Stack the States

App review by Christy Matte, Common Sense Media
Stack the States Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Surprisingly fun geography education game.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Fire phone, Kindle Fire, Windows app Paid Education
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 7+

Based on 10 reviews

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  • Stack the States App: Screenshot #1
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Stack the States is a U.S. geography game that helps reinforce learning around state information. Kids can study the information first, using included state "flash cards," or they can dive in and learn by trial and error. Stack the States begins with just one activity unlocked, but four mini-games become available as kids progress. Most of the mini-games are timed and can feel frenzied; Puzzler and Capital Drop are both quite tricky, even on lower levels. More than one family member can enjoy playing by utilizing the six different profiles and varied avatar choices.

Community Reviews

ratp
ratp Adult
January 2, 2016
age 9+

good game

a fun way to learn the states!

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much consumerism
AimeeJ
AimeeJ Adult
December 24, 2013
age 3+

Geography fun for the whole family!

Our whole family enjoys this app. Even my 3- and 5-year olds started watching over our shoulder and learned how to play the games on their own. They cannot read yet but learned the shape and location of all states and are now onto learning the flags. The Map It bonus game is our favorite! The kids have really taken an interest in geography and feel very proud of themselves for having mastered their states.
See all 5 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Stack the States asks trivia questions about a state, or asks kids to identify the shape of the state. When kids answer correctly they'll earn that state to add to their platform. The goal is to stack as many states on the platform as necessary to reach a goal line without the stack tipping over. When kids reach the goal, their reward is a state to add to their collection. As the collection grows, kids earn bonus games.

Is It Any Good?

STACK THE STATES is engaging, while still retaining plenty of educational value. The main game isn't timed, so it's a great way for kids to learn more about the 50 states, even if they're new to this aspect of geography. Earning all of the states and unlocking the bonus games helps keep things interesting.

Unfortunately, with no way to control what types of questions are being asked, this may not be ideal for a child learning a specific aspect of state trivia (such as the capitals), as it will quiz on all of the areas at once. Still, for slightly older children and adults, Stack the States will help rebuild and retain all of those childhood geography lessons.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Help kids search for interesting facts or landmarks in each state to keep learning fun.

  • Plan imaginary visits to state capitals. Map out the trip and sights to see.

  • Encourage kids to dig deeper into the history of their own state, or states where relatives live.

App Details

Our Editors Recommend

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