40 Games to Teach History in the Homeschool

Do your children love history or do you hit walls every time you try to teach it? I hated history as a child, mostly because the textbooks were horribly boring, the teachers were dry as a crust of day-old bread, and those long lists of dates were entirely frustrating.

Given the opportunity to teach homeschool history my way, everything changed. I LOVE history now and so do my children! From the beginning, I have used great curriculum, living books, field trips, hands-on learning, and project-based learning to make history come alive.

Fantastically fun games have consistently been a surefire, hands-on way to gain history fans (and a lot of laughs), too. I thought I would share some of my favorite games to teach history with you today. I also asked my friend Jen Vail (homeschool mom to gifted kids) to add her ideas to the list, as well. Together, we’ve got a nice, big list of suggestions for you!

Games are a great way to entice reluctant learners, but they’re also perfect for giving new experiences and knowledge to your history buffs! I hope your family finds some new and exciting ways to love history with these games.

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World History Games

These games to teach history feature historic figures from all over the world, significant monuments, and happenings from several periods in history. They offer an overall, well-rounded view of world history, as opposed to focusing on a specific type of history.

Some of these games are trivia-based, some are battles (like this hilarious Superfight History Deck), and some are cooperative board games, but they all have plenty to teach.

• Journey Through Time: Eye Found It
• Catan
• World Monuments
• Superfight: The History Deck
• Similo History
• Brain Box: World History
• Carcassonne
• Placing the Past
• Timeline: Inventions
• History of the World

American History Games

There is much to learn about U.S. history from these great games. You will find everything from US trivia to immersive board games that teach about the Underground Railroad or the Constitution.

• Way Back When in History
• Constitution Quest
• USA Bingo
• Timeline: Americana
• Old West Playing Cards
• Freedom: The Underground Railroad
• American Trivia Family Edition
• We the People Fight Tyranny
• Made for Trade
• Oregon Trail
• WWII Monopoly
• Election Night

Professor Noggin

Professor Noggin makes simple trivia games with wonderfully illustrated cards, covering almost any topic you may explore in your homeschool. The sheer number of history options mean that Professor Noggin deserves its own category in a list of this kind!

• Professor Noggin’s Medieval Times
• Professor Noggin’s Famous Inventions
• Professor Noggin’s Extraordinary Women
• Professor Noggin’s Explorers
• Professor Noggin’s American Revolution
• Professor Noggin’s History of the United States
• Professor Noggin’s Ancient Civilizations
• Professor Noggin’s Wonders of the World
• Professor Noggin’s Presidents of the United States
• Professor Noggin’s Civil War

Topical History

These history games are perfect for specific unit studies or periods in time. Whether you’re immersing yourself in Biblical history or Egyptian architecture, these games are incredibly intriguing and offer much more to learn than the average textbook. If you’re looking for an enriching game to compliment a theme or a relaxed way to introduce a new topic, these games are perfect for your homeschool.

• Ancient Egypt Go Fish
• Portals and Prophets
• Axis and Allies: 1942
• Impressionist Go Fish
• Salem 1692
• Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
• Brain Box: Inventions
• Imhotep: Builder of Egypt
• Century: Spice Road

History is anything but dull, and finding ways to incorporate these games into your homeschool is sure to break up the day, add in some fun, and create memories while your children learn!

More Gameschooling Ideas

Each of these posts is full of great educational game lists. Have fun learning!