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Simple DIY Globe for Kids for Continent and Ocean Study

We’re kickstarting our Geography studies this year with a quick project to create our own globe where we can add in parts as we learn more about the world around us. This simple 3D globe project for kids is ideal to do as you first introduce information about the world like the Continents, Oceans, and the lines that we add to help us classify and navigate the world. It’s really simple and didn’t take very long but we added in the use of an atlas and our own model globe as well. So here you go a simple Geography Craft for Kids to create their own mini globe for hands-on learning about the world around them.

Geography Craft for Kids

As we review and learn about geography I like to start by a quick topic all about the world. We start of reviewing the placement of the 7 continents and the oceans and then delve deeper into knowledge about the lines that we place around the world and the hemispheres.

geography craft for kids to create that shows the continents of the world and the oceans

This simple project creates a manipulative that we can then add string, pins and more to annotate our DIY globe as we learn more and further or knowledge in this unit.

using a pencil to outline the contients

If you are making this with young children you may want to draw out the continents for them and outline them in the sharpie first this will make it easier for them to create.

What we are Learning

  • name and locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans
  • use world maps, atlases, and globes to identify continents, and oceans
  • identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones

Our Favourite Geography Resources for Learning about the World

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Both my kids have their own globes. The eldest picked a large size that is annotated with the animals of the world as he does love learning about animals. It’s very similar to this one for her as it shows so much.

add pencil lines to a ball to create a globe

We created our own world map using a cork map like this one and large canvas for the wall of our family room. Primarily used for recording our family travel it’s also come in very handy when talking about the continents and finding countries of the world on it.

world map made from a cork board and large canvas

A good Atlas is essential, we have a few some that I’ve kept from my own childhood despite the political changes of countries around the world the information about climate, physical geography and how maps are formed has stayed the same. This one is one of the ones that we have bought for the kids. You can find more atlases that we recommend for kids here.

Looking for more great Geography Books check out our Review of the Horrible Geography Collection.

Using the Globe for further study

contients and oceans of the world annotated on a DIY Globe for hands-on geography unit study

Once the globe is made we added to it as we introduce new concepts and activities.

marking the poles on the globe using flag push pins

A flag push pin (like these ones) was used to pin point our home country of the United Kingdom, as well as the poles.

poles and the UK marked on a handmade mini globe for Geography with flag push pins

We used coloured string to mark the equator and tropics.

marking the equator and tropics diy globe using string and flag pins

Whilst studying the lines of latitude and longitude as well as the time zones we added and removed coloured string as the globe was getting crowded.

learning about lines of latitude and longitude with a DIY globe

If I had more of the same size polystyrene balls that used (a 3inch one) we would have created 3 globes,

  • 1 for the continents, oceans, poles, where we live, equator, and the 2 tropics.
  • Another for lines of longitude and latitude with different coloured string.
  • A final one to represent time zones, the international dateline, and the prime meridian.
DIY polystyrene ball globe for kids to make for a geography unit study

Easy DIY Globe for Geography Studies

Cerys Parker
A quick and easy geography craft for kids to create their own mini globe which they can use to annotate continents, oceans, lines of latitude and longitude and more.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 2 minutes
Activity Time 20 minutes

Video

Equipment Needed

  • Skewer or Toothpick to hold the globe as it is decorated
  • Pencil to mark out the map

Materials Needed
  

  • 1 3 inch Craft Ball polystyrene see note for other ideas if you don't wish to use polustrene foam balls.
  • Sharpie Green and Blue
  • Fine Maker Black for Labelling

Instructions
 

  • First pierce the skewer/toothpick through the bottom of the craft ball. This will make it easier to hold as it is decorated.
  • Using a pencil draw the outlines of the continents onto the ball.
    using a pencil to outline the contients
  • Use the sharpies to colour the continents in green.
    colouring the continents green
  • Leaving the bottom of the ball and top of the ball white to represent the poles colour the oceans in blue.
    colouring the oceans in blue
  • With a fine tip marker, annotate the globe with the names of the continents and the oceans.
    annotating the globe with the continents and oceans on

Notes

We have a collection of polystyrene balls that I am trying to use up so for this project we picked these however, a wooden craft ball like this one. If you are making then you can hold it in place with some modeling clay attached to the bottom.
Keyword Geography, Geography Unit Study
Have you Made This?Let us know how it went!

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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