Micador jR Globe4Kids – Blue Ocean 30cm Adventure Edition
If you have youngsters that are fascinated with where other countries are, or have a million and one questions a day about where animals like lions live etc, then you’re probably wondering if a globe could be a worthwhile investment for your family.
I have three boys with endless questions, and I’ve often wondered if a globe for kids might be worth having…it’s just one of those things that seems to always be on my to-look-into list but hasn’t eventuated.
I was lucky enough to be given a Micador jR. Globe4Kids to trial, and was super excited to see what the boys thought of it!
The globe needs to be assembled and the instructions were really easy to follow. It took me less than a minute to snap all the pieces into place: I even got it right the first go! The globe itself is a huge 30cm in diameter and then has a stand. It’s a great size for kids and the Micador jR. Globe4Kids is designed specifically to appeal to kids; providing enough room for pictures to prompt the kids and for them to recognise the countries and continents for what they are most commonly known (i.e. illustrations of African animals in Africa).
The Equator line is very easy to distinguish which makes teaching the latitude lines and hemispheres in particular easier. There is also an international date line which I found very informative. The colours differentiating the countries keeps it interesting and simple for little ones to locate country borders. The illustrations are a huge hit with Master 4, and one of our favourite activities so far has been to play ‘hide & seek’ with illustrations. For Example, I choose an illustration and ask what country the Panda is found in? He goes looking to find it which is such a great way to teach the kids about our world!
The Micador jR. Globe4Kids comes with a double-sided activity sheet in case you run out of ideas: Master 6 and I love working out locations of things on the sheet using the longitude & latitude lines. The sheet also contains amazing facts and interesting stats: and they really ARE amazing!
There is so much to love about the globe, and the only problem that I had with it was the stand: it’s a bit light-duty for the globe, so when the kids go to turn the globe on the semi the whole stand tends to spin. It works a lot better when they rest their one hand on the base when spinning the globe to avoid movement.
One thing that has been a massive hit, has been the ability to temporarily mark the globe. There’s a whole sheet of REUSABLE stickers, and they’re so easy to peel off and re-stick! There’s also a marker pen, for plotting journeys: my son’s grandma went to England last year, and we had fun marking where the plane flew and where it stopped with little x’s. Once we were finished, we wiped the pen off easily with a tissue, to avoid leaving faint marks (similar to those left on a whiteboard when the whiteboard hasn’t been cleaned). Master 4 loves sticking on the stickers of the remaining animals and also the little creatures that go traveling on the jets.
There are heaps of volcanoes pictured on this Globe4Kids. I found this most intriguing!
There’s a whole line of them through the ocean, over the top of Japan, then continuing past Japan back through the ocean. This prompted many questions about how there could possibly be volcanoes if there’s no land, and with the help of Google, the kids now have an accurate interpretation of how the Earth is formed beneath the top layer. Every time the kids look at it, they learn something new: I just love it!
So: do I think the Micador jR Globe4Kids is a worthwhile Christmas gift? Absolutely I do! It’s perfect for kids to explore and learn about our planet in a fun and creative way. A really fantastic educational device: a must have in every home!
Recommended Ages: 3-8
RRP: $60
Available from: https://micador.com.au/products/MGMG4K
Reviewed by S Johnston, mum to 3 boys.
