Collection: Social Studies Board Games

Looking for a way to help your child learn about historical events, develop critical thinking skills, and understand key concepts about geography? Here’s a tip: You don’t need a lesson plan to create a fun and engaging learning environment at home. Children can learn a lot through play, and social studies games empower them to build knowledge and skills at their own pace.

SimplyFun’s social studies games for kids span a variety of social science skills and abilities. From preschool games that introduce kids to geography to world history games for older learners, there’s a game for all ages and interests. Here are some of our fun social studies games that can help prepare your kids for success in the classroom!

• Our World Puzzle Set: Great for preschool age & up, this social studies game helps children learn the fundamentals of US and world geography. It also introduces them to the planets in our solar system. Three puzzles make up this set, including the United States, world geography, and the basic solar system. It’s a great way to introduce young learners to the big world we live in!

• Let’s Jet: Let’s Jet is a geography game where children become imaginary globetrotters, visiting exotic locations from around the world and earning points for each destination they reach.
  
  Players explore the game board and fact sheet to learn about the world and destinations on the game board. The full-color fact sheet includes information on over 60 countries, including where to find them on the game map. Weather, Event, Bonus, and Co-Pilot cards allow for extended play and continued fun! Let’s Jet is great for 2-5 players ages 8 & up and takes 30 minutes to play.

• Time Jumpers: One of the most engaging social studies games for 8th graders and older learners, this board game helps kids learn about great moments and key figures of the 20th Century. Each game card displays a colorful image and a brief description, along with the year, and players must think strategically about how to use the cards to complete each section of their dashboard.

• Eagle Chase: This hands-on geography and history game helps kids learn about important landmarks around the United States, some dating back to the time of the American Revolution! As players travel the country, visiting as many locations as they can by playing their cards and rolling the dice, they also try to catch up with the Eagle to earn extra points. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Eagle Chase is great for 2-5 players ages 10 & up and takes 30 minutes to play.

• Dinosaur Challenge: Winner of an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award, this fun game helps kids learn facts about dinosaurs while developing critical thinking skills. Players must decide which traits — like speed, toughness, and flexibility — could help their dinosaurs withstand specific environmental challenges, like flash floods and climate change.

• SavannaScapes: In this game, players must pair animals, flowers, and pollinators with habitats (grasslands, drylands, woodlands, or wetlands) to create habitats in the Serengeti Mara ecosystem. Along the way, players strategically respond to events like drought and wildfire, as they earn tokens for meeting the needs of their animals. The player with the most tokens at the end of the game wins!

At SimplyFun, game development isn’t a quick process. Every game goes through rigorous development and testing to create an end product that’s enjoyable, educational, and appropriate for the designated age range.

Game Fundamentals: The foundation for every game begins by working with notable international game designers to land on a prototype. We then develop the gameplay, rules, and mechanics with input from our Play Advisory Council, and ensure each game aligns with national and state educational standards.

Game Design and User Experience: We work with a team of talented artists to create age-appropriate artwork, gamepieces, and game boards. We playtest games with families to evaluate whether gameplay functions as intended and is enjoyable for everyone. These testing sessions provide valuable feedback that helps us fine-tune every game before its official release.

Accessibility: All SimplyFun games are inclusive and easy to modify for children with special challenges.

Sustainability: We thoughtfully choose sustainable materials for our board games, using recycled materials when possible and substituting wood for plastic if we can.

Safety: We consider the sizes and shapes of all game pieces to prevent choking hazards and injury. The games we make meet or exceed federal safety standards for toys and games, and we only work with suppliers who uphold the same level of excellence.

If you’re a school administrator or teacher looking for social studies games for elementary students, we can help! Our school purchasing program helps educators choose games the whole class will enjoy. Whether you’re looking for social studies games 6th graders can play, or need a basic game for younger students, you’ll find games that fit the bill.