Inside: Over 25 geography board games (including geography card games) to make learning geography irresistible! Or at the very least easier and a heck of a lot more fun.
I’ll start by saying that geography is NOT my best subject. The year I was supposed to learn geography in school is the year we had three different teachers (two of them quit because our class was so bad).
My geography was so bad I barely know East from West – I still need to think long and hard about this one – and Africa is one great, big, mysterious continent to me. That one with all the itty bitty, ever-changing countries!
Just goes to show you that traditional school can leave gaps in your education, too. And I survived.
Only when I started homeschooling did I begin to learn the geography I didn’t learn in school.
While we use a variety of methods to learn geography without curriculum, one of my favorite ways to learn (and teach) geography is through educational board games. Games of all kinds, really: board games, geography card games, and educational apps like Stack the States and Stack the Countries.
Related: 25+ History Board Games for Kids
Why Buy Geography Board Games?
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Did you know that Americans are particularly bad at geography? We don’t know much beyond our own country.
“The Roper poll — conducted on behalf of the National Geographic Society, a scientific and educational NGO — found that 63 percent of young Americans were unable to find Iraq on a map. Seventy-five percent could not find other international hotspots like Israel or Iran.” (source)
Ask us where any African country is? I’m sure we wouldn’t do any better.
Yet understanding geography is vital to understanding the complexities of things like culture and politics. Our world is more interconnected than ever before, and the decisions one country makes inevitably impacts the rest.
If we want to raise informed (and empathetic) citizens, they need to have a basic knowledge of geography and how it has shaped individual countries and the world as a whole up to this point in time.
Geography also tends to get the leftover time in traditional school, with reading and math obviously getting far more time and dedicated attention. So whether you homeschool or not, these geography board games can be the perfect, fun way to strengthen your child’s geography skills (and your own!).
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20+ Geography Board Games
Ticket to Ride
A family favorite! Younger players can team up with older players to learn the ropes of this geography board game that requires strategy and quick thinking when someone else places trains where you were planning to go. If you do choose to include younger players, the game will take longer than the average 45-60 minutes play time.
Choose route cards and complete your routes across the United States before everyone else does. Get points for laying tracks, completing routes and longest track.
Recommended for ages 8+, 2-5 players. Ticket to Ride: Europe is a nearly identical version, just a different continent, but Ticket to Ride: France and the Old West., however, is an expansion set for the original game.
Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails differs from the original version in that there are TWO game boards and play is much more complex. This version is recommended for ages 10-15+.
Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries only allows for 3 players, instead of the 2-5 in the original board game. Reviews commented that they find this version more of a challenge because there are fewer places to lay tracks and the routes get blocked more easily than the United States or Europe versions.
They continue to create new expansion sets including New York and the United Kingdom.
Ticket to Ride: First Journey
Travel America by train! A beginner’s version of the classic game, players collect train cards, claim routes, and try to connect cities across the country as they race to be the first one to complete six tickets.
Recommended for ages 6+, 2-4 players.
Sequence States and Capitals
Update: Sadly, this is no longer being made, but you can probably find it on eBay or through other second-hand shops.
We recently replaced a very old version of Sequence with this States and Capitals version.
The game plays very similarly to the original game, and the colorful board and cards are perfect for learning and/or reinforcing learning the states and capitals.
2-12 players, recommended for ages 7 and up.
Name That State Game
Take a trip around the USA with this cross-country geography board game!
Players will learn interesting facts like location, capital cities, and landmarks from postcards about each state as they move along the full-color game board.
2-4 players, ages 8+.
Explore the World
Players learn facts about interesting and exciting places around the world. Includes flag cards that teach the facts about each one and travel cards that help players travel forward or backward on the game board.
Recommended for 2-6 players, ages 7+.
Flags Around the World Family Board Game
Players will learn the flags and capital cities. This geography board game is full of facts with multi-level questions in every country!
2-5 players, recommend for ages 8+.
Scholastic Race Across The USA
Recommended for ages 8 and up with adjustable levels of difficulty. Player will visit 6 states and answer geography questions to get back to their home state to win the game! Players use hints from the colorful game board for clues.
Best for 2-4 players.
Note: One reviewer did indicate finding one inaccurate fact in the question and answers. No other inaccuracies were mentioned in that review or other reviews.
Lewis and Clark Adventure Game
Players travel the wilderness trail just like Lewis and Clark in this geography board game. Colorful game board, two levels of questions make it great for multiple ages. Covers American history, geography, and culture.
Recommended for Grades 2 and up.
Risk
Global domination plus learning geography? Yes, please!
Does it take forever to play? Yes. Is it perfect for those long winter rainy homeschool days? Also, yes.
Build up your armies and shore up your defenses, then plan your attack. This geography board game is a classic.
Wild Kratts Race Around the World Board Game
Part science board game, part geography board game, race around the world to different habitats and collect creature power suit cards. Perfect for Wild Kratts and animal lovers!
Recommended for 2-4 players, ages 5 and up.
Game of the States
Race your trucks across the USA buying and selling products! This geography board game includes a full-color game board, 50 state cards, and play money and is perfect ages 8 and up.
Who will sell the most from coast-to-coast?
Zoo Regatta
Develop thinking, social, and geography skills with this board game. Recommended for ages 4-12, you can include the little ones. Includes a color 21 X 18 world map!
Players select animals from different countries to return them to their harbor. Players face challenges such as weather, storms, pirates.
Passport to Culture
Test your knowledge of world cultures as you travel the globe answering interesting questions about people, places, food, culture, and customs.
This geography board game is better for children 10+, 2-6 players. Includes 636 questions and 48 cultural scenarios!
Monopoly National Parks Edition Board Game
This geography-themed board game features 22 popular US national parks. Includes artwork from over 60 National parks!
Players will match animals with their natural habit and park. 60-minute playtime, recommended for ages 8+.
Globe Runner
This is a classic “race to the finish” board game is perfect for the whole family. Adjustable levels of difficulty make it easy for younger ones to play and learn!
Players will learn interesting facts about countries, capital cities, flags, and famous landmarks. Bright and impressive game board.
10 Days in America Board Game
Who could use a vacation?
Players plan their dream USA trip with this geography board game. Using state and transportation cards, players will create a connecting 10-day vacation across the USA!
Recommended for 2-4 players, 20-30-minute playtime. There’s also an option for a 5-day game, which takes less time for short attention spans and younger kids. Includes 50 colorful state cards and USA map.
Make it a collection with 10 Days in Europe and 10 Days in Africa.
Trekking The World
Travel the world and experience new places and cultures from the comfort of home. A giant, beautiful world map is also included!
For players as young as 8, this is a great choice for family game night or your homeschool days.
Trekking The National Parks
From the same creators as Trekking the World, Trekking the National Parks shares the joys of 12 major national parks by people who have actually visited all the parks included in the game.
Unfortunately, you don’t learn that much at all about the parks themselves in this game (only their names and locations), but it could definitely inspire travel and other rabbit trails in your homeschool.
My favorite part is the creators are small business owners – as a fellow small business owner, I love supporting others!
7 Geography Card Games
Scrambled States of America
Another family favorite, this is a fast-paced geography card game where players learn interesting facts about the 50 states.
A full-color paperback book includes 4 US maps.
Unite States Geography Bingo
Like any bingo, the game is usually more fun the more players you have – 6 bingo cards are included. Each card represents a different region of the United States.
Recommended ages 5+.
The World Game
This card game will teach players about flags, capitals, and locations. Perfect for taking on-the-go! All 194 countries represented.
Reviews are nearly all 5-stars! You can’t go wrong with this one!
Guess in 10 Cities Around the World
An exciting card game of questions that will teach players fun facts from famous cities around the world.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Continent Race World Map Card Game
Created by a 6-year-old during an extended hospital stay, the game is designed to help kids learn continents, countries, and flags in a fun way.
Who can collect the most countries? Easy to learn and great for kids 7 and up.
The game includes an additional set of cards for more advanced players.
Professor Noggin’s Geography of the United States Cards
This geography card game comes with thirty game cards that offer a mix of multiple choice and true/false questions. There are also easy versus hard levels to keep it challenging as you make progress and remember more of the answers.
2 or more players, ages 8 and up.
American Trivia
With over 1,000 questions players in five categories including USA geography, players will learn about history, culture and geography of the United States.
This super simple game includes 100 double-sided cards, a scoring pad and pencils.
Do you have a geography board game or card game you love? Share in the comments!
Read Next: The Best Educational Board Games We Play ALL The Time
Great list! Trekking the National Parks, and (soon) Trekking the World would make great additions to this list!
Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll be sure to check them out.
Great article.
I am a co-creator of The World Game. For international readers who cannot order on Amazon, we also ship our game world-wide ( https://greatcardgame.com/ ).
We would be also excited to send the game to the owner of this website to make a review. Hit us up 🙂