UK countries, capital cities and seas: what children learn
The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has its own capital city: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. In Key Stage 1, children learn to name and find these countries and capitals on a map, and to name the seas around the UK. This game asks for capitals, the country each capital belongs to, and the seas between the UK and its neighbours.
England, Scotland and Wales share the island of Great Britain, while Northern Ireland is on the island of Ireland, next to the Republic of Ireland. The UK is surrounded by water: the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
This topic covers a Key Stage 1 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Locational knowledge): pupils should be taught to “name, locate and identify characteristics of the 4 countries and capital cities of the United Kingdom and its surrounding seas”. The programme of study sets this for the whole of Key Stage 1, so schools choose when to teach it; we have placed this game in Year 2 (ages 6–7).
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Name the four countries. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Point to each one on a map of the UK.
- Match the capitals. London (England), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). Notice that every capital is near water.
- Spot the two islands. Great Britain holds England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is on the island of Ireland.
- Go round the coast. North Sea on the east, English Channel on the south, Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.
- Use compass words. Scotland is north of England; Wales is west of England. This links to compass directions.
Worked examples
Example 1: What is the capital city of Wales?
Working: Wales is to the west of England. Its capital is on the south coast of Wales.
Answer: Cardiff.
Example 2: Which sea is between England and France?
Working: France is south of England, across a narrow stretch of sea.
Answer: The English Channel.
Example 3: Which country of the UK is on the island of Ireland?
Working: England, Scotland and Wales are on Great Britain. The other UK country is across the Irish Sea.
Answer: Northern Ireland.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking London is the capital of Scotland or Wales. London is the capital of England and of the whole UK, but each country has its own capital too.
- Mixing up Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Great Britain is an island with three countries. The United Kingdom adds Northern Ireland.
- Thinking the Republic of Ireland is part of the UK. The island of Ireland has two countries: Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (a separate country).
Activities to try at home
- Find where you live on a UK map, then find your nearest capital city.
- Look for flags: the flags of England, Scotland and Wales, and talk about which country each belongs to.
- On a trip to the seaside, find which sea or ocean you are next to.
- Print the worksheet and colour each country a different colour on a blank UK map.
Ideas for the classroom
- Make a giant UK floor map from masking tape and ask pupils to stand in a named country or sea.
- Show photos of landmarks in each capital (Big Ben, Edinburgh Castle, the Principality Stadium, Belfast City Hall) and match them.
- Play the game as a starter and ask pupils to point to the answer on a wall map.
- Link to compass work: describe where each capital is from London.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of the United Kingdom?
London is the capital of the UK as well as the capital of England. The game asks about the capitals of the four countries.
Why are the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic not in every question?
The questions use the seas named in BBC Bitesize’s KS1 article: the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel. The Atlantic Ocean lies beyond them to the west, and older children meet the Celtic Sea and other names later.
Is Northern Ireland a country?
Yes. The UK is made up of four countries, and Northern Ireland is one of them, with Belfast as its capital.