Teach the children the "Fifty Nifty United States" song from Disney's School House Rock. The song lists all 50 states in alphabetical order, and the catchy tune helps children learn and remember all the state names. To turn it into a game, divide the students up into groups and have the teams compete to see if they can remember all the states in order and recite them together. The team that does the best job wins.
Divide the class into two teams and have them line up, each in a single row. Draw or post a large map of the United States with the names of states removed. For each turn, give a clue about the state you are looking for, such as, "This state starts with the letter S and is on the East Coast of the United States." One child from each team then races to the board and places some type of marker on the state. If both children select the correct state, whoever got their first wins a point for her team. For older children, give clues based on more detailed facts about the state such as the state's flag, nickname or terrain.
Post a large blank map of the United States on the board with tape on each state Hide cut-outs of the states around the classroom. Give the students clues about which states you are looking for, such as, "I'm looking for a state that's shaped like a boot." The children race to find the state and attach it to the correct spot on the map. If they bring back the wrong state, they must put it back where they found it. You can have all the kids looking for letters at the same time, or you can divide the class into teams and have one person at a time from each team look for the states.
This game works well for older students who are familiar with the history, topography, capitals and landmarks of most of the states. Set up a team Jeopardy board using categories such as State Capitals, Famous Landmarks, Presidents' Home States and State Climates. Just like on the TV quiz show "Jeopardy," give the children a buzzer and have each team designate one person to be their spokesperson when answering. Include a tough, final jeopardy question at the end. The team with the most points at the end wins.