My children have always been fascinated by the world. We love to travel so they are always asking where places are in our country and the world. The new Puzzle Globe from Learning Resources offers fun ways for kids to learn about geography and different cultures while building important developmental skills. We found some exciting and unique ways to play with our globe that we wanted to share with you!
Since the Puzzle Globe is new for 2017, you may not have heard of it yet or seen it in the stores. It is a globe measuring 8 inches in diameter with 6 puzzle pieces representing 6 continents. (Antarctica is labeled on the globe but does not have a puzzle piece). Each piece is easy to handle making it perfect for small hands. On each continent are pictures of landmarks and animals from that area.
The Puzzle Globe is a true hands-on approach to learning. It is geared towards tactile and visual learners as the pieces can be manipulated and it is brightly colored. Kids also build fine motor skills as they put the pieces together as well as take it apart. The Puzzle Globe is the perfect addition to our playroom but it can also be used in a preschool, day care or homeschool classroom.
There are so many fun ways to play with the Puzzle Globe making it perfect for family game night or as a learning center at school. It can be played with independently or with peers so it can also enhance cooperative play skills such as sharing and taking turns. I love it because the puzzle itself increases an understanding of geography while the included fact sheet teaches kids all about different cultures and parts of the world.
Learning Through Play with the Puzzle Globe
Alphabetical Order
Before putting our puzzle globe together I decided to make it a little more complicated for my older son. I laid out the names of the continents and then asked him to place them in alphabetical order. This was not only a great activity for him but also helped my younger son with letter recognition.
Match the Names to the Continents
Once the continents were in alphabetical order, I asked my boys to place the correct puzzle piece next to the name of the continent. They knew some of the continents by shape but others they were able to match by the color of the writing.
Complete the Puzzle
Once we matched the names of the continents to their puzzle pieces, we put those pieces together. Then I asked my boys to place them on the globe in the correct position. This can be done in a variety of ways depending on your child’s level. The continents can be matched by color, shape or memory. The correct space on the globe has the corresponding color to that of the puzzle piece. The piece that is inserted into the globe can also be matched by shape. This helped enhance color and shape recognition for my younger son. My older son, however, used his recall skills to determine where to place the puzzle pieces.
Spin the Globe
We decided to turn the globe into a fun game once the puzzle was completed. My boys would take turns spinning the globe then pointing to the area that landed in front of them. We then had to name that location on the globe. This not only helped enhance geography skills but also improved reading skills.
It’s a Race
Another fun way to play with the puzzle globe is to have a race. We took apart the puzzle and I timed each one of my sons to see how fast they could put it together. This race can be done against peers/siblings or children can just try to beat their last time. This fun game helped increase fine motor skills, visual motor skills and spatial awareness.
We had so much fun playing with Puzzle Globe from Learning Resources and look forward to more opportunities to learn through play. You can purchase your own Puzzle Globe for under $30 using our Amazon affiliate link.