Continents and oceans: the 7 continents and 5 oceans: what children learn
Knowing the names is the first step to locating them on a globe or world map. Once children can say the names confidently, they can point to them, notice that the United Kingdom is part of Europe, and talk about how the oceans are all joined together. More than two thirds of the Earth is covered by water, so the oceans are much bigger than the land.
Suggested kindergarten practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
NCSS C3 Framework teaching connection: Geographic representations and places. Use place names, compass directions and physical features as background for reading maps and asking questions about places. Extend the game with a map or photograph; recognizing labels alone is not a complete geographic inquiry. Read the framework.
How to play
Sort the cards into the right groups. Tap a card, then its group. You can also drag a card, or press the number on its group. Each game has 3 rounds with no timer. Every card is checked as soon as you place it: a card in the wrong group comes back with a hint, and you get a point for each card you place right first time. For a quicker go, choose Quick quiz: 10 multiple-choice questions in 150 seconds (choose Relaxed for more time).
Step by step
- Say the seven continents. Learn them as a list or a song: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. Point to each one on a globe as you say it.
- Say the five oceans. Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic. Every ocean name in the game ends with the word "Ocean", which is a helpful clue.
- Find home first. Find the United Kingdom on a map. It is in Europe, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
- Use the poles. The Arctic Ocean is around the North Pole. Antarctica is the continent at the South Pole, and the Southern Ocean surrounds it.
- Compare sizes. The Pacific is the largest ocean and the Arctic is the smallest. Asia is the largest continent.
Worked examples
Example 1: Is Oceania a continent or an ocean?
Working: It sounds like "ocean", but Oceania is the continent that includes Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific islands.
Answer: A continent.
Example 2: Which ocean surrounds Antarctica?
Working: Antarctica is at the South Pole. The ocean around it is very cold and full of icebergs.
Answer: The Southern Ocean.
Example 3: Which is the largest ocean?
Working: The Pacific covers about a third of the whole Earth, more than any other ocean.
Answer: The Pacific Ocean.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking Oceania is an ocean. Explain that Oceania is land: Australia, New Zealand and lots of islands. The ocean nearby is the Pacific.
- Mixing up the Arctic and Antarctica. The Arctic, in the north, is mostly frozen ocean. Antarctica, in the south, is a continent made of land covered by ice.
- Thinking countries are continents. A continent contains many countries. France, Spain and the United Kingdom are countries in the continent of Europe.
Activities to try at home
- Look at a globe or a world map together and play "point to it": one person names a continent or ocean and the other finds it.
- Sing the continents to a tune your child knows, then try the oceans.
- When you see a place on the news or in a story, find which continent it is in.
- Print the worksheet and let your child color each continent a different color on a blank world map.
Ideas for the classroom
- Label seven hoops with the continents and five with the oceans; students place picture cards of animals or landmarks in the right one.
- Use a large floor map and ask students to stand on a named continent or ocean.
- Play the game as a starter and ask students to show the answer on an inflatable globe.
- Make a class display where students add a fact about one continent or ocean each week.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-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
Why does the game say Oceania and not Australia?
Different books use different names. Many UK resources, including BBC Bitesize, call the continent Oceania because it includes New Zealand and the Pacific islands as well as Australia. Some atlases call it Australia or Australasia.
Is the Southern Ocean a real ocean?
Yes. The water around Antarctica is now widely counted as the fifth ocean, and the five-ocean list (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic) is the one taught in UK elementary schools.
Which is the largest continent?
Asia is the largest continent by both area and population. Oceania is the smallest by land area.