Learn United States Capitals with Games

Any time that you are required to learn and memorize 50 different things it can be intimidating. Learning the 50 United States capitals can be easier than you might think. There are several different games that you or your children can do to learn the state capitals.

To familiarize yourself with the state capitals it is a good idea to review a list and map of them. By reading the list of capitals over and over they will be easier to memorize. If you still find difficulty after reading the list then try focusing on one section, such as all of the states in the first 10 letters of the alphabet, or all of the states in the Pacific Northwest. By learning the capitals in sections you might be able to pick them up quicker.

No matter the number of capitals that you try to memorize at a time you can make a story up for each state to help you remember. This can be something as simple as "when I was in Arkansas I saw a little rock." You can also consider making up something to remember by rhyming the capital in the story, such as "it was noise in Idaho." Some more fun ones might include, "when I saw saint Paul I gave him a mini-soda" and "you tall standing in the salt lake." This can be a game all on its own, thinking of fun and clever things that relate states to their capitals.

Another game that you can play to memorize the capitals of the United States, is to make flash cards. Quiz yourself or someone over and over again. Eventually the information on the cards will start to be remembered. If you have enough note cards (50 cut in half) you can make matching cards with the name of the state and its capital. This way you can play memory while studying the capitals of the states. You could also put the shape of the state if you wanted and be studying that as well during the memory game.

Clink on the pictures below where you can see the map full size and print it out. Click HERE for a printable list of state capitals. Once you have studied it you will be ready for the United States Capitals Draw a Line Worksheet.

United States Capitals Printouts
United States Captials Map Printout	Blank United States Capitals Printout