Fun & Hands-On Ways to Learn About Europe in Cycle 2

(With a Toddler-Proof Felt Map, Catchy Song & Printable Workbook)

I’ve truly come to love teaching geography in our homeschool since beginning Classical Conversations. From tracing the United States in Cycle 3, to exploring the countries of Africa in Cycle 1, and now diving into Europe in Cycle 2—it’s become one of our favorite parts of the week.

When we learned about the United States two years ago, I wanted my girls to see it and touch it. So we made a big felt United States map and hung it by our kitchen table. It became such a sweet part of our days that we ended up making one for Africa, and now Europe too!

If you’re looking for fun, hands-on ways to make geography come alive in your homeschool this year, you’re in the right place. In this post, I share some of our favorite ideas for exploring Cycle 2 geography—including how to make your own felt Europe map, work through a kid-friendly European countries workbook, learn all the countries with a catchy tune, and explore Europe through puzzles and play.

Whether you’re new to Classical Conversations or just looking for a fresh take on CC memory work ideas, I hope these simple activities bless your homeschool and help your kids fall in love with learning about the world!

If you want to see more of what’s coming up in Cycle 2, read my post about what to expect here.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

DIY Felt Europe Map for Your Wall

After seeing how much my girls loved our felt maps of the United States and Africa, we made a large Europe map for this cycle! It’s toddler-proof, reusable, and a great hands-on way to explore geography in your homeschool. Whether you’re doing Classical Conversations or not, this map is a wonderful tool for making learning more interactive and memorable.

Each country is made of colorful stiff felt and snaps onto the continent with magnetic snaps. We use it to play review games, practice locating countries, and even just as a quiet-time sensory activity.

I have the patterns for all the 51 European countries (including the 4 countries of the United Kingdom), as well as a tutorial about how to make this kind of map in my Etsy shop. Also see my video below for how to make this map with the following materials:

• Quilter’s Freezer Paper
• Hard korean felt for countries (7 different colors)
• Hard korean felt for continent
• White Fusible Felt
• Magnetic snaps
• Exacto knife
• Fabric Scissors
• Removable mounting strips

👉 Grab the full pattern and step-by-step tutorial in my Etsy shop here.

Printable Europe Countries Workbook

Last year I made a simple Africa notebook for my girls to work through during Cycle 1, and it quickly became one of their favorite geography activities. So naturally, I created a Europe version to go along with Cycle 2! It’s an easy and meaningful way to reinforce what we’re learning without any extra prep.

Each page focuses on a different country and includes an outline to color, a small map showing where it’s located in Europe, the country’s flag, a popular animal to color, a fun fact, and even a traditional dish. At the end of the notebook, there is a complete reference of all the European flags. I have also included two labeled maps of Europe with all the countries marked (one in color and one in black and white). Plus, there are blank maps for your children to fill in as they learn about each country. All 51 countries of Europe (plus England) are included in the book! You can get just the maps for FREE here!

We usually do just one or two pages a week, and it’s been such a fun way to dig a little deeper while still keeping things light and age-appropriate. It pairs perfectly with your memory work and is great for preschoolers all the way through early elementary.

📘 Download your copy here → Europe Countries Workbook

🎶 Our Europe Song (Yes, It’s Catchy!)

I also made a little YouTube video to help my girls remember all the countries of Europe. It’s easy to sing along to and perfect for car rides or breakfast review. Make sure you download these FREE labeled and blank Europe maps that your kids can use along with learning this song.

📚 Book Basket Ideas for Europe

We love filling a basket with themed books for each subject. Here are a few that tie beautifully into Cycle 2 Europe studies:

• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
• Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Björk
• The Littlest Matryoshka by Corinne Demas Bliss
• Count Your Way Through Greece by Jim Haskins

Stay tuned for my entire Cycle 2 picture booklist coming soon!

🧩 Puzzle Time!

We have loved practicing geography with these Geo Puzzles! Last year we enjoyed putting together Africa and South America during Cycle 1.

I would highly recommend investing in the Europe puzzle for Cycle 2! The pieces are shaped like the actual countries, which makes them perfect for visual learners.

And if you’re looking for some simple summer curriculum ideas, be sure to check out my summer ideas post! I’ve included a fun workbook that helps kids learn about the attributes of Jesus with Bible verses to memorize, plus a peek into how we’re learning about real food and nutrition together as a family. It’s a sweet way to keep hearts and minds engaged all summer long!