Free States and Capitals Study Sheets (Memorization Pack for Quizzes)

Published:
July 6, 2021

Carrie Fernandez

Contributor:
Carrie

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Would you like your children to learn the state names and capital cities of the United States of America? If you are learning about the U.S. states in geography or social studies, then this free printable states and capitals quiz pack will be a great addition to your lesson plans.

patriotic background with text overlay free states and capitals study sheets and quiz pack

What is the easiest way to learn the states and capitals?

Discovering the easiest way for your kids to learn a state name and its capitals is highly dependent on on what type of learner you have. Auditory learners will do best learning the states with catchy song lyrics and jingles. 

If your child thrives using tools like printable flashcards, then you can play all sorts of games with printable flashcards, such as memory and review. You can even learn about the largest city, which isn’t always the capital.

Games that Teach the States and Capitals

My favorite way we learned the names of the states and capitals in our homeschool was playing games. Kids love learning when they don’t realize it’s school. Learning that the capital of Alabama may be boring, but how cool is it that Montgomery is the place where you can visit the Shakespeare Theater? Some games teach fun state facts; I preferred those. 

Some great states and capitals geography games:

There truly are so many great geography games that help your kids learn about the U.S.A.

Break up the United States into Regions

Some students find it easier to learn the locations of each state by learning them in chunks. Breaking the 50 states into regions can be helpful.

For example, when learning about North Dakota or South Dakota, you’d be learning about the states in the Midwestern Region. Des Moines is the capital city of Iowa, and it’s also in the same region, so you’d cover that too. 

How can I help my child learn states and capitals?

Being consistent is the key to memorization when it comes to learning the states and capitals. You can print off our free states and capitals quiz pack and use it as a study guide and then even quiz from it.

What grade do you learn the states and capitals?

I remember learning all the 50 states in alphabetical order in 1985 when I was in third grade, but grade levels really don’t mean a thing!

When my toddler was doing preschool work we used a 50 states placemat from the dollar store and put little chocolate-covered sunflower seeds on each state. She wasn’t reading yet, but was able to memorize the locations and what the words looked like for the state names. Each time she answered correctly, she was allowed to eat the sunflower seed.

Start them young and review all the way through the school years whenever you are teaching about U.S. Geography.

What is the fastest way to learn all 50 states?

The best way to learn all 50 states is continuous review. Play geography games, pour over an atlas, review 50 states flashcards, and print off study sheets and use of free states and capitals quiz pack found at the bottom of this post. 

Printable State Maps

Learn the names of the individual states and then print a map worksheet to test your student’s knowledge. You can print U.S. maps for free of all the fifty states along with regions for a more focused approach. You can also use a free interactive map puzzle of the United States. These free study maps are a great tool for many subjects, not just geography.

Free Printable Maps:

Printable Coloring Pages for State Flags

A great way to incorporate some art into your geography lessons is to color the state flags. If you are teaching your son in 4th grade the states and capitals, but your second grader just isn’t getting it yet, have them color the state flags while you drill your older child. 

Recommended U.S. Geography Curriculum (keep scrolling for more freebies!)

You can learn tons of U.S. geography through our Daily Skill Building: U.S. Geography curriculum. Daily Skill Building: U.S. Geography goes beyond capitals to help kids learn when each state became a state, the state flower, state bird, state tree, and much more. Includes notebooking, mapwork, fact cards, labeling, and more. This full year curriculum is geared to 3rd-6th graders and includes answer keys and is only $16.95!

U.S. Geography pages and workbook

Ideas for Learning about States and Capitals

Teaching students about the different states doesn’t have to be dull and boring!

Free States and Capitals Printable Quiz Pack

Using our free States and Capitals Printable Quiz Pack is a fun way to learn the names of the states and the state capitals. It’s flexible and can be used with a wide range of ages. I found it perfect for my 5th grader.

Download the states and capitals study sheets and quiz pack

More Free Geography Resources: