One of the trickiest things for our youngest learners to understand is that there is a great big world beyond the small little bubbles they live in! But, it’s our job to help them understand that they have an important place in the greater world. Learning about the seven continents is a great way to expose students to the big world!
Read on to learn about some of my favorite ideas to show kids about the great big world!
This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item on these sites using these links, I will receive a small commission on your purchase without additional cost to you. For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link.
Stacking Place in the World Containers
I think it’s important to give students a visual representation of just how big the world is! While this may shatter their perception, kids must understand that there is a great big world beyond the classroom or their homes.
I bought these stacking bowls at Ikea and used my Cricut to create the labels. We sing Dr. Jean’s World Family song every day for a couple of weeks to familiarize them with where exactly they live!
Related Reading: Best Label Maker for Teachers
Mixing the song and the visual really helps students begin to understand that they are a small part of a much bigger world.
Catchy Continent Songs
Everything is easier to learn through songs, right? I can guarantee that once you play these songs for your students, they will be stuck in your head. Sorry in advance!
The Seven Continents Song
The Five Oceans Song
Leap Frog Globe
When I was in 2nd Grade, my teacher had the coolest Geosafri Education Learning Thing {not sure that was the official name though} Keep in mind this was long before tablets ever existed so this was peak tech in the 90s! I was always so entranced by that gadget!
So, I was pumped to realize that Leap Frog makes something similar. The Leap Frog Magic Adventures Globe is filled with thousands of facts about countries and cities around the globe – from landmarks to flags to money {and SO much more!}
We have this at home for Luke to play with and he absolutely loves it. He spouts off facts all the time!
This would be an awesome resource to have in your room for students to reference or use when they get a few free minutes or when you’re chatting about a specific place in the world.
Globe Puzzle
A low-tech version of the Leap Frog Globe is this puzzle. My students love to mess around with this. And often I’ll overhear them singing the continents song while putting it together 🤣
Learn About the Continents
I have two products to give your students a chance to learn even more about the amazing 7 Continents!
Digital Field Trip
It’s definitely too expensive to take our students on a trip around the world, but we can certainly afford a digital trip!
These PowerPoint/Google Slides presentations are filled with stunning photos, facts, and information to pique your students’ interest in the bigger world.
Hands-On Continent Activities
Looking for more hands-on ideas? This bundle is filled with over 150 pages of goodies! There are crafts, info sheets, games, and more for every single continent.
Your students will love learning unique games and crafts for each continent.
Want something fun for your students? Grab this FREE Continent word search!
