Teaching your kids about the states doesn't have to be a drag, not when you have this fun learning activity, featuring a colorful printable map, and 50 printable state cards

GOAL: To familiarize your preschooler with the 50 states

Best for Kids: Age 4+

Here's How You Play:
Print up both the 50 state printable cards and the 50 state printable poster. Tape the poster pages together and either lay it on the floor or table where you intend to play, or hang it on the wall.

Place all the cards face up on the floor or table in three or four neat rows. Let your child to pick a card and show her the shape on the card, then ask her if she can find the shape on the map poster. Help her to first identify each state on the map by its shape, then help her to associate the name with that state. Read the background information on the learning card, answering as best you can any questions she may have about things like the nickname, or when it became a part of the United States.

As your child masters the name and location of a state on the map, remove that state's card from the card pile until there are no cards left to learn.

Make It Personal
Start with the state where you live and spend time looking at where your state is on the map before learning about your neighboring states.

Make It a Fun
Keep this from feeling like a rote memorization school task by making it a fun do-together activity. Use the U.S.A. Map coloring page as part of this activity, encouraging your child to color in each state as you progress through the set of cards with her.

Don't be in a rush to have your child learn all 50 states, instead let her take her time and let this be an ongoing game that you play together daily until you have gone through all 50 state cards.

GOAL: To help your child learn the names of all 50 states and their capitals

Best for Kids: Age 6+

Here's How You Play:
You will need to use the printable cards, map poster, and star stickers for this activity. Find the card for the state where your family lives in the deck of cards, and read the information on it to your child. Show him the black and white image of the state on the card and then ask if he can find that shape on your poster. If he has difficulty locating it, help him identify it on the map.

When he finds your state, tell help him learn the name of the state capital, repeating it as many times as you need to help him with the pronunciation. When he can find the state on the map and name its capital, let him use the star stickers to identify the state on the map. As your child masters the state names and their capitals, the map will be filled with stars.

Make It Personal:
To keep the game interesting and fun, help your child learn the location, name, and capital of the state where his grandparents (or other relatives) live--if different from yours. Or if you've recently been on a family vacation or weekend trip to another state, help him find and identify that state in the same way--read the information from the printable state card, show him the shape, ask him to find it on the map, give him the name of the capital.

Try to find ways to keep this game fun and breezy. The goal isn't to simply have your child learn all the state names and capitals by rote, but to give meaning to the activity by including states that have a personal connection to him through recent events, or family connections.