I’ve got globes coming out of my ears.
Well not really. Could you imagine?
Sometimes I can get a big head, but not 12-inch-globes-out-of-her-ear-holes big.
Why do we have more than one globe?
I have spent a lot of time scouting the web for the perfect globes — or at least decent quality ones that both isolate and fulfill certain educational purposes — all without breaking the bank. After hunting for the last several years, here are the globes I personally love and recommend.
First of all, you likely already know, in Montessori primary classrooms it’s common to have both a small 6″ tactile sandpaper globe and another small 6″ globe with the solid, primary continent colors. The former for the youngest children to make a distinction between land and water. The latter to help teach the names and locations of the continents of the world. I was lucky enough to find a combo globe at Kidadvance.com (years back) that encompasses both in one.
I’ve seen a few people DIY the sandpaper globe successfully on top of old thrifted globes.
A couple years after finding that globe, we were in need of something more advanced. I purchased the “Classic Globe” from Lakeshore Learning. It’s a smooth, standard political boundary globe with major cities. A little cluttered, but I have used it multi-purposely for various geographical studies. It works well and looks nice; it’s super sturdy even when the toddler has laid hold of it.
However having used it for a while, I realized I wanted a globe that was tactile, raised relief. I thought it’d be helpful to have one without man-made boundaries that was purely topographic. Relief globes tend to cost a bit more (to a lot more) — so I was determined to find one for around $100.
While I was hunting for that specific globe over the course of a few months I simultaneously was drooling over another globe: I continually added and deleted to and from my virtual cart the beautiful biomes globe from Waseca Biomes. (Sorry shop owners; I know I’m a pain).
I had been looking at that biome globe basically since its inception, or at least the original model’s creation, when it was featured on Waseca’s Instagram. I love that the Waseca Biomes globe shows the biomes so practically, and I kept envisioning animal lessons and weather studies with it. It’s so clever.
So anyway, I finally made a decision and ordered this pretty thing.
For $30 off (it’s on sale right now too) use my affiliate link by clicking here.
It’s way nicer than I even figured.
Way nicer than these sorry, low-light photos depict.
I highly recommend it, especially for younger students, especially for continent studies and alongside any of Waseca Biomes’ other gorgeous materials.
Then for my last globe purchase, I chose a relief globe from Waypoint Geographic: “Primus Relief.” The one I chose was excellent quality, shipping was quick and free — my only complaint from Waypoint is when you order you have to click a box that says they can share your photos of their products at their discretion. Which is both hella odd and disconcerting for an instagrammer / blogger — but if that’s how they want to play so be it. I ordered my globe and have enjoyed it ever since.
All about this raised relief globe: I adore that it is just the topographical, physical world without man-made, political separations of any kind. It’s beautiful; the colors are neutral greens and browns, and it feels very grown-up.
All in all I would have been satisfied there. But wait — there’s more. It lights up! When you plug in it’s electrical cord, the countries illuminate. Super handy and my kids are always very impressed with this fun trick. I think it’d even make a cool bedside night-light.
So between our three 12” globes, we have one that is tactile showing the physical world, one with brightly defined political boundaries, and one with the world biomes precisely and clearly defined — plus the little traditional sandpaper globe.
They isolate different concepts but also work so well together. I love the learning they have inspired and will inspire as the kids grow into them even more.
So that’s why we have collected multiple globes over the years!
And my (adult) son asks me why I have four globes!