Geographical Riddles

by Steve Bennett

For: Kids 10 and up, adaptable for teens.
Required: Map or globe.

To do this activity, choose a country or continent that your children have studied in school, then find a map of the place. Next, silently select a city, state, or country. For beginners, you can announce which category it is; for advanced players, you should keep the category a secret, too.

If necessary, offer your children three or more clues to the chosen location. These hints can be simple ("I'm thinking of a city that begins with the letter "V" and ends with "A," and is located in a country that begins and ends with "A"), or complex ("It's an ancient location, but it's a popular site for modern-day skiiers"). Don't forget the zany ("This place is often associated with a very tasty sausage")! You might also offer clues related to the place's history, culture, food, dress, or art. Whoever correctly guesses the place gets to create the next geographical riddle.

To increase the challenge for older kids, you might want to provide three "real" hints and one red herring. Turn about is fair play, though, so if you elect to try this, watch out when it's your turn.

More on: Geography