When I first heard that we would be getting this globe from Oregon, I was fairly optimistic. Izebella loves looking at my ornamental globe and also looking at maps and kids atlas books. We've had a few previous science/geography type toys too but nothing that really took her interest for long.
When it arrived I was really surprised at how big it was. I'm useless at measurements and dimensions but it apparently measures 41 x 34 x 33cms?. The best way I can describe the size is to compare it to the larger ornamental gloves you find in home furnishing stores. The ones that really stand out and cost the most. It is pretty big.
It runs off batteries which luckily do come included. There is a digital pen attached to the globe and the on button is also on this pen. The globe spins to resemble the Earth. On the base is a local country map (the UK in this case) and several interactive button options. The buttons get touched with the pen.
The volume can seem really loud, but there is an option to turn it up or down. The voice is clear, and there are a few alternate language options.
The globe base has so many options to choose.
Choosing any one of these will bring up useful information, interesting facts and even a few games and challenges to play. We all enjoy the country challenge where we have to find and touch a certain country on the globe. This really helps my children discover where we are in the world compared to other places. We can even listen to many national anthems all over the world, find our population size, area, capitals, currency and even learn the odd few easy words in other languages.
Touching any part of the globe with the pen, or even the small UK map at the bottom also gives us country and place names along with a few random facts.
But that's not all with this smart glove. It even comes to life by way of a 3D augmented reality app. The app is free on all platforms and enables us to see all sorts of realistic looking things in various parts of the world.
Bring to life elephants in Africa, see the local dress, foods, flowers, animals etc, then even take pictures direct from the app. This sure fascinated my 6 year old girl.
It doesn't just bring it to life either as there is heaps more information on the app to discover too. The above elephant page is just one small example. We are yet to discover all the apps features as there is just so much on it.
This interactive smart globe is not just for small children but is a product that can be enjoyed and used by all the family. It's a great educational and learning toy, it can help with homework and it's fun to learn about the world and other countries. Izebella is able to clearly see where we are going on holiday next year.
The globe unfortunately does not come with a light which does sort of let it down a little as obviously it's harder to see when darker. It also only spins one way. Meaning when playing the games and clicking Australia or Antarctica which are located at the bottom it is a bit trickier to do unless it's on a higher surface.
Overall I would recommend this product. It's a great learning product and even looks good on display. Expect to pay between £50-£60 for one of these and you will need a smart device to use the 3D features.
Oregon scientific
