What animals live in Panama?

Panama is packed with wild creatures! You can find jaguars prowling through the jungle, giant green iguanas sunning on rocks, and poison dart frogs — tiny frogs with bright red, blue, or yellow skin — hopping along the forest floor. Hundreds of kinds of birds live there too, including the harpy eagle, which is one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. Panama sits like a bridge connecting North America and South America, so animals from both continents mix together there — which makes it one of the most creature-filled places on earth. Tapirs (which look a bit like a cross between a pig and an anteater) wade through rivers, howler monkeys roar from the treetops so loudly you can hear them a mile away, and sea turtles come ashore on Panama's beaches to lay their eggs. God packed a lot of variety into that narrow strip of land!

What do kids eat in Panama?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Kids in Panama grow up eating rice and beans at almost every meal — it is the backbone of Panamanian cooking. A favorite dish is called 'sancocho,' a thick chicken soup with yuca, corn, and herbs that smells wonderful when it is bubbling on the stove. Rusty wants to add that Panamanian kids also love fresh tropical fruits like mangoes, papayas, and a spiky green fruit called guanábana that tastes a little like a mix of strawberry and vanilla. Street food is a big part of life too — 'patacones' are fried slices of green plantain, smashed flat and golden, and kids eat them the way you might eat a potato chip, often dipped in sauce. Food is one of the good gifts God gives to people in every corner of His world!

How do people say hello in Panama?

In Panama, most people speak Spanish, so the most common greeting is '¡Hola!' — that's pronounced OH-lah, and it just means 'Hello!' If it's morning, people say '¡Buenos días!' (BWAY-nos DEE-as), which means 'Good morning.' Panamanians are known for being warm and friendly when they meet someone new. Panama is also home to several indigenous groups, like the Ngäbe and the Guna people, and they have their own languages with their own greetings too. The Guna people, who live on islands off Panama's coast, have kept their language and many of their traditions for a very long time. Missionaries have worked hard to translate the Bible into some of these languages so people can read about Jesus in the words they grew up hearing at home.

What sports or games do kids play in Panama?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Kids in Panama are wild about fútbol — that's soccer — and you'll find pickup games happening in open fields, schoolyards, and even on city streets almost every day of the week. Baseball is huge too, especially along the Caribbean coast, and Panama has actually produced some world-class professional players. Rusty wants to add that kids also play basketball, swim in the Pacific and Caribbean (Panama touches both oceans!), and in smaller villages you might see traditional games passed down through indigenous communities, like spinning tops and marbles. Whether it's a dusty field or a palm-shaded courtyard, kids in Panama find ways to play together — and those friendships are exactly the kind of place where missionaries get to share the good news of Jesus.

What's the weather like in Panama?

Panama sits close to the equator, so it stays warm and humid almost all year — usually between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There are really two seasons: a rainy season from about May to December, and a drier season from January to April. The rainy season brings heavy afternoon downpours almost every day, especially in the jungle regions. The two oceans on either side — the Pacific and the Caribbean — actually create different weather patterns, so the Caribbean coast gets rain nearly year-round while the Pacific side dries out more in the dry season. It makes Panama a land of thick rainforests and rushing rivers!

Tell me a fun fact about Panama.

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! Panama is one of the only places on Earth where you can watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic — all from the same spot. That happens because the country bends like a lazy S-curve, flipping east and west in a way that surprises almost every visitor. Rusty wants to add this gem: the Panama Canal is one of the greatest engineering feats ever built by human hands. Ships from all over the world sail through it every single day, cutting thousands of miles off their journey. When you look at a map and see how that thin strip of land connects two whole continents, it really does make you think about how carefully God designed this world — right down to its geography.

What is school like for kids in Panama?

Great question to ask while exploring Panama! Most kids in Panama go to school Monday through Friday, just like many of you reading this. Spanish is the main language of instruction, and students study subjects like math, science, and history. School uniforms are very common — students often wear white shirts and dark pants or skirts. Now here is something worth knowing: not every child in Panama has an easy path to school. Kids in remote jungle areas or on the many small islands sometimes have to travel long distances just to reach a classroom. Some indigenous children, like those from the Ngäbe or Kuna peoples, may have fewer schools nearby, and their home language is different from Spanish — which makes learning harder. That is one reason missionaries work in Panama: sharing the gospel and helping people, including children, have hope in Jesus no matter where they live.

Who are the unreached people in Panama?

Great question! Panama is a small country shaped like an S-curve connecting North and South America, and it is home to several indigenous groups who have very little access to the gospel. Groups like the Ngäbe, the Buglé, and the Kuna people live in villages tucked into mountains and islands, and many of them have never had a clear chance to hear that Jesus died and rose again to save them. Some of these communities do not yet have the full Bible in their own language, which makes it harder for them to learn about God on their own. Missionaries and local Christians are working to change that — translating Scripture, planting churches, and sharing the good news village by village. You can pray that God opens doors for these people to hear about Jesus and that He raises up leaders from right inside their own communities to carry the gospel forward.

How can I pray for the people of Panama?

Panama is a country with churches and many people who have heard about Jesus — but there are also communities, especially in the rainforest interior, where indigenous groups have very little access to the Bible in their own heart language. You can pray that God opens doors for His Word to reach every tribe and village there. Pray that Panamanian Christians grow bold and faithful, sharing the gospel with their neighbors and leading their own churches well. Ask God to protect any believers who face pressure for following Jesus, and pray that children and families across Panama — from the big cities to the jungle rivers — would come to know Jesus as their Savior.

What is a holiday or celebration in Panama?

One of the biggest celebrations in Panama is Carnival, which happens every year in the days just before Lent begins. People fill the streets with music, dancing, and colorful costumes — especially in a city called Las Tablas, which is famous for its wild and lively Carnival parties. Panama also celebrates Independence Day on November 3rd, when the country became free from Colombia in 1903. Panamanian Christians often gather on holidays like these to give thanks to God, and many churches use festive times of year as a chance to share the good news about Jesus with neighbors and friends.

What language do people speak in Panama?

Spanish is the official language of Panama, and most people there speak it every day — at school, at the market, and at home. You would hear it everywhere from Panama City all the way to small villages in the jungle. But here is something worth knowing: Panama is home to several indigenous groups, like the Ngäbe, the Kuna (also called Guna), and the Emberá, and each of these groups has their own language too. Some of those languages still do not have a complete Bible, which is one reason missionaries work hard in Panama — so that every person can read or hear about Jesus in the language of their own heart.

What's a famous place to visit in Panama?

Herman here, with Rusty nodding along! One of the most famous places in Panama is the Panama Canal — a giant waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Ships from all over the world travel through it, and you can stand right there and watch enormous vessels pass by like floating cities. Rusty loves pointing out that the canal was one of the biggest building projects in human history, finished in 1914. Thousands of workers from many different countries helped dig and build it through thick jungle and rocky hills. When you see it up close, it really does make you think about how creative God made human beings — able to dream up and build something that enormous.

Panama — Kids Missions Explorer

Harpy Eagle

The harpy eagle is Panama's national bird and one of the largest eagles on Earth, powerful enough to snatch a monkey or sloth right out of the rainforest canopy.

Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog

This tiny red frog, barely the size of a thumbnail, carries enough toxin in its skin to make predators very sorry they tried to eat it.

Geoffroy's Tamarin

This small monkey, with its striking black-and-white face, lives in the forests of Panama and is found almost nowhere else on the planet.

Sancocho

Sancocho is a slow-cooked chicken and root-vegetable stew seasoned with a herb called culantro, and most Panamanian families consider it the definitive comfort meal.

Patacones

Patacones are twice-fried slices of green plantain that come out crispy and golden, often served as a side dish or topped with meat and sauce.

Arroz con Pollo

Rice cooked together with chicken, vegetables, and saffron is so common at Panamanian celebrations and Sunday tables that many kids grow up thinking of it as the taste of home.

Panama

Things you should know about Panama

Wildlife you might meet

What’s on the table

Did you know?

Life in Panama

Missions in Panama

Pray for Panama