A kids’ guide to the biggest deserts in the world

This children’s article, A kids’ guide to the biggest deserts in the world, has been written for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children build vocabulary, learn about deserts, and discover some surprising facts about the planet’s largest icy and sandy landscapes. Written by Mark Pulley, a teacher and writer who creates fun and informative news articles for English learners.

The Antarctic Desert – the biggest of them all

When you hear the word desert, you probably imagine endless sand dunes, camels, and scorching hot sun. But here’s a surprise: the biggest desert in the world is actually Antarctica, and it’s covered in ice!

The Antarctic Desert is enormous, covering about 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million square kilometres). That’s bigger than Europe and almost twice the size of Australia.

So why is Antarctica a desert? Because a desert isn’t just hot and sandy, it’s any place that gets very little rain or snow. Antarctica is the driest place on Earth, with some areas not seeing any real snowfall for hundreds of years!

The Arctic Desert – almost as big

The second-largest desert in the world is the Arctic Desert, which is nearly as big as Antarctica at around 5.4 million square miles (13.9 million square kilometres).

Unlike Antarctica, people actually live in the Arctic, mostly in countries like Canada and Russia. The Arctic Desert is covered in snow and ice for much of the year, but in summer, the top layer melts to reveal tundra, where mosses, lichens, and even small animals survive in the freezing conditions.

The Sahara Desert – the sandy giant

When people say “the desert,” they often mean the Sahara Desert in Africa. It’s the world’s largest hot and sandy desert, stretching across 11 countries and covering about 3.5 million square miles (9 million square kilometres).

The Sahara is famous for its golden dunes, blistering heat, and hardy animals like camels and fennec foxes. But even here, people have found ways to live, using oases and clever survival skills.

Surprising desert facts

It might seem strange, but deserts come in many forms. Some are icy, some are sandy, and some are rocky. What makes a desert is the lack of rain, not the temperature. So, the next time you think of a desert, remember that it might be frozen instead of fiery!

Article vocabulary list

• Desert: A place that gets very little rain or snow.
• Antarctica: The cold continent at the South Pole, covered in ice.
• Arctic: The cold region around the North Pole.
• Tundra: A frozen landscape where only small plants can grow.
• Dunes: Hills of sand formed by the wind.
• Oasis: A green spot in a desert where water and plants are found.
• Rainfall: Water that falls from the sky as rain.
• Climate: The usual weather in a place.

Comprehension questions

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