The 7 Continents and 5 Oceans: Free KS1 Geography Worksheet

What is on the worksheet

A clear outline map of the world with 12 numbered markers: one on each of the seven continents and one in each of the five oceans. A word bank lists all 12 names, and there is a numbered line for each answer. A short colouring task follows.

Country borders are left off so the focus stays on the continents. The map shows the real shapes of the land, so some continents join up: Europe and Asia are one piece of land, North and South America meet in a thin strip, and Africa touches Asia. Before colouring, show your child roughly where Europe ends and Asia begins (along the Ural Mountains in Russia) and draw a light pencil line.

How to use it at home or in the classroom

Print the worksheet, or open it on a tablet and print from there. Start by finding the UK together; it is the small group of islands on the top left of Europe. Then go through the numbers one at a time. Ask your child to point to the place, find its name in the word bank and write it on the matching line. For younger children, read the word bank aloud and let them match the words by their first letter and shape.

A common mix-up is thinking the oceans are separate pools. Trace a finger from one ocean into the next to show they are all joined. A globe nearby helps here, because the flat map splits the Pacific Ocean into two parts, one at each side. In school it works well as a starter for a topic on the wider world, or as a quick check of locational knowledge.

What your child will learn

By the end of the activity, your child should be able to name the seven continents (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America) and the five oceans (the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans), and begin to locate them on a world map.

Naming and locating the continents and oceans is one of the first steps in primary geography. It gives children a mental map of the wider world and a foundation for later learning about countries, climates and how places connect.

A note for teachers

This worksheet supports the Key Stage 1 geography programme of study for locational knowledge, where pupils name and locate the world's seven continents and five oceans. It works as a quick assessment of whether pupils can identify each continent and ocean, and pairs well with a globe, an atlas or an interactive world map.

This sheet uses Oceania for the continent that includes Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands. Some schemes of work say Australia or Australasia instead, so tell pupils both names if yours does. The five oceans in the curriculum include the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. There is no log-in and no watermark. You are welcome to print copies for your class and to link to this page from your school website or newsletter.

Frequently asked questions