Oh wow. I wish I had a good answer for this. I always liked playing with puzzles (the kind that each state is a puzzle piece) and I just liked learning the states and capitols.
My dd, otoh, HATED, loathed and despised it. No matter what I did - games, songs, flashcards, etc - she just would not let it be fun. She hates having to memorize ANYTHING (probably because it actually takes some work on her part), and balks at it like a mule. I have truly found out that you can lead a child to learning, but you can't make them think. I told her that she has won the battle, but she's probably lost the war. One day, she will regret it.
