Place a large map of the United States on the classroom floor. The map must not show the name of each state, but you can use a black marker to cover state names, if it does. Use 50 name tags of the same size -- so that children don't associate the tag's size with the state size -- and write the name of one state on each size. Divide the class into two groups: give players of one team blue markers and players of the second team red markers. When you blow your whistle, students must grab the tags, draw a dot on them and place them over their respective state on the map within three minutes. The winner is the team with the most correct name tag-state matches.
Draw the outline of 10 random individual states on a letter-size paper sheet or download and print individual state outlines from "Apples 4 the Teacher" in Resources. You must include all 50 states on five letter-size sheets and give a five-sheet set to each student. Students must write the name of each state below its outline, without consulting a U.S. map. Children have five minutes to determine the name of as many states as possible, judging only by their outline.
Download the 50 state seals and arrange them into two letter-size sheets containing 25 seals each. You can find all state seals at "NetState.com" or "State Symbols USA" in Resources. Use a marker after you have printed the seals to remove the names of states. However, children can use any other reference on the seal -- such as dates and cultural symbols -- and consult their books to determine which state the seal belongs to. Students have 10 minutes to write each state's name under its respective seal.
Use a U.S. map that does not show state names or cover the names with a marker. Draw a line with a red marker, spanning at least 10 states. Instruct students that this is the route of a hypothetical road trip. Students have only two minutes to determine the name of the states this road trip covers, in the correct order. As this is a quick game, you can play several rounds, with each round featuring a different road-trip itinerary.