Geography Game with Dr. Seuss!
In Dr. Seuss's famous book Oh, the Places You'll Go!, the main character travels up, up, up in the sky in a great big striped balloon. Celebrate Read Across America by playing this energetic balloon geography game inspired by this beloved Dr. Seuss classic. Kids take turns helping a balloon stay up, up, up in the air while imagining all the places they'll go. Invite the neighborhood kids over or set up a play date with your child's school friends this weekend for a riotous round of geography balloon volley!
What You Need:
- 2 or more players (the game is best with a lot of players)
- Atlas (for kids)
- Markers (optional)
What You Do:
- Start by reviewing basic geography facts with the kids. Look over the atlas and talk about different countries, states, bodies of water, and anything else you want to review.
- Blow up the balloon. If you have markers, draw stripes on the balloon similar to the the one in Oh the Places You'll Go.
- Now have the kids stand in a circle; if there are just two players, have them stand facing each other.
- The object of the game is to hit the balloon in the air and keep it from touching the ground. Here's the twist: every time a player hits the balloon, he must say the name of a country in the world without repeating one that was already said. If you don't say a country or can't think of one fast enough, you're out!
- Continue until there is only one person standing, then play another round! For each round, choose a different geography theme. For example, you could have one round of states, one round of state capitals, one round of world capitals, and one round of bodies of water. Vary the topics to challenge your young learner and help him discover all the places he'll go!
This activity was inspired by the book "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Random House, Inc. New York. 1990.