DIY U.S. Map Puzzle

We played so many games with these and the kids learned a lot. I had a lamented state map blank on one sid and states on other side listed with capitals that nearly fit these states perfectly. So we played more games and got the little ones involved too. Highly recommend for all ages, parents didn't realize how little they knew.

We all know how important it is to have a rainy day project ready to go in case you’re stuck indoors on a Saturday with bored children. This is great because it stores easily being small and flat, and it’s an educational and fun project that will eat up a good chunk of time. Younger ones can feel included and be involved in working on this project just like older ones. My youngsters couldn’t do the whole thing in one sitting, we split it into a few chunks. Punching out the state shapes is relatively easy, but little ones will need some oversight to be sure they don’t accidentally rip them. The state names are on the paper but not the shapes, so I have a future project of cutting those names out and matching them to the state, repeating as necessary for extra reinforcement. The assembly onto a poster board is a little challenging, but there were some great instructions included that really helped create a straight map. It said to start with Kansas in the center and work outward. I would not have thought of that. Overall this was a good educational project at an affordable price that kept the children’s hands busy and got the lesson across in a more interesting way than just looking at a map.

My 5-year-old son is REALLY into maps lately, so we ordered these paper map cut-outs for him. They have been a huge hit! He really likes that there is a shape for each state. A lot of state puzzles put the small states - such as Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts - all on one piece; which bothers my son when he's trying to sort and organize the state pieces. Thus, he really likes this set! I like the bright colors and the detail of the shapes. It is also great that this set is made in the USA (lower carbon footprint for us to order something that is made here!). Another nice touch is that it includes two Alaskas, one that is the actual scale size compared to the other states, and one that is smaller in case you want to fit the whole thing on a standard poster board. Most other puzzles just have a smaller Alaska, which again bothers my son, haha! He is often like "why is Alaska the biggest state if it's not as big as Texas???" but with this set, he can really see the true size comparison. One word of caution: be careful punching out the more detailed shapes. I helped my son with some of them because he was afraid they might rip. The paper is sturdier than construction paper or printer paper, but not quite as thick as cardboard. We are very happy with this order; thank you!

This is a great kit to take on vacation, as it's slim. I got it for an activity on a rainy day with my nephew, and it's perfect. Everything you need for learning the state placement in the US, plus state abbreviations and state capitals. If you want to assemble it and keep it together, you would need separate poster board. My plan is to put it together on the dining room table and then keep it for next time. We're New Englanders so I think the mid-US is going to be a challenge, even for the grown ups!

I'm really looking forward to working on this map project with my 8 year old grandson. It's made from very colorful, sturdy cardstock. The shapes are easy to punch out with clean edges that match up well to the surrounding states. You do have to purchase poster board, or a material of your choice, to glue the states onto. The instructions are simple and kids can follow the colorful map that is provided in the kit for correct placement. Alaska has 2 sizes; the large size to indicate scale and a smaller size so it can fit on your poster board. Additionally, inside the leaflet that comes with the kit, the states are listed alphabetically and you must write the abbreviation of each one along with its' capital. It's a fun way to learn this info. While doing your research for learning the capitals, take the time to locate each of the cities and place the included star on each state to indicate where its' capital is.

This is a fun and educational project for children and adults alike. Bond with your child or grandchild and learn about our great country while you do! A win-win.