Geosafari

What is a Geosafari?

Originally sold by Educational Insights, GeoSafari is one of the most versatile educational tools I’ve ever used. You can find lesson cards on a wide range of topics—or design your own to match what your child is studying. Homemade cards can be used with preset codes, and yes, you can even make cards for yourself!

Both GeoSafari machines have adjustable volume. When playing head-to-head, you can set different answer times for each player, making it easy to accommodate multiple ages or skill levels.

 

Make Your Own Geosafari Cards

Years ago, I joined a helpful YahooGroup where I learned how to make my own GeoSafari cards. I eventually became the group owner. Since YahooGroups no longer supports that format, I’m working on moving those resources to this site. They’ll likely become part of a private member area.

Tip: Make your first card when no one is around. The first one feels the most intimidating, but after that, your ideas will snowball!

What Cards Can You Make?

Use these broad categories to create your own trivia, vocabulary, or review cards:

• Language & Literacy: Vocabulary, Definitions, Foreign Language Words, Literature, Song Fill-in-the-Blanks, Notable Characters
• Geography & Places: Maps & Geography, Landmarks, Places, State History & Facts
• History & Social Studies: Historic Events, People, Vocabulary, Legislation, Holidays, Timelines
• Science & Nature: Animals, Natural World, Ocean, Health, Inventions & Inventors, Parts (Anatomy or Machines)
• Math & Logic: Math Skills, Time, Measurement
• Life & Practical Skills: Everyday Skills, Hobbies, Sports
• People & Culture: Cultural Studies, Traditions, and Contributions

If you need more ideas, here is a list of cards the original GeoSafari Group made.

GeoSafari in Your Homeschool

GeoSafari has been a hit in our home. We leave the regular/junior model on the table with weekly cards ready to go. It has a built-in slot to hold cards. The laptop version has a handle and inside slot card storage—perfect for road trips, waiting rooms, or family visits. One Easter, we brought it along and it was a big hit with the kids. I got requests to make more cards for next time!
Note: Homemade cards can be converted between the two models. Desktop machines support 26 questions per card. The laptop supports 20.

GeoSafari Product Info

Geosafari Regular/Junior size model
GeoSafari is a proven success in thousands of classrooms. GeoSafari Jr. lessons teach important readiness skills such as learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, safety, money, holidays, and much more. Features automatic answer correction and scoring. Requires four D batteries or optional AC adapter. Compatible with all GeoSafari lesson cards (sold separately). Educational Insights offered a one-year warranty on new machines.

Geosafari Regular/Junior size model – search on eBay

Geosafari Laptop
GeoSafari Laptop is a fun interactive game that incorporates award-winning GeoSafari lesson cards. Wild lights and sounds guide gameplay, track scores, and provide feedback. Designed for grades 3 and up, lessons teach a world of subjects including 24 lessons on wildlife and animals, 36 lessons on science, language and math, 27 map lessons, 30 history lessons, and 9 trivia games. Features self-storage for 63 two-sided cards (included) and three modes of play (1-2 players or head-to-head). Compact, durable construction makes Laptop perfect for carry-home lesson practice. Requires four AA batteries, included. One year warranty.

The laptop had 2 sets of cards manufactured for it. The first set is for ages 3-7 and the expansion set is for ages 8 and up.

GeoSafari in Your Curriculum

Tap into the educational power of the GeoSafari Learning Game! Taking your children step-by-step through the game’s procedures and playing modes, this innovative resource guides them in researching, planning, designing, coding, reviewing, and revising to develop their own games. Special sections show you how to promote interdisciplinary learning; sharpen critical thinking skills; target individual learning styles; and assess students’ progress. 121 reproducible pages, softcover. Not currently available on Amazon or eBay, but keep an eye on secondhand sources. The ISBN is 0-8251-2828-5.

Where to Buy Geosafari

Geosafari eBay
Geosafari shopping search

Educational Insights no longer manufactures GeoSafari Learning Games, so your best option is to watch secondhand sources. Set up search alerts on resale sites so you’re notified when a machine becomes available. The GeoSafari Junior we purchased from Once Upon a Child with 5 full sets of cards for approximately $40 – 50. Don’t forget to look when garage sale season is on! A few years ago, I passed one up at a very dirt-cheap price because I had no idea what it was, shame on me, LOL! You can also purchase your GeoSafari by clicking on the above links.

More on GeoSafari

Donna Young’s website, donnayoung.org, offers comprehensive, step-by-step instructions for creating your own GeoSafari cards. Her site is a treasure trove for homeschooling families, featuring templates, coding guides, and a wealth of other resources to support your educational journey.

6-8 Thematic Units Most outline which GeoSafari cards to use with your centers or areas of learning.

If your machine isn’t working, start by checking the user guide for troubleshooting tips. You can also try contacting Educational Insights to ask if they still offer an Out-of-Warranty Service Policy. It’s something that helped some users in the past—but it’s been a while, so your experience may vary.

Don’t forget to add your GeoSafari lessons to your Homeschool Tracker lesson plans.

Useful Resources

Edcon Publishing makes some of my favorite books easy to turn into GeoSafari cards

 
The unit studies shown below include specific ideas for GeoSafari cards you can make—added as I continue updating each unit.