Exploring the Continents! – A Homeschool Guide for Ages 8–11

  Why should we study the continents? 

Continents are the big building blocks of the world map, and getting to know them helps everyone see how geography and history fit together (can't have one without the other ;)  Every Continent has its own amazing stories, from ancient Egypt in Africa to powerful dynasties in Asia. Not to mention everyone's favourite: all the bizarre animals!  With all the wonderful things in the world, we want to spread imagination and let kids ask questions. Who dared to climb Mount Everest first? How to earthquakes happen? 

The more kids explore, the more they realize the world is huge, exciting, and full of things worth discovering!

Continents should be more than shapes on a globe—they should be living, exciting parts of your family's world!

Free Learning Resources

You don't need to take our program to make learning engaging! Here are some awesome free resources that you can enjoy and use at home!

General Geography & Continents

• National Geographic Kids: Continents – Fun facts, maps, and quizzes.
• BBC Bitesize: World Geography – Activities and videos on world geography.
• World Map (this one is like the one that Daniel grew up with) 
• Ducksters: Geography for Kids – Quick overviews of each Continent and country.
• GEO-guesser - online game to guess continents and oceans 

Free Videos & Interactive Maps

• National Geographic for kids – Geography playlists for kids.
• OLogy Earth for games, videos and articles on tectonic plates
• Google Earth Explore continents and landmarks in 3D.
• GEO-guesser - online game to guess continents and oceans 

Hands-On:

some people, (myself included ;) learn better doing things with their hands: 

• Paper Mâché globe: Your kids can make a paper mâché earth, label the continents and hang it up. You could even fill it with string-lights and make it into a one of a kind night light!
• Postcard Project: Write postcards "from" each Continent, describing what kids might see if they were visiting.
• Origami around the world: Each Continent has an animal that it's most known for, like the elephant in Africa. Make a different animal for each Continent. 

Books!

Some kids really get into learning when they read books:

• Where on Earth?: Geography As You've Never Seen It Before – DK
• Children's Atlas of God's World – Craig Froman (beautiful maps & facts with a Christian worldview)
• National Geographic Kids World Atlas – National Geographic
• Countries of the World: Our World in Pictures – DK
• National Geographic Kids World Atlas Sticker Activity Book – National Geographic

History Plus Brings It All Together

With History Plus, geography isn't boring—it's an adventure! In our Continents unit, kids explore:

• Short, engaging video lessons for each Continent
• Hands-on projects and crafts to make learning stick
• worksheets to reinforce memory
• A discussion section where kids can share questions and their discoveries

This month, (October 2025), your family (ages 8–11) will travel to all seven continents, discovering:

• Unique features of each Continent: from the Amazon rainforest to the Sahara Desert.
• Meet all the weird creatures the planet holds,
• and learn how the tectonic plates work!

Ready to Explore the World?

Don't just show your kids a map—let them travel the world from home!

Sign up at History Plus and start your family's adventure!

— Janaya Allers