You may be able to recite the 50 states in alphabetical order to a catchy tune, but can you locate Arkansas on a map?
Soon, kids can do that and also spew out interesting facts about each state. Winning Moves Games’ newly updated version of the Game of the States board game lets kids buy and sell goods as they race around the U.S. In doing so, players will become familiar with the 50 states, their locations, capitals, top products, and—for the first time ever—learn a fun STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fact about each place.
Game of the States challenges players to travel all over the country, where they must buy products from an opponent in one state, and then sell it in another to make a profit. The person who makes the most money wins the game.
Each player picks a color and takes one car and four wooden packages. Then, each player draws four state cards and reads their facts aloud. This is where each player will become a geography wizard. Every card not only contains basic facts—such as its capitol, state flower, and state bird—but also an interesting STEM fact that they would have never guessed. For example, now kids will learn that Rainbow Bridge in Utah not only has an awesome name, but is also the world’s largest natural bridge. NBD.
To start the game, everyone must draw one more state card that will be his or her starting point for the game. The first player spins and moves according to the number of states that the spinner lands on. When a player reaches an opponent’s package, he or she must pay for the state’s good, and then draw another state card to find out where it must get dropped off. Once players reach the drop-off location, the good gets sold to the bank for the amount that the spinner lands on. The game continues until all packages have been purchased and delivered. The player that manages to snag the most money on their journeys wins the game.
The game takes about half an hour to play, and kids will probably flip through the cards long after to see what other interesting facts await them. For families that are going on a road trip IRL, Game of the States can be transformed to a travel game to accompany them along the way. Ditch the board and the accessories, and grab the stack of state cards. Now, families have a state trivia game that will take any traffic nightmare and turn it into fun.
