Homeschool Geography Curriculum We’ve Used Across the Years

Geography wasn’t something I originally put much thought into when we started homeschooling. At first, we relied on a few maps and worksheets, but it didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t enough for real understanding.

Over the years, we tried different geography curricula, unit studies, workbooks, and hands-on activities to find what actually helped my son connect places, people, and the world around him. Some programs focused too narrowly on memorization, while others finally made geography click.

This post brings together the homeschool geography curriculum options that worked best for us at different ages, including world geography, U.S. geography, and more interactive approaches.

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World Geography in Our Homeschool

When we first started world geography, it was mostly maps and country names, and honestly, it didn’t stick very well. My son could point to places for a quiz, but a week later most of it was gone.

Things changed once we started using programs that tied geography to real places, people, food, history, and daily life. Learning about a country made more sense when it wasn’t just a dot on a map but somewhere with its own culture, landmarks, and stories.

Over time, we found that mixing structured lessons with books, projects, videos, and hands-on activities worked far better than worksheets alone. Geography became something we talked about regularly instead of something we rushed through.

These are the world geography programs that worked best for us.

Let’s Go Geography

We used Let’s Go Geography during the elementary years, and it worked well for keeping lessons short and interesting. Each week focused on a new country, which kept things fresh and gave us something new to look forward to.

Between the maps, flags, short videos, songs, and simple projects, it didn’t feel like another workbook subject. It was easy to use with different ages too, which helped on busy homeschool days.

The free sample lesson is a good way to see if the style fits your child before committing.

Memoria Press

Memoria Press was a better fit for us once geography became more detailed and connected to history. The lessons are more traditional and structured, with a strong focus on specific regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.

It worked well when my son was ready for deeper reading, map work, and understanding how geography connects to historical events. If you like a classical, textbook-style approach, this one feels very thorough.

Schoolhouse Teacher’s

Schoolhouse Teacher’s was useful when we wanted flexibility. Instead of committing to one set program, we could pick geography courses that fit where my son was at and switch things up when needed.

Since the subscription includes other subjects too, it worked well during seasons when we wanted to simplify planning and keep everything in one place.

Guest Hollow

Guest Hollow felt very different from traditional geography programs in a good way. It connects geography with world cultures, current events, and history using books, videos, and hands-on projects.

This was one of the programs that finally helped geography feel “real” instead of just another subject. It worked especially well for deeper discussions and independent learning as my son got older.

If you’re looking for full-subject programs too, I’ve put together a guide to the secular homeschool curriculum we’ve used across the years.

How We Taught U.S. Geography

U.S. geography was the point where geography finally started to click in our homeschool. Once we moved past just labeling states and actually looked at regions, landmarks, and how people live in different parts of the country, it became much more interesting.

We’d connect places to things my son already knew, national parks, major cities, weather patterns, or historical events, and suddenly maps made sense instead of feeling like something to memorize for a quiz.

Learning about why farming is common in some areas, why big cities grew near rivers, or how mountains affect travel helped him understand the country as a whole, not just fifty separate states.

That’s when geography stopped feeling like busywork and started feeling useful.

Trail Guide

Trail Guide worked well for us because it wasn’t locked into one rigid pace. Some weeks we just did quick map drills, and other weeks we spent more time on projects or digging into a topic that sparked interest.

The “Points of Interest” activities were great for adding real-world context, and the Lewis and Clark section tied geography into history in a way that actually made sense.

It was easy to adjust depending on how much time we had and how deep we wanted to go that week.

Bonus Tool for U.S. Geography – One fun way we made map work less repetitive was using a random city generator. We’d spin for a surprise city, find it on the map, figure out the state, and sometimes look up a landmark or fun fact about the area.

Geography Unit Studies

Unit studies were what finally made geography stick for us. Instead of jumping from one worksheet to the next, we could spend time on a topic, go deeper when something was interesting, and move faster when it wasn’t.

They worked especially well when my son needed variety, reading one day, map work the next, then a project or activity to break things up. Geography felt less like a subject and more like something we were actually exploring.

50 States Unit Study

The 50 states unit study was one of our favorites for U.S. geography. We used it over multiple years and adjusted it depending on age.

When my son was younger, it was mostly map labeling, state symbols, and simple facts. As he got older, we added in state history, landmarks, and regional differences. It grew with him instead of feeling like something we outgrew after one year.

Continent Worksheets Bundle

These continent-focused unit studies worked well when we were focusing on world geography and wanted something structured but not overwhelming.

We’d use the maps, learn about major landmarks and animals, and talk about what daily life might look like on each continent. It was an easy way to cover a lot without turning it into busywork.

Wonders of the World Unit Study

This ancient and modern wonders worksheets was great for mixing geography with history. Instead of just learning where places were, we talked about why they mattered.

Looking at landmarks like the Great Wall or Machu Picchu naturally led into conversations about ancient civilizations, travel, and how geography shaped those societies. It made everything feel connected instead of separate subjects.

The 50 States Unit Study (Sonlight)

Sonlight’s approach worked well when we wanted more depth and storytelling mixed into geography.

It helped with memorizing states, but also went further into history and interesting details about each region, which kept lessons from feeling repetitive.

Geography Workbooks That Worked for Us

Homeschool workbooks were most helpful for us when we wanted consistent practice without planning a full lesson. We’d often use them alongside our main geography curriculum or on lighter weeks when we still wanted something structured.

Some worked better at certain ages than others, but all of these were ones we actually used and found useful.

180 Days of Social Studies – This was great in the elementary years as a homeschool social studies curriculum when short, daily practice worked best. The lessons are quick, so it was easy to fit in map skills and basic geography without it feeling overwhelming.

Spectrum World Geography – We used this around middle school when geography started connecting more with current events and world history. It helped my son think about how geography affects people and societies instead of just locations on a map.

Daily Geography Practice: Grade 6 – This one worked well as a quick warm-up. We’d spend a few minutes a day on maps or regions, which helped keep skills fresh without turning geography into a long lesson.

Mark Twain Geography Workbook – We pulled this out when we wanted to go deeper into physical geography and global regions. It was especially helpful for topics like climate, borders, and how different parts of the world are connected.

Geography Through Art – This was a fun change of pace. Mapping and drawing while learning about countries and cultures worked really well on days when sitting with a traditional workbook wasn’t happening.

KS3 Geography Workbook – We used this more in the later years when my son was ready for more detailed topics and review-style practice. It was good for reinforcing physical and human geography in a straightforward way.

Geography Books We Kept Reaching For

We always kept a few geography reference books around, even when we were using a full curriculum. They were great for quick look-ups, rabbit holes, and days when my son wanted to explore something beyond the lesson.

These were the ones we reached for the most over the years.

The 50 States – This was a favorite during our U.S. geography phase. We’d flip through it while working on state studies, looking up landmarks, fun facts, and little details that made each state feel different instead of just another shape on a map.

Usborne Geography Encyclopedia – This one stayed on our shelf for years. The maps and photos made it easy to jump into topics like continents, climate, and world regions whenever curiosity hit. It was especially useful when we wanted quick explanations without pulling out a full lesson.

Smithsonian Geography – A Visual Encyclopedia – We used this a lot when talking about physical geography, things like ecosystems, weather, oceans, and how the Earth works. The visuals made big concepts much easier to understand and sparked a lot of side conversations.

Geography of the World – This was great for comparing countries. We’d look up population, languages, culture, and basic facts when studying a new place, which helped put everything into context.

Geography Activities That Helped It Stick

Geography wasn’t something we only learned from books. A lot of it stuck because we mixed in games, quick activities, and the occasional virtual trip when focus was low or we needed a break from worksheets.

Some days we played for 20 minutes. Other days we went down a rabbit hole looking up places on the map. Those were often the lessons my son remembered best.

Geography Games

Geography board games were one of the easiest ways to keep geography fun without feeling like schoolwork.

• Trekking the National Parks: This one tied geography to real places in the U.S. and naturally led to talking about regions, landmarks, and where different parks were located.
• Ticket to Ride: We used this a lot for learning cities and routes across the U.S. and Europe. It didn’t feel like a geography lesson at all, but the locations started sticking.
• Who Knows Where: Great for quick rounds of finding countries and continents on the map. It worked especially well as a warm-up activity.
• The World Game: This helped with countries, capitals, and flags and added a bit of friendly competition.
• 100 Pics Flags of the World: Simple but surprisingly helpful for recognizing flags and remembering which countries they belonged to.
• We also played geography scattergories with categories like countries, landmarks, and capitals, a fun way to review without worksheets.

Virtual Field Trips

On days when attention was low, virtual field trips were an easy win. We’d “visit” landmarks, national parks, and different countries and talk about what we noticed.

It was a great way to connect geography to real places without leaving home.

Explore the World Subscription Box

We tried the KiwiCo when we wanted something hands-on without planning a full unit. Each box focused on a different place or culture and included activities that tied into geography naturally.

It worked well as a supplement alongside our regular lessons, especially during lighter weeks.

Free Geography Curriculum

We didn’t always use a paid curriculum for geography. Some seasons we relied heavily on free programs, worksheets, and videos, especially when we wanted lighter weeks or quick practice without planning full lessons.

These were the free options we went back to the most.

• Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool – This worked well when we wanted something structured without paying for another program. The geography lessons were simple to follow and easy to plug into our routine.
• BBC Bitesize Geography – We used this a lot for short lessons and review. The videos and activities were especially helpful when introducing a new topic or when attention was low.

Free Geography Worksheets

Homeschool geography worksheets were great for quick map work, practice days, and review.

We used them for things like continents, landmarks, landforms, and U.S. geography when we wanted something hands-on but simple. They worked well alongside our main curriculum or on lighter homeschool days.

Geography YouTube Channels We Watched

Videos were an easy way to bring geography to life without opening a textbook.

• National Geographic Kids – Great for learning about environments, animals, and different parts of the world.
• Snake Discovery – We watched this when talking about habitats and ecosystems, especially anything involving reptiles.
• Brave Wilderness – This one led to a lot of conversations about where different animals live and why.
• Wild Kratts – A favorite in the earlier years for connecting animals with geography in a fun way.
• Learn the States of America Song – Helpful for memorizing the states when we were in that phase.
• Nations of the World Song – A fun way to introduce countries, especially for younger learners.

Do you have a favorite geography curriculum or activity? Share your recommendations in the comments!

Last Updated on 6 February 2026 by Clare Brown