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10 Map, Geography & Culture Activities for Kids

I love to explore the world with my kids! 

There’s something very eye-opening about learning how other people live and seeing the beautiful places around the globe.

And even though we love to travel, most of our foreign explorations happen right in our own home.


There are many creative ways to introduce kids to the various countries and cultures around the world.  We’ve read books, cooked meals, watched DVD’s and completed crafts & activities.

Today, we’ll be featuring some of the hands-on ideas for learning about maps & cultures that were shared during last week’s Kids Explore the World linky.

 

10 Map & Culture Activities for Kids

It’s tons of fun to learn about other cultures. 

One summer, we researched each of the countries of our ancestors and then each week, we would ‘visit’ a different country.  We ate meals from Italy, Germany and Poland.  We played games from Lithuania and England, learned words from different languages and did a whole bunch of crafts. 

By the end of the summer, my kids had a better idea of their heritage and knew so much more about countries from around the globe!

If you don’t have a map or globe at home, here are a few that we recommend along with affiliate links so you can learn more a about each of them:

We use a Kids Dry Erase World Wall Map when we want to record items — for example, when we map our summer reading activities

We also have a Kids Desktop Globe which is great to use when you’re discussing time zones or lines of latitude and longitude. 

If your short on space, try this Inflatable World Globe . We also love using a Explore the World Placemat World Map placemat or Mini globe Mini Tilt Globe.


 

There are some wonderful activities I’d recommend if you’re looking for ways to introduce different cultures to your children.

Mama Smiles has a great series about life in different countries.  She also has a wonderful cornerstone post on 10 Tips for Raising Globally Aware Children.  You can also find some great ideas in her Getting Started: Globally Aware Kids post!

Another excellent blog and community is the Multicultural Kids Blog.  Here you’ll find detailed ideas for celebrations, food, kids activities and books that will introduce you to a variety of cultures.  Read this wonderful post on how one family chose to learn about different cultures with their kids.

Creative Family Fun also has a great list of 10 Ways to Explore the World without Leaving Home with some excellent resources!

 

Map Activities for Kids

One of the first things we always do when begining to learn about another country is to pull out our map and globe! 

I’ve written before on the importance of having a map in the home.  It offers kids the opportunity to learn about geography and practice map reading skills.

Try some of these fun & educational map activities with the kids:

  • Map the Books you Read — last summer, we shared a fun way to connect maps with the books kids enjoy reading. 

Don’t have a map at home?  Make this beautiful handmade felt map (super easy!) from Teach Beside Me!

If you love taking virtual trips around the world, be sure to see our other book lists too!

Around the World in 30 Books

Book Series that Take Kids Across the Globe

 

kids geography books and activities

MORE MAP ACTIVITIES

Map Your Summer Reading

Geography for Kids: 8 Awesome Atlases

 

You might also like:

Books that Take Kids Around the World

Books that Take Kids Around the World