7 Continents Unit Study & Printable
As homeschooling parents, we have the unique opportunity to provide our children with a rich and diverse education, including a deep understanding of our world’s geography. One fascinating aspect of this study is exploring the 7 continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. In this post, we’re sharing several reasons why it’s important to teach our kids geography, some tips on helping your kids learn about the 7 continents, and a free downloadable continents printable.
Teaching kids about the 7 continents not only helps them understand the world’s geography but also fosters a sense of curiosity and appreciation for different cultures and environments. Plus, if you’re a homeschool mom, you know that just teaching your children about reading, writing and arithmetic isn’t quite enough. They have questions about the world around them and teaching them about the 7 continents helps to answer those questions.
Why Teach Your Kids About the 7 Continents?
You’ll Help Them Understand the Diversity of God’s World:
Learning about the continents exposes children to the incredible diversity of cultures, languages, and landscapes on our planet. It helps them appreciate the differences and similarities between people from various parts of the world.
You’ll Introduce Them to Global Awareness:
In today’s interconnected world, it’s crucial for children to have a basic understanding of global geography. Knowing where countries are located and their relative sizes helps children make sense of world events and global issues.
You’ll Help Them Appreciate Other Cultures and People Groups:
Studying the 7 continents can spark an interest in different cultures and traditions. It can inspire children to learn more about the world around them, and the people that make up this world.
You’ll Give Them a Head Start in Potential Career Opportunities:
Geography is a foundational subject for many careers, including cartography, international relations, and environmental science. Introducing children to geography early on can open their eyes to future possibilities, including teaching or even traveling to the other countries they’re learning about.
Tips for Teaching Your Kids About the 7 Continents
Use Visual Aids:
Visual aids such as maps, globes, and atlases can make learning about the continents more engaging and interactive. Consider using a large world map poster as a reference point and highlighting each continent as you study it. If you’re looking for a good geography curriculum, here is a great geography curriculum list for various ages.
Hands-On Activities:
There are a variety of ways to make geography fun for kids and incorporate hands-on activities to help children connect with the material. For example, you can create a continent puzzle, use playdough to sculpt the different continents, or have your child combine fine skills with geography study by doing this continent maps stitching activity.
(Check out these Hands-On Countries of the World Activities.)
Use Technology:
There are several educational apps and online resources that can help children learn about the continents. These resources often include interactive maps, quizzes, and games that make learning fun. You can also find interesting and informative videos about the 7 continents such as this one:
Read Books About Geography:
There are many children’s books available that explore the continents and geography in a fun and educational way. Reading these books together can make the subject more accessible to children.
Some suggestions include:
- My 1st Book of Seven Continents (for ages 2 – 5)
- LaLa Koala Explores the Continents (for ages 3 – 7)
- World Atlas Sticker Activity Book (for ages 3 – 5+)
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the World (for ages 3 – 6)
Free Printable: Learning About the 7 Continents
To help you teach your children about the 7 continents, we’ve created a free printable worksheet. This worksheet includes a map of the world with the continents labeled. Your child can color in each continent and write down interesting facts they learn about each one.
Click below to download the free printable.
Conclusion
Teaching kids about the seven continents is not just about memorizing names and locations; it’s about instilling a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. By incorporating fun and interactive activities into your homeschool curriculum, you can help your children develop a lifelong appreciation for geography and a deeper understanding of this amazing world God has made.
