Seven continents and five oceans

Ages 3 to 5 Read and do together · about 20 minutes

Read together

The big pieces of land are called continents.

The big waters are called oceans.

Do it

1. Look at a world map or globe. Find the blue (water) and the coloured land.
2. Say the continents slowly, one at a time: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America.
3. Say the oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic. Find the one nearest to you.
4. Find your home country, then the Philippines or Mexico, and say which continent each is in.

Talk about it

• Which continent do we live on?
• Which ocean is the biggest?

For the grown-up

Many English-speaking countries count seven continents. Some countries count six (joining North and South America) or five. There are five oceans in the usual modern count, since the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is now widely named as the fifth. The Pacific is the largest.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• National Geographic Society, education resources on continents and oceans
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, “How many oceans are there?”

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.