Confession: we’re kind of obsessed with maps and globes! Our favorite world globes have been helpful for teaching my kids about the Earth and geography.
We have world globes for my preschooler and forever globes that my daughter and I both reference frequently while reading stories, history homework, or the Bible!
Plus. globes are just too pretty! And my inner child still likes to play “spin the globe, travel to wherever it lands” with my kids!
Benefits of world globes for kids of all ages
Although maps are more easily accessible and free on the internet, world globes are much more accurate.
From relative size, proportions, and distance, having at least one world globe can make a big impact on hands-on learning at home.
More geography resources for kids:
- Montessori Felt World Map for Kids
- Free Printable Montessori Continents 3-part cards (Chinese, Korean, English)
- 6 Geography World Map Atlas Books in Chinese and English for Elementary and Preschool
Understanding the purpose of world globes for kids
For younger children, globes with minimalist designs are perfect for teaching the basics of land and water forms and continent names.
Political and topography globes contain far more details with small text. This can be overwhelming or just the right amount of information, depending on the learner.
If you’re on a budget, I can understand skipping the basic globes and just getting a “forever” political/topography globe.
Although the introductory globes have been helpful for my son, my daughter didn’t need them. But there are also tutorials for making your own introductory globes, and I’ll share them below!
Comparison of globes for all ages
Montessori land and water sandpaper world globe 海陆地球仪 / 海陸地球儀
The land and water sandpaper globe 海陆地球仪 / 海陸地球儀 (Hǎilù dìqiúyí) is ideally the first that is introduced to children, typically around ages 3-4 in a Montessori classroom.
The main purpose is to show kids how the world appears from outer space and to recognize the different land and body masses.
This video shows how the globe is used to present basic land and water concepts in English.
- Printable land and water map (Chinese, Korean, English) here
- Where to buy: Neinhuis, Alison’s Montessori
- How to DIY: Examples here and here
Montessori colored continents globe 各大洲地球仪 / 各大洲地球儀
If you want to save on cost/space, as a homeschooling parent, my humble opinion is that you can skip the land and water globe and consider getting or making the Montessori color continents globe 各大洲地球仪 / 各大洲地球儀 (Gè dàzhōu dìqiúyí).
- Where to buy: Alison’s Montessori
- How to DIY: Examples here, here, and here
My son is using the continents globe as reference to his Animals and Conintnets the World activity (free printable in English, Chinese, Korean).
Bilingual political and topography world globes
These types of globes are definitely worth having at home!
Although we already had an English Replogle globe for a few years, I was so excited when another mom told me about their bilingual English/simplified Chinese globe!
We’re always trying to encourage our kids to speak the minority language. In the short time that we’ve had this bilingual globe, my kids have been excited to find Chinese characters that they know!
This proves the importance of having a print-rich environment that reminds us to speak Chinese.
Here are close up images of each of these gorgeous, well-designed globes.
We will be giving our extra English globe to a friend to jump-start their homeschooling year!
Related: Play Area / Homeschool Room Before and After: 11 Tips for Decluttering
Here’s a closeup of Asia!
- Where to buy Replogle globes:
- 12in (30cm) Bilingual Simplified Chinese/ English: Amazon
- 12in (30cm) Spanish / English: Amazon
- English globes: Amazon, Replogle website*
*Use coupon code CHALKACADEMY for 15% off globes at https://replogleglobes.com/ * Free shipping in continental US. Coupon applies to all models but cannot be combined with other coupons.
3D Earth puzzle for fun and decoration!
Last but not least, I had to share this 540-piece 3D puzzle globe that my daughter loved putting together! The puzzle is actually much easier than it looks because the pieces are labeled with numbers.
- Where to buy:
Related: Favorite puzzles for kids of all ages
Which world globes will your family use?
Will your kid(s) be distance learning, homeschooling, or returning to school in person?
Please share in the comments below! We’d love to hear about your family’s experience!
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Susannah Zhang says
I plan to homeschool with the help of a bilingual babysitter. I would love to use the bilingual Chinese/English globe!
Annie says
Ooh would love a Chinese & English globe . With the absence of overseas travel I think globes are so nice to help children learn about the world
Wendy chen says
Oh this would definitely be a good addition to our home classroom!! We already have a globe but this would definitely replace our current globe!!
Michelle Tan says
I am homeschooling my 2 kids. I would love to win the Chinese/English globe.
Sylvia says
We would love to use the bilingual Chinese/English globe for homeschool too! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity and review!
Kelly says
We’re homeschooling my son, he’s in Pre-K. Since he’s not able to attend Chinese school (they went virtual, but it’s not a great format for his age), I’m taking his bilingual education in hand. Hoping to win the Chinese/English globe, but I’d be pretty happy with the English one, too! It’d just give me an opportunity to put stickers with Chinese on it so we could both learn.