World Geography Activities
More than textbooks, these world geography activities make it easy to teach middle school geography.
Exploring the world is exciting, and hands-on activities make it even more enjoyable. Through interactive tools and projects, kids get to learn about different countries, cultures, physical features – all while having fun.
When you use interactive methods such as board games, crafts, projects, online games, and videos to teach geographical concepts, students gain a much better understanding of the subject matter.
Plus, they are far more likely to remember what they have learned since the lessons were so interesting!
Looking for fun activities to get your kids interested in the world? Below we’re sharing some of the best ideas for making your homeschool geography lessons as hands-on as possible.
So get ready to explore the world and have a blast learning about geography!
World Geography Activities
By engaging students in fun but also educational activities, they will be more likely to retain the information they learn. Plus, they give middle schoolers the opportunity to practice essential skills like problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Hands-on exercises provide an enjoyable and educational experience for middle schoolers.
The ones listed below are a great way to get students engaged in these subject areas. They’ll also help them feel like they’re exploring the different regions of the world.
Use them to learn about topics like bodies of water, cardinal directions, human geography, famous landmarks, the earth’s surface, and so much more.
These social studies resources will help build your students’ knowledge without taking a ton of time to plan or implement. It’s easy to add them to your middle school geography curriculum.
Why Should We Study Geography?
The study of geography is more than just memorizing the names and capitals of locations on a world map. It’s about understanding the world we live in – its different cultures, customs, and natural wonders.
Also, it’s learning to think critically about the complex relationships between people and places.
With a better understanding of the different countries, regions, and physical features that shape our planet, students can make more informed decisions about global issues and gain a greater appreciation for the earth, its people, and the different environments.
In addition, it’s through the study of geography, tweens learn what it means to be global citizens and how international connections affect different parts of the world. That’s why cultural geography activities need to be a part of middle school lessons.
In today’s world, it’s important to have a global perspective. That means geography should be a part of your homeschool lesson plans.
And besides these practical benefits, learning geography is fun!
Any links in this post may be affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.
Mapping the World with Art
Giant World MapThe Multicultural Cookbook for StudentsStudent World Atlas
How Do You Make Geography Fun for Kids?
Making geography fun for kids begins with making the subject as interactive and hands-on as possible.
Give them interesting projects to complete.
Do whatever you can to get out of the textbook and work on some outdoor geography activities. Show them geography in the real world and how it relates to their lives.
When picking a geography activity, choose one that is tailored to your tween’s grade level and learning style.
All in all, things like these are easy ways to get kids engrossed in the subject.
- drawing and labeling maps
- playing geography-based games
- building 3D models of different geographical features
- cooking food items from different cultures
- making a travel brochure
Additionally, field trips to local landmarks, a famous site, or a museum will give your kids a chance to see geography in action.
And if you can’t visit in person, there are tons of excellent virtual tours you can take to build up your child’s knowledge of geography.
They’ll love having a break from their regular lessons. Plus, they’ll learn a ton from seeing the different things they’ve been learning about for themselves.
With a little creativity, you can make world geography an enjoyable and educational experience. One that your middle schoolers will remember for years to come.
Geography Activities for Middle School
Here are hands-on activities you can use with your tweens and teens to study world geography. They're fun to do and easy to plan.
Choose some and use them as part of your lesson.
Geography games provide a fantastic opportunity for older kids to delve into the subject beyond simply recalling information from textbooks.
They can explore and learn without any pressure or fear of failure.
Best of all? Games make geography enjoyable and exciting for tweens!
If you have kids that love puzzles, this is a great way to introduce geography to them, while also doing something that they love!
Putting together a world puzzle map is a great way to learn the geography of a region.
Want to make it even more challenging? Have your kids make their own!
Use this printable scavenger hunt to teach your tweens how to find a country's location using just its coordinates.
It's a great way to practice this skill.
Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt that uses GPS coordinates to find hidden caches. It gets kids out of the house and into the world exploring.
And who doesn't love a treasure hunt?
This printable game is a fun way to test your child's knowledge of common geography terms.
Explore the world from the comfort of your own home by using Google Earth. This software allows you to zoom in on different areas of the globe and learn more about them.
Do you know how many hours your kids will stay busy while looking at Google Earth?
You can also use it to send them on a virtual scavenger hunt!
Middle schoolers will have a lot of fun learning about different countries by playing the games that focus on flags of all countries of the world.
It's an easy way for them to practice identifying flags and picking up interesting facts along the way.
Your tweens will love creating a map that they can eat!
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make an edible map cookie as part of your geography lessons.
If you're looking for an interactive way to teach your students about world countries, capitals, flags, landmarks and physical geography - these geography quiz games are perfect.
With engaging visuals and captivating content, they make learning so much fun!
Middle school students can explore the world's renowned architecture through an art project!
As part of your geography lesson, craft a replica of a famous building and add a one-of-a-kind background.
Check out these ten different ways you can make geography interactive for your tweens.
These projects and activities will bring the subject to life for your kids and don't have to take up a ton of time.
A fun part of geography is learning about the famous landmarks of the world.
As part of your lessons, use this coloring book and have your kids color them in as they study them.
Have your kids turn a large balloon, newspaper, and paper mache into a globe. They can add their own touches like adding landmarks or flags.
While your teens may be comfortable with a compass rose, do they know how to figure out which direction is north?
This fun project will show your tweens how to make a compass and use it to determine north, using magnetic declination.
It's definitely a skill that takes practice to master, so after you make your own compass, head outside to work on your navigation.
As students explore the world through fun and educational activities, they can gain an appreciation for different cultures, people, and environments.
And they get the chance to see geography come alive in exciting ways that will stay with them.
Do you use world geography activities with your kids?
Latest posts by Megan Zechman (see all)
- Middle School Geography Curriculum - August 11, 2023
- Outdoor Geography Activities - August 4, 2023
- Pioneer Life Activities for Kids - August 3, 2023