Free Continents Printables and Montessori-Inspired Continents Activities

We’ve already had a “me on the map” unit (printables still available!), but our new unit is specifically about the continents. I’ve used the traditional Montessori continent colors and materials as featured images in this unit. You’ll also find a new Montessori-inspired continents pack for our newsletter subscribers’ resource library!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Montessori Shelves with Continents-Themed Activities

You’ll find Montessori-inspired continents numbers, letters, and and more (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The Montessori-inspired continents pack isn’t designed as a complete me on the map unit but as supplemental materials. I design the packs using realistic images that I’ve often looked for when preparing a unit study (such as font cards and phonogram cards featuring the letter and phonogram related to the theme and math cards with realistic images that fit the theme and can be adapted for math activities at a variety of levels.)

You could mix your continents-themed activities among your shelves according to curriculum area. Or you could have a special continents-themed area something like the one pictured. My shelves at the beginning of our unit have a mixture of skill levels. Many of the activities can be adapted for a variety of levels. Many of these are designed for early elementary as well as preschoolers. If you’re a homeschooler, just choose the activities that work for your child’s interests and ability levels. If you don’t have room for all the activities you’d like to do, simply rotate them.

Notice the framed art print The Globetrotters by Dutch artist Henriëtte Ronner-Knip. It was painted in 1883 and is a free download from Wikimedia Commons.

For our monthly featured art print, I purchased a Li’l DAVINCI art frame that opens in the front for easily changing a free art masterpiece printable or vintage illustration to fit with the month’s theme. The frame can be switched from horizontal to vertical without changing the hanger, which is perfect!

If you’re wondering about the rugs and rug box I use, both the rugs and wooden rug holder are from Montessori Services. I love the Montessori Services rugs and rug holder! I used to use an umbrella stand something like these. I loved that for 1-3 rugs, but I needed something different when I had more grandchildren and some projects that needed more than one rug.

Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets, and More for Montessori Homeschoolers

I often get asked about the trays, baskets, etc., that I use, so I published a post with many of the items. You can find lots of helpful resources here. They’re not all essential, so don’t feel you need to have everything. Just choose what’s best for your budget and your unique family’s needs. You’ll find more ideas in the Living Montessori Now Amazon shop

Continents Themed Books for Kids

Even though I have books on shelves, I’m now keeping many of my themed books in a forward-facing display after placing a plant where the themed book basket was before. Most of my seasonal books are now in that book basket. 

For toddlers and preschoolers, about ¾ of the books I use are typically Montessori friendly (focusing on reality without smiling or talking animals or smiling or talking vehicles).

 I’ll add links to all the books we used in a couple of days.

You can see lots of Continents Books for Kids here.

A Journey Around Our Continents and Continents Scavenger Hunt

The book is DK’s A Journey Around Our Continents.

Free Printable: Continents Scavenger Hunt by Iris and Finn Hands-on Learning Collections

The Seven Continents Bead Bar and Addition Activity

Free Printable: Continent Map Number Cards and Addition Symbol Cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

This shows an addition activity you can do using bead bars and the number cards. For younger children, you can simply have an activity where they count the number of continents and bead bars.

Here are two activities from a previous “Me on the map” unit!

DIY World Map and Compass Cards and Counters

Free Printable: World map numbers 1-10 and 55 compass counters (part of my Montessori-Inspired Me on the Map subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The printable circles are designed for wood slices 1.5″  in diameter. I printed mine out at 67% to fit better on my tray with 1″ wood slices and with the math cards. Either way is fine, although I definitely like the 1″ compasses for a cards and counter activity!

World Map and Compass Greater Than, Less Than Activity

Free Printable: World map numbers 1-10 and 19 compass counters (part of my Montessori-Inspired assubscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber) Note: The printable circles are designed for wood slices 1.5″  in diameter. I printed mine out at 67% to fit better on my tray with 1″ wood slices and with the math cards. Either way is fine, although I definitely like the 1″ compasses for a cards and counter activity!

This activity uses the same printables except that only 19 compass counters are needed if you use combinations of the numbers from 1-10. The wood sorting board for the bead stair that you’ll see in the tray on my shelf is from Etsy, but it’s not available right now. Typically, I just have the bead bars I’m using from our decanomial box in a little cup or other small container.

The bead bars aren’t necessary for this activity, but using them is simply another way to focus on counting with the bead bars. Check out my greater than, less than alligator math posts for fun ways to introduce greater than, less than.

Continents Globe, 3-Part Cards, and Pages in My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things

 Free Printable: Continents: Montessori 3-Part Cards by SavvyPrints at TPT (here I used the print set)

Sand Writing Tray for a Continents Theme

Free Printables: continent letter “c” font cards for sand writing tray (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

Note: In this pack, you’ll find /c/ for continent 7 times … with a Montessori image for each of the continents! You might want to feature each of the continents, your own continent, or a continent you’re studying.

You’ll see a variety of simple letter writing trays in my previous unit study posts. I often used the wooden tray from the Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Shapes. You can use whatever tray or container work best for you, though.

The sandpaper letters I use are available in print or cursive.

I typically now use this lovely spelling/alphabet tray from FamilyTreeWW on Etsy. I like it for writing more than one letter or spelling words. 

If you would like help with introducing phonetic sounds, introducing objects with sounds, or beginning phonics in general, check out my DIY Beginning Montessori Phonics with Preschoolers.

O_e-Phonogram-Work

Free Printable: “Bossy E” Word Cards from Montessori Print Shop. I love these for teaching silent e! They’re so simple to prepare and use, and they make the concept very clear. The other vowels are included in the printable, but I just used o_e here.

Free Printable: (O-e for globe phonogram cards(part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

Free Printable: O-e Sound with Letters from MontessoriSoul (I made this printable into a booklet.)

Montessori Continents Puzzle Printable

On the right side of the middle shelf, you’ll see a world continents puzzle activity using a free printable! There are two background options and two levels of difficulty available.

Free Printable: 3 Free Puzzles to Make Learning the Continents Fun from Books and Giggles

Map and Globe Movable Alphabet Work

Free Printables: continent letter “m” font cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

Free Printable: O-e for globe phonogram cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

Free Printable: Montessori geography alphabet cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

There are so many ways to use these alphabet cards! Here I just did a movable alphabet activity, featuring the print and cursive versions of the cards.

Work with Montessori Continents Mat, Animals. and Landmarks

You’ll see the trays for this work on the bottom shelf. The mat can be rolled up and placed in a corner or with other rugs.

This uses the Montessori Continents Playmat with Matching Wooden Cards for 41 Animals & Landmarks.

 Free Printable: Continents: Montessori 3-Part Cards by SavvyPrints at TPT (here I used the cursive set)

Free Printable: Globe, Continent, and Ocean Labels from Montessori Print Shop (these included oceans as well as the continents with colored borders or in black and white)

8-year-old Caleb and 2-year-old Arabella had fun working with this together. Arabella matched the animals while Caleb did the landmarks and labels.

More Activities with Purchased Materials from Our Previous Me on the Map Unit

You’ll see these books and materials in my earlier photo of the open book on the stand. They include traditional Montessori materials of the continents globe, world continents puzzle map, and punch activity using the North America continent for tracing. The books are the National Geographic Kids My First Atlas of the World with many beautiful photos. Maps is a fabulous book for many ages with its huge maps and gorgeous illustrations.

As much as I love the traditional Montessori world puzzle map and the individual continent puzzle maps, they’re too large and expensive for my home environment. I was lucky  to find a small version of the Montessori world puzzle map by Amazing Child Montessori on Amazon. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available. But I’ve found a number of puzzle maps that work very well for homeschools and home environments in general. 

We love this Continents Felt Map with Wooden Labels from SparkandGrove on Etsy. The shop is taking a break, but there are lots of Montessori world maps on Etsy, making it easy to find one that’s perfect for almost any home environment.

Free Geography Resources

Montessori-Inspired Continents Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

Montessori-Inspired Me on the Map Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Bead Bar Work, Hands-on Math Operations, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, DIY Movable Alphabet, and Creative Writing (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my newsletter to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber).

More Geography Resources

Me on the Map Books for Kids

Geography Puzzles

• “All About Me” Free Printables and Activities for Back to School
• DIY Cosmic Nesting Boxes, Map Towers, and “Me on the Map” Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Compass Rose Activities and Outdoor Compass Walks
• DIY Montessori Globes
• Land, Water, Air Activities from Montessori By Mom
• Montessori Land, Air, and Water Activities
• Continent Map Work
• Montessori Continent Boxes
• Creative Ideas for Montessori Continent Boxes from Around the World
• Montessori Continent Activities for North America (or Applied to Other Continents)
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – North America
• Montessori Activities for South America (and Other Continents)
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures – South America
• Montessori Activities for Europe (and Other Continents)
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Europe)
• Montessori-Inspired Study of Africa
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities Using Replicas – Africa
• Simple African Animal and Continent Map Cut-and-Paste Activity {Free Printables}
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures and Landmarks – Asia
• Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities with Animal Figures – Australia
• Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Australia
• Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Global Adventure (This post contains Montessori-inspired activities for many individual countries using Little Passports packages and resources found online.)
• Earth Exploration Activities from Montessori By Mom (includes a variety of geography activities)
• Montessori-Inspired Map Activities Using Pin It! Maps

If you’d like ideas for calendar-based themes throughout August and September, see my August Themed Activities for Kids and September Themed Activities for Kids.

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