globe, which is inexpensive and easy to find.
Similar to “pass the parcel”, pass the globe between your children and yell stop after a few seconds. Wherever their right hand lands, have your child name the country, city, continent, or ocean.
They will catch on very quickly and it’s a great way to help them identify different parts of the world.
Spin the Globe:
You can also play spin the globe. This one is a classic; all you have to do is spin the globe, have your children close their eyes, and stop the globe with a finger. Then, ask them to name the country, city, continent, or ocean their finger landed on and teach them a simple fact about it.
Your Own Map:
Another fun activity is to get children to create their own map. You’ll only need paper, colored pencils and a ruler. Prompt them to create their own city or country and ask them to add mountains, bodies of water, roads, etc. This will teach your children about topography, compass directions, and more.
Practice these activities and your children will gain a better understanding of the world and geography in general.