Editorial Review

Sibling to the award-winning Explorer Globe, this junior version can help children become interested in geography before they even start school. The Junior Explorer Globe is jam-packed with fun facts, trivia, and useful information about every aspect of the geographical world. It has four modes of interactive play, ranging from having kids search for certain pictures on the globe to playing regional music from each continent. The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dial to the four play functions, an on/off switch, volume control, and the attached penlike stylus. This stylus is the key instrument: kids use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe to hear information and answer questions. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Features

• Four modes include Explore, Music, Search the World & Adventure Raps
• Kids will learn about our oceans, continents, animals and landmarks
• Offers a taste of regional music and foreign phrases
• Volume control
• On/off switch

Reviews (13)

great learning and entertaining toy
My 4 years old LOVES to play with this globe and has been learning a lot from it. Yes, it doesn't say much about countries but let's not forget this is the JR version. I think it is great that they give emphasis in animals since kids like them. Also, all different languages and typical music that it includes. I think it is great that kids learn the continents at least they are aware that USA is not in this world alone. PULEASE... they didn't pay for someone's furniture to be cleaned... Don't get me wrong but this person must go around the world a bit. People have to know how to take care of themselves for a change instead of blaming someone else everytime. Gosh!
I recommend this toy. This is not a Geography professor substitue just a way to get kids interested in other areas and cultures. I suppose the more advanced version may bring the countries. I don't know. I am sure there is only so much they can fit inside this toy and as parents we can't expect to relay on a toy to teach our kids everything they need to know. We think this toy is awesome.

Watch out for stains on furniture
The toy has little rubber feet on the bottom which will leave little purple circle shaped stains on wood furniture.My son's brand new furniture was damaged and Leap Frog will not pay to have it cleaned.They were aware of the situation, however, they did not issue a recall.They simply changed the rubber feet on the toy for the new production runs, but they left all of the old ones on the store shelves.So which one will you get - the new or the old?This toy isn't worth the trouble.Leap Frogs' customer (dis)service is horrible.I will never buy another leap frog toy again.Watch out for this company - all they care about is making a buck.

BETTER THEN I THOUGHT
When my brother bought this for my 3 year old daughter I thought he had wasted his money, there was no way my daughter was going to pay attention to this globe. I was wrong! My daughter loves it and within 5 minutes she was telling me about the Statue of Liberty and the Great Wall of China. She and I love it so much that I am buying one for my neice's birthday present. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Geography    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Math    6. Alphabet   

Reviews (14)

GEOGRAPHY
THE SCHOOLS MAY HAVE REMOVED GEOGRAPHY FROM THE CLASSROOMS, BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE IT AWAY FROM THOSE WHO LEARNED IT MANY YEARS AGO.PRESUMEABLY THOSE OF US WHO WOULD BUY THIS ITEM.TAKE A LOOK AT THE PUZZLE OF OUR GREAT UNITED STATES.NOW, WISCONSIN MAYBE WANTS THAT PART OF MICHIGAN, BUT IT OPERATES UNDER MICHIGAN LAW AND IS CALLED UPPER MICHIGAN OR THE UPPER PENNINSULA OF MICHIGAN.NO WHERE IS IT CALLED WISCONSIN.I WAS RATHER CONFUSED RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PUZZLE SAID THERE ARE 44 PUZZLE PIECES. THE LAST I KNEW, THERE ARE 50 STATES AND 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES. THE IDEA OF THIS TALKING MAP IS GREAT, BUT LET'S GET IT CORRECT FOLKS.

GRANDPARENT LIVING IN MICHIGAN

A great way for kids to learn their states
This is the best learning aid I have seen so far for getting kids to learn the fifty states. My six-year-old son has been able to memorize them all, and he started with this map when he was three. Now my younger son, age three, is starting to learn with the same map, and my older son is beginning to work on state capitals.

The map's audio identifies each state when pushed, also gives the state's nickname, and its capital. The board also has permanently affixed buttons that play the Pledge of Allegiance and the song America the Beautiful. The map pieces can be lifted out of the board and presented as a puzzle challenge. This really helps children identify states by their shapes. Many competing map puzzles just stick together six or seven states into a simple puzzle piece. Only the tiniest states in New England and the Atlantic Coast are joined into single pieces on the map, so most states are the shape of their puzzle piece.

If I had a nitpick about this map, it's that it would be nice to have a locking feature that can prevent the pieces from falling out once the puzzle is assembled, because young children will scatter and lose the state pieces. It was more important to my kids to build the name and location recognition than to solve the puzzle challenge, so our temporary solution was to take clear packaging tape (the wide rolls) and gently tape over the whole map, to hold all the puzzle pieces in place. Now that the kids are much more responsible about cleaning up, we've removed the tape.

Fun and Educational!
This toy was purchased for my 4 yr old daughter and 2 yr old son.They both absolutely LOVE putting it together and within 1 day learned The Pledge of Allegiance.It is so amazing to see my daughter recognize some of the states before putting it together!

This really is a wonderful educational toy and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in teaching their children a little about geography. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Geography    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Alphabet   

Reviews (3)

12" Raised Relief Explorer Globe
It's amazing how much a child learns by having access.We are an American family living in Germany and felt my 5 year old would have a greater understanding of where we live and where our extended family lives.

There should be one in every house!
What a great, inexpensive globe.It's fascinating to watch a child spin a globe - even if they don't seem like they are learning anything, at least they are getting a general idea of the immense size of our world!Since getting this globe, my 5 year old son has learned about the continents and the oceans, found Australia on his own and pointed out that Antarctica is bigger than the USA.It seems that the globe gets loose from it's stand somewhat easily, but it is easily tightened.All in all, a great buy with terrific educational value.

poorly designed stand
The globe itself is ok and has a lot of educational value for kids starting out in geography, but the stand is so poorly designed that when you rotate the globe on its axis, the stand easily detaches from the globe.The whole point is to be able to rotate it, so in effect it's not very usable if you have to keep fixing the stand again and again.A heavier stand that would not move when rotating the globe would probably work better.The attaching mechanism needs redesign too -- right now it's just a screw in the base. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity    2. Learning    3. Geography    4. Science   

Reviews (4)

fun game - with some reservations!
my three year old got this for christmas and loves the sound effects and fun designs - but he gets frustrated by the joystick. it is difficult to "fly" to the right spot when prompted by the "find the" questions and requires better motor skills than most three year olds have - i often have to help him guide the joystick onto the right animal or place. my five year old can navigate without difficulty. however she becomes bored after 5 mins as there is a limited number of questions and games - which is fine for a three year old but not enough info for the five and above age range. in all - i'd say great concept and a fun way for kids to learn about the world but the makers should either simplify the joystickfor younger kids or expand the knowledge for older kids.

best gift ever!!!
My son received this for his fourth birthday.Loves it, loves it, loves it!He has since developed an interest in, and knowledge of geography!!He will turn five next week, and still plays with his "Earth".My three year old daughter has recently gotten the hang of it, as well.I would recommend this one to anyone.

so-so
my 3- and 4- yr olds liked this globe quite a bit before they became discouraged with the difficulty in understanding the voice commands and with the tracker pole not going all the way up to the top.now they refer to it as "the globe we liked but doesn't work".i'd spend a little more (the kids seem to love the concept) and get one that functions more smoothly (it is difficult to stop, start, and generally maneuver). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Geography    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Math    6. Preschool   

Reviews (14)

Kid-approved "sneaky education"
This puzzle is my 2 1/2 year old son's absolute favorite.He does it on his own, and is starting to know the state names.He will do it over and over and over again, and thinks it's great fun.I think it's a great way to help him learn!It's kind of nice when a learning tool has to be pried out of my child's hands....

If I had one complaint, it would be that Alaska is on the bottom left corner of the puzzle; it would have been nice if they'd made the puzzle larger so they could stick Alaska in roughly the right place.Not a big deal, though.

A GREAT educational toy!
My 3 year old son spotted this puzzle while we went browsing in the store.He wanted it SO badly even though it was rated for older children.Within 3 days of playing with this puzzle, he quickly mastered all 50 states, knew exactly where they all go at a moment's notice.Then in a few days, he is able to clearly identify and pronounce each state accurately.He can read a little bit, and I had to show him North and South so he could place the Dakotas in their places.We had moved to Arizona from California a few months earlier, so he understood that his "small house" was in CA and that we now live in AZ.Two weeks after playing this puzzle, we went to California to visit our old friends and favorite places.Upon returning home, he demonstrated he really understood the map even more and even knows Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean and several cities. Because he has 2 other USA maps, he has said several times that "Michigan is a mistake!They forgot to cut out Upper Peninsula (Upper Michigann)"!!!!I was originally from Michigan and know that Michigan has 2 parts.What I'd like to see in this puzzle is 50 individual pieces, even though they may be small and that their cutouts reflect more accurate shapes (maybe make the states a bit bigger!).My parents still have the wooden puzzle from late 1960's with all 50 pieces.Now, where can I find wooden maps of other places:Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, showing pictures of the countries, along with capital cities and other information?My son is already learning a few countries in Europe and is so eager and so ready to absorb more information in geography!We play the USA map puzzle practically every evening before he goes to bed!He's already map-literate far ahead of his peers and even amazed his summer camp teacher!Who says a 3 year old can't learn geography?!;-)

A good start
I would have liked more information to be included on the puzzle.Each piece is cut out in the shape of the state and has the state capital printed underneath.I think they could have taken this a step further adding key information about that state such as it's nickname, state flower or other educational information.It is a good way to get very young children to learn their state capitals and the shape and geography of the U.S. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. Learning    3. Geography    4. Preschool    5. Jigsaw Puzzles    6. Easy Puzzles    7. Wood    8. Pegged    9. Activity    10. 100-999 Pieces   

Reviews (5)

Parents- get ready to find out how little you know!!
My 7 year old daughter is a geography buff, and her skills definately improved after playing this game! It improved mine too! I found out how little I remember about differnt states! She learned North, South, East and West, can name all the states and the capitols! She is leaps and bounds ahead of her classmates in this area, I attribute that to the fun learning she experienced playing this game! I plan to purchase one for all my nieces and nephews when they are 7.

Learning FUN!
I highly recommend this game!Very fun while still being extremely educational.The best way to learn is while your having a good time doing it.My son (4 years) has this game and we have given the Jr. version as a gift.The Jr. version is appropriate for pre-readers.

Great for all ages
My son started playing this when he was 3.At 4, he can name all the states, abbreviations, capitals and most of the state birds.He can tell you where the major points of interest are without looking at the map. It helps to teach the concept of distance, such as "which state is closest to Maine". It also teaches the concept of compass direction, such as "which state is north of Texas".The game can be played with or without a board for portability. All in all a great educational game for children as well as adults. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Board Games    4. Trivia    5. Geography    6. Activity    7. Family Favorites   

Editorial Review

"Dear Pen Pal, Konnichi wa! We've been to see Mt. Fuji. Name my country! Sayonara, Michiko." Challenge your group with this fast-paced geography game, created in 1992 by Educational Insights, Inc. Everyone begins at the post office. Players twirl a finely printed spinner (built into the game board itself) to select one of 60 countries. If the player can correctly identify the country's location on the board's numbered map, he or she may advance along the path to the finish. Bonus moves are won by landing on "postcard" spaces, listening to the clues on one of the 40 postcards, and correctly identifying the pen pal's country. (The sample postcard above came from Japan.) A more challenging game can be achieved by requiring players to name the country's capital; answers are provided. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Great Game - BEWARE SHIPPING
This is a great educational family game.
However, please be aware that Amazon ships this game wrapped in a plastic bag with no padding.Another game of the same order was received was crushed and torn on one corner.Amazon promptly arranged a pickup and replacement.This game arrive with crushed edges, but I decided to keep it rather than deal with another return.I figured it could have been worse; imagine a small unprotected board game competing with other shipments in a UPS truck.Amazon used to pack items in a box with packing material.This is no longer the case.Beware.

Better for younger children, but needs improvements
Great idea for a board game with lots of learning potential for younger children, however children 10+ years may soon find this formula a little unchallenging. Several improvements could make this a better product; notably, heavier paper for the frequently handled question cards, and a much larger map on the game board. Some of the countries appear too small for grandparents and children with poor eyesight. Also, the spinner is labeled with text that should be larger. With just a few design changes and the opportunity to purchase additional question card packs, perhaps geared towards different age groups, we could recommend this game more enthusiastically.

My daughter's favorite
This game really puts the world at your child's fingertips.My daughter begs to play even after her dad and I are pooped.And at eight years old, she knows more about geography than I did when I was much older.I'm getting her "Name That State" for her birthday and expect the same reaction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Learning    4. Geography    5. Activity   

Reviews (2)

great
great globe its nice for learning the cotatants i love it thanx
itis great

A little small for the money...
We just got this a few days ago. I had a globe as a kid, so perhaps my criticism is based on my comparisson to it. Note: the globe itself is not 12 inches. It's 12 inches from its base to the very top. I just think it could've been bigger. Had the globe itself been 12", I'd probably be more happy with it. I'd still recommend it, however, as I assume it's not posssible to get anything bgetter in this price range whitch is plenty for a globe. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Geography   

Reviews (3)

Good Introduction To The United States Map
Our 5 year-old son plays this game with us and we all enjoy it. This game is a great way to teach children the names and locations of the states.It also teaches an interesting fact about each state.In this version of the game, the players don't have to know the names of the state capitals, but since that information is provided on the game board my son is picking up on it too.

There is a 60 second timer so you can help level the playing field by varying the amount of time older players have to read the card and give the answer.We give our son 45 seconds and my husband and I get 15 seconds.We all finish well ahead of the timer, but we find it easier to use the main intervals marked on the timer.You could use different intervals if you desired.

Durability: We buy a lot of board games and this one has held up better than the others.The cards are thick so they are not easily bent.Also each set of cards has a zip bag so they stay stacked and sorted when you put them away.

We love it.
Our daughter loves this game. She got it when she was 4.5 years old and it became an instant hit. She learned a lot from this game since then. Now she is almost five years old and we are ready to get her the Great State game for older kids. (she calls it "Great State Senior.") And we are going to give the Great State Junior game to some of her best friends for their birthdays.

Great for Vacations
Our family loves to travel the United States.I picked up this game to give my five year old son a visual aid in learning where we have been and where we plan on going.It has helped him on many level of learning.Just a great game for great kids. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Games    3. Board Games    4. Trivia    5. Geography    6. Preschool    7. Activity    8. Family Favorites   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Reviews (5)

Who knew learning could be fun?!!
I am so glad that I purchased this puzzle for my niece and nephew (ages 3 and 6).They love it!After they put it together, they ask a lot of questions about the states.Then they want to take it apart and do put it back together again!To be honest, I was very suprised that the 3 year old sat down long enough to help put it together (His attention span is short).This puzzle definitely is definitely a must for young kids.

On a side note, a reviewer stated that their puzzle had the Twin Towers in it.I got my puzzle about a month ago and mine has a picture of the Statue of Liberty, so perhaps the one I got was from a newer line.

what a great learning puzzle
My 4 year old nephew just loves this puzzle!It's the best!The large pieces make it easy for him to manueuver.

Great Puzzle
We got this puzzle for our 3 kids last Christmas. It is big, bright, sturdy and very educational...even for me! Of course the first thing we noticed was the picture of the Twin Towers over New York. (Not sure if they are still making them like that)This is something I will keep forever, and that my kids will continue learning from for years to come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Wood    2. Pegged    3. Activity    4. Foam Puzzles    5. Puzzles    6. Floor Puzzles    7. Easy Puzzles    8. Map Puzzles    9. Geography    10. Preschool    11. Learning   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Editorial Review

This 84-piece jigsaw puzzle assembles into the 48 contiguous United States, plus Alaska and Hawaii. The pieces are large enough to be safe for curious little ones and make for a fun and truly hands-on lesson in geography. The mapping is detailed enough to highlight major cities and towns, as well as rivers and some topography. To test your smarts, try constructing it without the benefit of a map. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Buy
I had tried to order this last Christmas but it sold so well that it was out of stock!Great price & a great buy,i signed up for the waiting list & finally got it a couple of days ago.Its really hard to find a good map of the US & at a good price.This covers every state,has the major cities marked & the capitols are marked.I had looked at other maps in the store but never bought one because it didnt have the things i was looking for.Plus they were very expensive.This will help our child with learning where all the states are & to know the capitols.We all have to learn them for school & this is a fun way to do it.Also a way for the rest of the family to brush up on this information!

Every kid should have one of these puzzles!
I don't know how they can sell this so inexpensively, as this puzzle is of very high quality and would be very beneficial to kids of all ages who need to learn more about US geography.I was surprised at how much my nephewenjoyed it, even though he is just six years old.

Don't throw this one away!
When we moved across the country, we decided to garage sale many of our daughter's toys, including this puzzle, which we assumed she had outgrown. As soon as we got to our new address, she demanded the puzzle and wasalarmed to hear that we'd sold it.She has asked about it so often duringthe past year, that it is now clear to us: we need to purchase it again andwill not discard it, even when the day comes for her to go to college! Ittruly helped her become the geography whiz she is now, at age 7!Parentsout there: buy it and keep it! It's an amazing deal and a most educationaltoy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Puzzles    2. Learning    3. Jigsaw Puzzles    4. Map Puzzles    5. Geography    6. Games   

Editorial Review

Although this game is about nature, Bioviva also manages to incorporate other layers of learningand strategy into its objective. Players move game pieces on a colorful and informative world map boardthat details Earth's diverse habitats. Players gain "Eco Points" by answering questions correctly. Naturetrivia questions are divided into categories, such as "temperate forests" and "tundra and polar regions." Allquestions are true, false or multiple choice. For example,"What is birch oil used for?" Answer: to treatcertain skin diseases. Or, "A tree produces more carbon dioxide than it consumes." Answer: false. The firstplayer to collect 12 Eco Points in various categories is the winner. This environmentally sound game haswon numerous awards, including Best New Talent 1997 from the International Toy Fair and Toy Oscar Award of the Year, 1998, Special Mention. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent for educating your child
This game is not only a lot of fun and educational for the whole family, it will help your children to think independantly. In this world where journalists and media are afraid to disseminate the truth, we need more than ever to teach our children how to think and reason for themselves. Bioviva does that by helping young minds see the unobvious complex interelationship between all aspects of nature.

Excellent on all fronts
Excellent game.I've just finished playing with my nearly 9 year old and while I did beat her, it was pretty close.Definitely a game that can be played by a span of ages (very important in a household with two adults and kids ranging in age from 9 to 20!) without discouraging the younger ones or boring the older ones.

eco play = eco fun !
this is the best I've ever played in my life! My family & friends just love it! We miss new questions, help!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Learning    4. Trivia    5. Geography    6. Science   

Features

• For 2 to 6 players
• Encourage communication and self-expression in a non-threatening setting
• Includes the original game plus an additional deck of cards with Christian based questions
• A non-competitive game that will get family and friends talking about things that matter

Reviews (3)

Great for all ages!
I could not pass up the oppurtunity to write about this "Ungame" game! I got it just yesterday and my 4 and 7 year old children have already asked to play it over and over again. I'll be purchasing the other cardversions very soon! Great for any group & any age! Enjoy!

Excellent for entertaining or educational conversation!
I use this wonderful game during tutoring sessions with adults who are learning English as a second language.I thought this would be a fun & easy way to work on conversation skills.The package from amazon arrivedduring our lesson and was quickly ripped open!We laughed and talked andlaughed!The students were very impressed and thought they should use thegame whenever they have new friends come over to visit.The different gamecards are also great because you can choose which topics are mostappropriate for your group:light, deeper or Christian :) Buy it! youwon't regret it! :)

Getting to Know You!Getting to know all about you.....
This simple board game is a catalyst for very interesting and heartwarming interaction. The thought provoking questions invite players to talk about their thoughts, ideas and experiences on a variety of subjects includingone's spiritual beliefs. I have used this game with all ages in all sortsof settings (parties, classes, counseling, family gatherings) and find itto be filled with surprises and wisdom. You can expect to laugh and maybeeven shed a tear as you discover things about people you think you know.People are never the same after playing it! Each time you play the Ungame,everyone feels like a winner because of the understanding and love that itgenerates. It saved our family. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Christian    4. Learning    5. Geography    6. Activity   

Reviews (1)

I always wanted a globe
and I finally get one when I'm 19 its still cool though i love geography and though I wanted one of those classical looking globes that is brown this globe does not loose its effect with its reflective surface I actually kind of like it that way. I only put 2 down for durability because think about it a globe is only good until a new country is formed and if you throw it down the stairs it won't survive i wouldn't know but I wouldn't recomend trying it either. I got this for christmas and I'm finally able to keep it in my room because I had no room in my college dorm and the three for fun is common sence even if you love geography you can't really have fun with a globe ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Reviews (1)

Disappointing!
This globe broke within 48 hours of delivery.The bracket that holds the globe to the base it not substantial enough.Don't waste your money!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity   

Features

• 12" diameter Globe
• Economical Floor Standing Globe
• Blue Ocean
• Stylish addition to any room
• Raised Relief Globe

Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Geography    4. Activity