US Map puzzle--free software for learning the locations of the states, and their capitals. It
works like a wooden map puzzle, except you can't lose Iowa under the bookcase.

Materials/Preparation:

Download and install "US States and Capitals-Map Puzzle" from
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/puzzle_us.htm

Activity:

There is a blank map of the US, either with the state outlines (easy) or without (hard). Both games have optional timers. As the state appears on the right hand side, the student picks it up with the mouse, drags and drops it into place on the map. For the Capitals game, choose easy (with hints) or hard (without). The name of the capital city will appear with the capital (star) symbol, and the student puts the capital in the right state. Each state gets filled in with color as it gets the correct capital. Most students will probably want to start with the easy game, and move on to the harder one.

Related Activities:

South America Puzzle Map Game
Asia Puzzle Map Game
Europe Puzzle Map Game