The 7 continents
Most of the world, including Spanish-speaking countries and the United Kingdom, teaches seven continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Asia is by far the largest and holds more than half of all the people on Earth, while Antarctica is the coldest and has no permanent population at all. Some countries teach six or even five continents instead - combining Europe and Asia into Eurasia, or the two Americas into a single continent - so a child may hear a different number depending on where they go to school. None of these versions is wrong; they are simply different conventions.
The 5 oceans
There is really only one connected body of salt water, but geographers divide it into five oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. The Pacific is the largest by a wide margin - it covers about a third of the planet's surface, which is why it appears on both edges of a flat world map. The Southern Ocean, which rings Antarctica, is the newest of the five: it was formally recognised as a separate ocean by the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000, so older maps and older adults often mention only four.
Why a map is a good place to start
Continents and oceans are usually a child's first taste of geography, and they work well because they are big, visual and easy to point at. Naming them is only half of it; the more useful skill is placing them relative to one another - knowing that Africa sits below Europe, that the Atlantic is between the Americas and Africa, or that Antarctica is at the very bottom. Games where a child has to find a place rather than just recognise its name build exactly that spatial sense, and it tends to stick far longer than a memorised list.
Frequently asked questions
How many continents are there?
Seven in the most widely taught model: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Some school systems teach six (merging Europe and Asia into Eurasia) or five, so the number varies by country.
How many oceans are there?
Five: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Oceans. The Southern Ocean was only formally recognised as separate in 2000, which is why some older maps show four.
What is the largest continent?
Asia, both in area and in population. It covers about 30% of the world's land and is home to more than half of all people on Earth.
What is the largest ocean?
The Pacific Ocean. It covers roughly a third of the planet's surface and is larger than all the land on Earth put together, which is why it appears on both sides of a flat map.
What is the best way to teach continents to a child?
Start with a map they can touch and point at, name one continent at a time, and connect each to something they already know - an animal, a food, a family member who lives there. Then move from recognising names to finding places on the map, which is what actually builds a sense of where things are.