Exploring the World: Geography Activities for Preschoolers
Geography isn’t just about maps and locations—it’s about understanding the world, exploring different cultures, and discovering new places! Preschoolers are naturally curious, making this the perfect time to introduce basic geography concepts through fun, hands-on activities.
By using stories, maps, crafts, and interactive play, young children can start learning about continents, landmarks, weather, and different ways people live around the world.
In This Guide, You’ll Learn:
✔ Why geography is important for preschoolers
✔ Simple ways to introduce maps, globes, and different places
✔ Fun, hands-on geography activities for early learners
✔ How to explore the world through books, songs, and crafts
✔ Tips for making geography fun, interactive, and age-appropriate
By the end, you’ll have tons of creative ideas to help your preschooler discover the world in an exciting way!
1. Why is Geography Important for Preschoolers?
Even at a young age, children benefit from learning about places, people, and the environment. Introducing geography early:
✔ Encourages curiosity about the world and different cultures.
✔ Develops spatial awareness and understanding of directions.
✔ Teaches basic map skills in a fun, hands-on way.
✔ Builds appreciation for diversity by exploring different countries and traditions.
✔ Helps kids understand nature, weather, and landmarks around the world.
By keeping activities interactive, visual, and sensory-based, preschoolers can grasp geography concepts in a meaningful way!
2. Simple Ways to Introduce Geography to Preschoolers
✔ Start with Your Home & Neighborhood – Talk about where you live and explore local places.
✔ Use a Globe or Map – Let kids spin a globe and point to different places.
✔ Explore Different Climates & Landforms – Discuss mountains, oceans, and deserts.
✔ Read Books About the World – Introduce different countries, cultures, and landmarks.
✔ Introduce Cardinal Directions – Use words like “up, down, left, right, north, south” in daily play.
These simple activities lay the foundation for understanding geography while making it fun and relatable!
3. Fun Geography Activities for Preschoolers
1. Map Your Neighborhood
Draw a simple map of your street or neighborhood, marking important places like your house, a park, or a grocery store. Take a walk and follow the map, encouraging your child to identify locations.
Skills Developed: Spatial awareness, map reading, observation.
2. Where in the World?
Spin the Globe Game
Let your child spin a globe and stop it with their finger. Talk about the place they landed on—Is it land or water? Hot or cold? Near or far?
Skills Developed: Understanding world geography, spatial concepts.
3. DIY Playdough Earth Model
Use blue and green playdough to create a mini Earth. Add brown for land, white for snowy regions, and small animal figurines for different habitats.
Skills Developed: Hands-on geography, fine motor skills, creativity.
4. Travel the World Through Food
Choose a different country each week and make a simple dish from that culture (e.g., tacos from Mexico, pasta from Italy, rice from Japan). Talk about where the food comes from and find the country on a map.
Skills Developed: Cultural awareness, sensory learning, geography.
5. Weather Around the World
Look up the weather in different parts of the world. Compare hot vs. cold places, rainy vs. dry areas, and how people dress differently in each region.
Skills Developed: Understanding climate, observation, early science skills.
6. Create a Passport for Pretend Travel
Make a simple pretend passport and let your child “travel” to different countries by stamping or drawing flags in their passport.
Skills Developed: Cultural awareness, imaginative play, geography concepts.
7. Landmark Matching Game
Print or draw famous landmarks (Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China, Pyramids of Egypt) and match them to their corresponding countries on a map.
Skills Developed: Recognition of world landmarks, spatial learning.
8. Build a Mini City or Continent with Blocks
Use building blocks or cardboard to create a mini city, desert, rainforest, or snowy landscape. Add toy cars, trees, and animals to match the setting.
Skills Developed: Geography, creativity, problem-solving.
9. Cardinal Directions Treasure Hunt
Create a simple treasure map and use North, South, East, and West directions to find hidden objects in your home or backyard.
Skills Developed: Spatial awareness, early navigation skills.
10. Ocean and Land
Sorting Game
Show pictures of animals (whale, lion, fish, bear, octopus) and let your child sort them into “ocean” or “land” categories. Use a blue sheet for the ocean and green for land.
Skills Developed: Geography, classification, science.
4. Exploring the World Through Books & Songs
Reading about different places helps preschoolers understand geography in a fun, storytelling way.
Best Preschool Geography Books:
✔ Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney – Introduces maps in a kid-friendly way.
✔ Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss – Encourages curiosity about the world.
✔ This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe – Shows daily life in different countries.
✔ The Barefoot Books World Atlas – A beautiful, illustrated map book.
Geography Songs for Preschoolers:
✔ The Continents Song – Helps kids learn the names of continents.
✔ North, South, East, West – Teaches cardinal directions.
✔ Hello Around the World – Introduces different languages and cultures.
By incorporating books and music, preschoolers can connect with geography in a fun and memorable way!
5. Tips for Making Geography Fun and Engaging
✔ Keep It Hands-On – Use maps, globes, and sensory play to make learning interactive.
✔ Follow Your Child’s Interests – If they love animals, explore where different animals live!
✔ Use Play-Based Learning – Pretend travel, treasure hunts, and building activities make geography exciting.
✔ Explore Local Landmarks First – Visit parks, lakes, or museums to connect learning to real places.
✔ Encourage Storytelling – Let kids make up travel stories about where they want to go.
By keeping activities age-appropriate, engaging, and interactive, preschoolers develop a love for exploring the world!
Final Thoughts: Encouraging a Love for Geography in Preschoolers
Geography isn’t just about maps and locations—it’s about understanding the world, cultures, and how people live differently. By introducing geography through play, books, and hands-on activities, you help preschoolers develop curiosity, spatial awareness, and appreciation for diversity.
Key Takeaways:
✔ Geography helps preschoolers develop curiosity, problem-solving, and cultural awareness.
✔ Simple activities like maps, globes, and pretend play make geography fun.
✔ Hands-on experiences like sorting, cooking, and crafting reinforce learning.
✔ Books and songs introduce global concepts in an engaging way.
✔ Encouraging exploration through play builds a lifelong love for learning about the world.
With these fun, interactive geography activities, your preschooler will be excited to explore the world around them!
