geography

Do you think that the idea of tackling how to teach the 50 states to preschoolers seems too big of a task? Also, look at my page Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips.

Too, see my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

Preschoolers are naturally curious, hands-on learners who absorb knowledge through exploration, stories, and interactive activities.

We are going to walk through some activities to make state studies come alive for your little ones.

Focusing on Florida is a starting point with a “State Box” that you can use as the same format with for every state study.

I also have a 50 States busy book printable for you that can be laminated or slipped into page protectors to use more than once.

BOOKS ABOUT FLORIDA FOR KIDS

5 Books About Florida

Add these fun books about the great state of Florida to your home library.

F Is for Florida (Sunshine State ABC Primer)

A is for Amusement Park

B is for Biscayne National Park

C is Cape Canaveral

With E is for Everglades, K is for Key West, and O is for Orange, going from A to Z has never been more fun! Take an alphabetized field trip around the Sunshine State and discover the plants, animals, foods, and places that make it, well, Florida!

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Good Night Florida (Good Night Our World)

Good Night Florida includes coconut palm trees, snorkeling the Keys, dolphins, sea turtles, manatees, the Everglades and alligators, orange groves, Kennedy Space Center, Daytona 500, Ginnie Springs, St. Augustine, swimming. beaches, and more. Young Floridians and visitors are invited to explore the most exciting attractions the Sunshine State has to offer while being lulled gently to sleep. Oranges and alligators included!

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Only in Florida: Weird and Wonderful Facts About The Sunshine State (Americana)

Glide by gators in the Everglades, ride rollercoasters in Orlando, and move to the music of Miami as you explore this unique and diverse state. You’ll learn why Key lime pie should never be green, how piracy landed on the coast of Florida, and how famous Floridians have changed the world.Each of Florida’s major cities and regions is covered in this comprehensive rundown of the Sunshine State, from Tallahassee to the Treasure Coast. Plus, get a dose of Florida’s fascinating past from a history timeline, and spot your favorite Florida locales on infographic maps.

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Welcome to Florida (Welcome To)

With information about the state's animals, plants, regions, food, people, customs, and fun places to visit, this tribute to Florida is the perfect gift for vacationers and residents alike. The warm, bright illustrations highlight the many delights to be found throughout the state, and the easy-yet-informative details ("The smallest post office in the United States is a tiny building in the Everglades") give just the right amount of information to kids from preschool on up.

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[( Strawberry Girl )] [by: Lois Lenski] [Dec-2008]

Strawberries -- big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven't even begun their planting. Don't count your biddies 'fore they're hatched, gal young un! her father tells her.

Making the new farm prosper is not easy. There is heat to suffer through, and droughts, and cold snaps. And, perhaps most worrisome of all for the Boyers, there are rowdy neighbors, just itching to start a feud.

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Look at how to teach geography.

WHY TEACH GEOGRAPHY TO PRESCHOOLERS

Preschoolers are developing their understanding of their surroundings: their home, their community, their country, and their world so this is a great time for a gentle introduction to US geography.

Geography lessons help connect their small, familiar surroundings to a much bigger picture. It lets children appreciate the rich diversity of people, landscapes, food, traditions, and wildlife across the country.

HOW TO TEACH THE 50 STATES TO PRESCHOOLERS IN 10 WAYS

1. MAKE IT HANDS-ON

To make this experience rich and memorable, kick off each new state by creating a “state box”, a small container filled with items that represent a particular state.

Each time you introduce a new state, you can pull it off your shelf and let the child explore its content. Details below!

2. ADD PICTURE BOOKS

Keep a colorful engaging book like The 50 States Book on hand for your child to explore during free time as well as structured learning time.

3. PAIR STATES BY REGION

Start with your own state, then move to neighboring states or a geographic area (like the Southeast or Pacific Northwest).

4. FOCUS ON A FEW STATES AT A TIME

Consider focusing on 2–4 states each month. That lets you dig deep into each without being overwhelmed.

5. CREATE A “PASSPORT BOOK”

Design a small “passport” for each child and stamp it with a sticker or a small state-shaped stamp every time you learn about a new state. It’s a wonderful, interactive way to track progress.

6. USE FLASHCARDS

Use flashcards to familiarize your child with the shape of each state and for learning simple facts, these can be reused throughout several years.

7. MAKE AN ONGOING ART PROJECT

Next, make a large USA poster where children can color each state as you learn it.

8. USE A MAP PUZZLE

Besides just using it to put together a puzzle you can use individual state pieces in your state box, in sensory bins for each state, for tracing, stamping in playdough.

9. USE COLORING PAGES

Then as each new state is introduced, put out a coloring page for it on the desk/table, or incorporate it into morning time as you read about the state.

10. MAKE A CRAFT FOR EACH STATE

Incorporate a craft that highlights each state as you learn about it like this Statue of Liberty torch craft for New York.

Too, incorporate this 50 States Busy Book, with a page for each of our great states with cut outs highlighting state birds, name, flower, and more.

Next, look at a quick glance of Florida facts.

FLORIDA STATE FACTS FOR YOUR BOX

• Capital-Tallahassee
• Nickname-The Sunshine State
• State Flower-Orange Blossom
• State Mammal: Florida Panther
• State Reptile: Alligator
• State Bird: Mockingbird

And Florida is a peninsula, which is a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water.

Florida has beaches, forests, lakes, rivers, and the Florida Everglades, a wetland full of diverse wildlife.

Finally, look at how to make this fun state geography box when you’re learning how to teach the 50 states.

MAKE A STATE GEOGRAPHY BOX: FLORIDA

Using a state box filled with postcards, food, souvenirs, and photos transforms a geographic concept into a rich, hands-on experience for young children. The main activity — putting together a Florida box — is a perfect starting point for a multistate journey.

If you have family or mom friends in other states, reach out and ask them to help you gather items to fill a box for their state.

You will need:

• A sturdy cardboard or plastic box with a lid
• Postcards-Picture postcards from Florida featuring landmarks like Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, or South Beach.
• Stickers
• Photos-Printed photos of orange groves, alligator habitats in the Everglades, manatees, and Palm trees.
• Small souvenirs-Seashells collected from Florida’s Gulf or Atlantic shores; tiny orange figurine; miniature alligator; keychain from a Florida attraction.
• Food samples- An orange, key lime cookies, or small jars of orange juice to taste.
• Activity cards-Printed facts about Florida flashcards, etc

First, try to gather at least 5–10 different items.

Design a “State Box” label, create a large label or cover for your box featuring the Florida state flag or a map of Florida. Slip it into a page protector and tape to the top of your box so it can be easily switched out for other states.

Begin adding items as you collect them. You can print out state flags and other images to fill it in.

Hand over the box and first let your child shake it, listen to its rattle, and predict what might be inside.

HANDS ON FLORIDA STATE GEOGRAPHY BOX

Open the box together, slowly unveil each item, and talk about it “This is a key lime. Did you know key limes come from Florida?” or “This is a picture of a manatee. Manatees live in Florida’s warm waters”.

Pair your state box with a short story or picture book about Florida. Look for children’s books featuring Florida wildlife, landmarks, or food. I have several listed above you can purchase or check out from your library.

Repeat the same “open the box” routine each time you introduce a state. That predictability lets children become comfortable and engaged in their own exploration.

Then another easy way how to teach the 50 states is use my 50 states busy book.

HOW TO GET THE 50 STATES BUSY BOOK

This is a 100 page pdf download for a simple 50 states busy book.

This is a busy book for all 50 states.

It includes facts like:

• Capital city
• State emblems (flowers, birds, trees!)
• Fun fact
• State flag

There are two pages per state. Your child can cut and paste from one page to match to the information on the first page.

Keep all the pages in a notebook with page protectors and add to it as you child is interested in each state.

You can get it now!

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