A Matter of Place

A Matter of Place

Required:

• Globe, atlas, or map

When you hear the words, "Great Britain," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Buckingham Palace, fish and chips, or The Beatles? Perhaps your child can come up with these place associations, as well as a dozen more.

Pick a city or state (by stopping a spinning globe with your finger or tapping a spot on an atlas or map with your eyes closed), then ask your child to list people, buildings, historical events, or current news stories associated with that place. You can also devise your own special categories of associations, such as foods, languages, styles of clothing, holidays, books, or anything else that especially interests you and your child.

You and your child might take turns offering items that fit into each category, and see who gets stumped first. Or perhaps you can work together as a team, and see whether you can make each category list longer than the last.

Alternatively, you can select a city or state secretly, give your child a list of associations, and see whether he or she can guess the place. You can test your child's knowledge of places by framing your associations as riddles. So, who would ever have guessed that ducklings in transit, hot beverage parties, and a delicious cream pie are all associated with Boston, Massachusetts?