Geography is often one of the most complex subjects for children. This is because it presupposes a certain spatiality and knowing how to orient oneself in space, which is not entirely natural for an adolescent who does not yet have the concepts of right or left clearly in mind, much less those of the north, south, east, and west. 

In practice, it is necessary to start from the spatial bases and above all with orientation, perhaps focusing on one's home and starting with simple tasks, often playing, such as building a simple map. Play is in fact very important on a pedagogical level because children need to learn but also to play, always within pedagogical limits. 

It is therefore necessary to know how to find a suitable way to train your children with drawings, presentations, quizzes, and other types of games. 

This does not only apply to geography but also to other subjects, at least in the adolescent phase, i.e., from 8 to 11 years, a very important age for learning and, for this reason, very delicate. 

In this short article, I will explain how to teach geography to children, so as to be able to help every teacher do their job in the best possible way. 

Play is essential for learning, all the world's leading pedagogists say so, for this reason, it is good to read this guide, which could open the eyes of many teachers to how they can actually teach in a fun way. Let's start.

1. Use Visual Presentations

During primary school, children cannot read or write fluently and do not have a real perception of physical spaces, such as countries, nations, continents, oceans, and forests.
By preparing a geography focused presentation, you can teach them this reality little by little, paying attention to colors, sizes, and even images, perhaps starting to present non-color maps so as to fix in their minds that the plains are green and the mountains are brown.

This is the minimum basis for teaching geography that combines the useful, i.e., learning the colors of the maps or visualizing it to them, and the enjoyable, i.e., coloring, which children really like. It is useful to use cartoons to connect the characters to various geographical places; for example, nowadays, when Dragonball is very fashionable, Goku could be used to highlight Japan. 

The same can be done with James Bond, which will highlight Great Britain, or with the Great Temple of the Knights of the Zodiac, which will indicate Greece. To make this process possible, you could make a nice poster and then cut out the various cartoon characters, all directly in the classroom. 

Once the poster has been prepared with the drawing of the various continents and after having colored it using the colors suitable for each physical geographical location, you can, with paper glue, glue the various cartoon characters in their geographical locations, also using the characters Disney, like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or Donald Duck, to indicate the United States, or the Simpsons, to always indicate America. 

For the seas, you can use characters such as the little mermaid or Nemo, up to China with Mulan and Scotland with Rebel, and why not use dragons for Norway, as in the famous Dragon Trainer cartoon.

Additionally, integrating AI design tools can enhance the visual appeal and educational effectiveness of these presentations. AI-powered features can streamline the creation process, allowing for more engaging visuals and interactive elements. By using such tools, educators can further enrich the learning experience for students, making geography lessons both informative and captivating.

2. Educational Trip

An excellent way to encourage the learning of geography and, above all, the basic notions is to take children on an educational trip so that they have a direct approach. 

Naturally, this does not mean that children should be taken to China or Japan, but simply to a village, to highlight the inhabited area, to the sea, to indicate the seas, on the shore of a lake, on a mountain, etc. It is, in fact, important that children are able to imagine the places they will have to talk about and draw on the maps. 

Seeing the dark color of the mountain, the green of the plain, or even the blue of the sea, it will be easier to associate colors with them. For the brain, the association of colors and places is fundamental, just as images are fundamental. To learn geography, you must therefore experience it and be passionate about places.

3. Use locally produced dishes, arts, or songs

If children need to learn the subdivision of American land, an effective method is to equip themselves with regional popular songs and stage a quiz with prizes. 

Once again, hang a map on the wall, in which each Italian region is characterized by a different color. Let the children listen to classic and fun pieces. It can also be done with typical dishes, which is very fashionable nowadays thanks to the many in-depth gastronomic programs on TV. 

Each song and regional dish must then be attached to its own region, so that children can remember spatially where each of them is located and what characterizes it. 

A task to have them do then consists of removing all the songs and typical dishes and then having them reposition them to see if they remember which geographical place they correspond to. This way, you will learn the regions simply by playing.

Conclusion

Teaching geography to children can be a rewarding yet challenging task, especially considering their limited spatial understanding and need for engaging activities. Utilizing visual presentations is key, gradually introducing concepts like colors and physical spaces through maps and images alongside beloved cartoon characters to make learning enjoyable. Furthermore, educational trips offer a hands-on approach, allowing children to experience geographical features firsthand. Integrating local culture through dishes, arts, and songs adds depth to their understanding, making the learning process more immersive and memorable. 

Additionally, leveraging AI design tools can enhance the effectiveness of presentations, creating visually appealing and interactive learning materials. By combining these methods, educators can inspire a lifelong curiosity about the world and foster a deeper appreciation for geography among children.