23+ Elementary Social Studies Games That Bring History and Geography to Life

Facts and figures can be a lot for students to swallow. Thankfully, social studies is more than just dates and names: It’s about discovering the story behind geography, civics, government, and history. Bring the past to the present with interactive games that turn your classroom into a hands-on adventure.

Put the social back in social studies with quick games to play in the classroom. Social studies games turn review time into a team challenge where students debate justice and make history come alive. They easily align with NCSS standards that build critical thinking and civic understanding.

Conquer the Continent: Students work in teams to answer questions and claim territories on a blank map.
Choose Expeditions and Explorers: Teams solve clues and puzzles about major explorers to trace and claim their routes.
Negotiate Peaceful Agreements: Split the class into explorers and Indigenous groups. Each group uses cards showing motivations and needs to negotiate peaceful treaties.
Build a Famous Case Showdown: Two teams compete by buzzing in to name famous court cases from brief overviews.
Create a Map of Change: Teams map the spread of civil rights across the U.S., racing to complete it first.

50 States and Capitals Bingo, I Have Who Has Game, Task Cards, & Study Worksheet
By Jason’s Online Classroom
Grades: 2nd-5th
Standards: CCSSRF.1.2, 2.3, 3.3

In addition to a Bingo game, students have access to state and abbreviation games to help them master the state capitals.

3 Branches of Government Review Game | US Government | No Prep Digital Resource
By Teacher Gameroom
Grades: 3rd-5th

In addition to a printable game, you can play this online. It features 21 questions that explore the different branches of government.

Latitude & Longitude Bingo Game | Fun Activity for World Geography Skills
By Classroom Content Corner
Grades: 5th-8th

Students can practice reading coordinates while having fun. This resource includes everything you need: clear instructions, ready-to-use boards, and a complete call sheet.

Community Helpers and Occupations Bingo Game
By Kiddos and Crayons by Jordan Piacenti
Grades: K-2nd

Students can explore roles like farmers, fishermen, nurses, and more with a fun Bingo game. It’s a great way to incorporate community helpers activities that connect history to real-world roles.

American Revolution: BINGO Social Studies Game 3rd 4th 5th Grades
By Elementary Lesson Plans – Classroom Confections
Grades: 4th-5th

Make reviewing key facts about the American Revolution exciting with a whole-class Bingo game. This resource includes ready-to-use Bingo cards and a set of questions for students to answer and mark off as they play.

Turn your classroom into an interactive space where students work together on timelines and historical mysteries through team-building activities for kids. They can race to name capitals or simulate trade, making every minute an active review of social studies skills. These games work during social studies time but can also be done during recess or during specials.

Rearrange the Timeline: Small groups receive timelines in the wrong order. They collaborate to put the events in the correct sequence before any other group.
Become a Historical Detective: Show small groups images of historical artifacts. They write down what they think each item is, and the most accurate answers win.
Design a Timeline of Consequences: Each team selects a major historical event and charts its positive and negative consequences. Teams present their timelines, and the class votes on the best one.
State the Capital: The class is divided into small groups. The teacher calls out a state, and the first group to correctly write its capital earns a point.
Act Out History: Students play history charades, acting out significant events and historical figures.
Create a Cultural Quest: Small groups receive cultural clue cards and must match them to the correct locations on a map.

How A Bill Becomes A Law Game: Congress & Legislative Branch Activity for Civics
By Happy Teacher Resources
Grades: 5th-12th

This game comes complete with rules and instructions for play. Students explore how a bill becomes law as they move around the board, careful not to get filibustered along the way.

Pioneer Trail Game 4th-grade social studies
By School Sisters Elementary
Grades: 3rd-6th

Take Manifest Destiny and Western Expansion to the next level with this exciting game where students become pioneers! The set includes a game board, supply cards, and character cards for a hands-on, adventurous learning experience.

Physical Regions of Canada | Interactive Game | Ontario Social Studies
By Madly Learning
Grades: 3rd-5th

This interactive board game encourages active learning while supporting vocabulary development and regional knowledge. Students collaborate and reflect on their learning, providing a built-in formative assessment opportunity.

Bring history, geography, civics, and critical thinking to the forefront with activities that get students building, debating, and calculating. These cross-curricular activities incorporate social studies alongside STEM concepts and ELA. Add these to your curriculum to get the most bang out of your lesson plan.

Tackle Trade Routes: Give each small group a goal of natural items to trade and needed items to collect on a specific trade route. The first team to collect all the needed resources wins.
Build Ancient Structures: Study historical structures and construct models using physics and engineering principles. The first to build a working model wins.
Debate the Past: Students research a historical event or figure and participate in a structured debate. They must cite sources and use persuasive language.
Map Measurement Challenge: Each group picks a route, and students measure distances between cities or historical landmarks using a scale. The one who finds the shortest route wins.

Take your discoveries online with exciting social studies games. Students crack historical mysteries and put their knowledge to the test. These are great options for sub days because they are self-directed.

ABCya Social Studies Games: Travel the globe and step into the shoes of pioneers with interactive games that spark curiosity and challenge thinking.
NASA: Launch students into the wonders of space with a galaxy of games and interactive activities that keep their eyes on the sky and their curiosity orbiting new discoveries.
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Explore history, culture, and science through interactive collections and games. Students can uncover hidden artifacts and connect with global stories.
National Geographic Kids: Ignite curiosity with puzzles and action-packed adventures that let students explore the world’s wonders and solve mysteries.
GeoGuessr: Turn students into globe-trotting detectives as they explore real-world locations and guess where they are on the map.

Explorers, conflicts, and revolutions are what make social studies exciting. Help students step into the footsteps of people from the past with engaging elementary social studies resources. Let them investigate historical mysteries and discover how decisions from long ago shaped the world we live in today. With hands-on activities and interactive games, learning history becomes an adventure they’ll never forget.

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