The Best Globes for Kids

Little Experimenter Illuminated World Globe for Kids

Light Up the World

This globe for kids features LED lights so your child can use it at night.

Best Overall

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With an 8-inch diameter and a sturdy stand, this globe is perfectly sized for kids. It rests securely on a stand, so your child can spin it easily as they learn about the world without worrying about it tipping over. In addition to being steady, this globe is a great learning tool. There are many details on the globe that slightly older children can really take in. As they study the globe, they can easily see the capitals of each country as well as the names of the lakes and seas.

If it starts to get dark while your child is using the globe, they can flip the small switch at the bottom. Instantly, LED lights will illuminate the globe. It’ll shine brightly, encouraging your child to interact with it in a new way. You can even leave it on as a nightlight to help your child drift off to sleep while thinking about the world. It’s a great addition to any child’s room.

Pros

• Illumination mode so your child can clearly see the globe at night
• Tip-resistant stand keeps the globe upright while your child spins it
• Cord-free – the lights are powered by 4 AA batteries, so you won’t have a tripping hazard

Cons

• Though it’s a nice size for small kid hands, this globe as a whole is fairly small (only 8 inches)

Shifu Orboot Augmented Reality Interactive Globe For Kids

Scan and Learn

Send your child on a worldwide adventure from your living room with this tech-savvy globe.

Best Augmented Reality

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This globe for kids encourages visual learning to help inspire a curiosity about the world, different cultures, and more. Once you download and launch the app on your tablet or phone, your child can begin their globetrotting adventure. As they complete missions, they will learn so much. And since they’ll earn rewards for completing them, it’ll motivate them to keep going.

The interactive app will help your child expand their knowledge. They can study animals, look at maps of different countries, learn more about inventions from around the world, and more. The augmented reality will draw kids in and help them feel like they’re really on an adventure to another place. This globe will quickly be a favorite in your home.

Pros

• User-friendly app that is intuitive for kids to use
• Comes with a passport and stickers for extended learning opportunties
• Very interactive to encourage your kids to use it for long periods of time

Cons

• Borders aren’t shown on the globe, so your child won’t learn the names of countries by looking at it (they can see these in the app though)
• Doesn’t work well on a Kindle Fire, so an iPhone or Android device are recommended

LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe

Hours of Fun

This globe for kids comes with several neat accessories that will keep your child busy for long stretches of time.

Best Accessories

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Your child can use the stylus on this globe to learn more about the world. As they interact with the globe, the 2.7-inch LCD screen will show them videos and animations, inspiring even more curiosity about our planet. There are more than five hours of BBC videos that your child can watch, too, and on top of that, the screen can be used for games and activities. There’s plenty here to keep your child playing for hours.

You won’t need to download an app or have your child use your phone or tablet to play with this globe, so it’s something even younger kids can play with. This globe is perfect for children in the 5-7 year age range, though slightly older kids may still enjoy the fun. No matter how old they are, you’ll be amazed at the facts your child learns with this interactive globe.

Pros

• Stylus is attached so it’s not going to get lost
• LCD screen has a clear display that’s a good size for child learners
• Very interactive, so it draws your child in and encourages them to learn through play

Cons

• No headphone jack, so everyone gets to learn while this is in use
• Burns through batteries fairly quickly, so you might want to have some extra AAs on hand

Learning Resources Puzzle Globe

Kidding Around

Your young child will have a blast putting the continent pieces into this puzzle globe.

Best for Young Learners

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Geography isn’t just for older kids, and for proof of that, look to this puzzle globe, which will help your preschoolers learn more about the world’s environments and landmasses. It’s very simple, showing just the oceans and continents. There are also a few stickers on the globe that show famous landmarks and familiar animals.

As your child learns, they can take out six of the continents. These chunky puzzle pieces are simple for your child to handle. They can put them back in the globe, and by doing so, they’ll begin to internalize the location of each one. This globe puzzle rests on a sturdy base that allows the globe to spin easily. It really does make geography fun for young kids.

Pros

• Safe for kids in the 3-5 age range, so it’s the perfect introduction to geography for your preschoolers
• Puzzle element helps your child improve their fine motor skills
• Comes with a few blank labels so you can personalize your child’s globe with places they are familiar with

Cons

• The stickers peel off easily, so if your curious child grabs one and peels they might get lost
• Antarctica is a continent, but not a puzzle piece (it’s stationary at the bottom of the globe) so this will be something you need to talk about with your child if they think there are only six continents instead of seven.

Little Experimenter Globe for Kids

Explore the Earth and the Sky

This 3-in-1 globe for kids features a light up constellation map as well as a world globe.

Best Modes

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Kids are naturally curious about the world and the sky. This globe has three different modes to help them on their quest to learn. There’s a standard map mode that shows the countries and capitals, along with some geographical features like deserts and seas. Then, when the room starts to darken, a second mode will activate and your child can see a constellation map of the night sky. It’s a great way to extend their learning and help them see what stars can be seen from different parts of the world. This mode is illuminated so that your child can clearly see it in the dark.

Then, when the lights go out at bedtime, the light sensor detects that it’s time for the third mode to turn on. This projects stars and moons out of the top of the globe, giving your child’s bedroom a soft light with color changing images to fall asleep to. There are also buttons to turn the projection on and off, which makes it more user friendly. Day or night, your child will get a lot of use out of this one.

Pros

• Three different modes to keep it interesting for your child
• Earth’s map is detailed and easy to read
• Perched on a sturdy stand so your child can learn without worrying about it falling off the table

Cons

• The projection area is small, so it won’t fill your child’s entire room with stars and moons

Frequently Asked Questions

How old should my child be to use a globe for kids?

Though globes for kids are designed with young users in mind, there are still some risks with having your tiny toddlers use them. Their fingers are little and might get pinched in the stand while they spin. Others come with accessories that could be choking hazards. If your child is under the recommended age range for the globe you buy, definitely provide supervision while it’s in use. It’ll be a fun way for you to spend time together, learning about the world.

What should my child do with the globe?

Now that you have a globe for kids, what should your child do with it? First, give them some time to get acquainted with their new learning tool. Show them how to spin it carefully and point out what each of the different types of labels is for. You can let your child play independently with the globe to see what they can discover on their own. They can use it to help them with geography homework. You can also use it together to find countries you hear about in books or on the television. This helps your child to make connections between the things they learn with things in the real world. You can also give your child challenges: make a list of ten countries and have them locate each, for example. You can ask them to write down all of the oceans, or the countries that start with a certain letter. Use your imagination and explore the world together.