Travel the World Without Ever Leaving Home with Oregon Scientific's SmartGlobe Discovery {Review}

 

For as long as I can remember, Big Sister E has been especially amazed with the earth and in awe of the fact that there are people who live on the other side of the world. Given the chance, I have no doubt that she would pack her bags and embark on travels near and far to explore the sights, cultures, people and more.

Unfortunately, real life is currently in the way of that plan and, for now, she has to be satisfied with seeing pictures in books or on the internet. No, Kiddo, we can't just hop over to Paris so that you can see the Eiffel Tower in person today. Sorry.

Instead, we have recently found that the next best thing for her (and other children who want to explore the world) is a new educational globe that lets kids travel millions of miles without packing a bag: SmartGlobe Discovery from Oregon Scientific.

Embracing inventions that help you live smarter, so you can be happier, healthier and more productive, Oregon Scientific was founded in 1989 with a passion for innovation. Offering categories such as weather, time, wellness and sports, there is a technological and aesthetically-pleasing product for every member of the family.

When it comes to the kids, however, Oregon Scientific's line of SmartGlobes and accessories are perfect for discovering new horizons and being entertained while learning. How could my young traveler not have a great time with a globe that includes three activity panels, 19 activities and hours of informative audio content?

Right out of the box I appreciated that Oregon Scientific had made it pretty much foolproof for children of all ages to begin using the SmartGlobe Discovery (it even comes with the necessary three AA batteries included and already installed).

With the power button conveniently located right on the SmartPen, users simply turn on their SmartGlobe Discovery and are able to pick and choose what information, amazing facts and educational entertainment they want to focus on.

The three activity panels offer everything from data to fun to testing your knowledge on more than 250 countries with a simple tap of the SmartPen.

First, the Touch panel allows users to pick from history to geography to population to weather (and many more!) to find out all about the continents and countries.

Simply tap on one of the activities with the SmartPen and then move to whichever worldly location you select. Another tap there (we found that tapping on the marked capital seemed to get the quickest response) and the SmartGlobe Discovery proceeds to tell you all about the currency, language, highest point and more.

Or, for information a little closer to home, the "Local Map" on the second panel allows for more in-depth findings on each of the states. Now instead of asking me how many people live in California, Big Sister E just turns to the SmartGlobe Discovery instead!

Finally, for even more fun and learning, the Find — Compare panel adds six additional activities and games. To use the Compare feature, simply tap the tip of the SmartPen on either Area or Population and then touch two countries on the globe one after the other to hear the comparison.

To play the Find game and test your world knowledge, users tap one of the four categories (Ultimate Challenge, Capitals, Continents or Countries) and then find the places that the SmartGlobe lists as quickly as possible. Each activity has three levels that are progressively more difficult and players need to answer the questions within a specific time limit to continue.

Whether you have a budding young traveler in your family or are just looking for a unique, educational gift, the Smart Globe Discovery provides a wide variety of activities, games and informative audio content to keep kids interested. Big Sister E has returned time and again to this globe and loves sharing facts that she has learned about the Earth!

Find out more about how the SmartGlobe Discovery (MSRP $59.99) can provide the child in your life the ability to travel millions of miles without ever leaving home by visiting the Oregon Scientific website and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Other than the SmartGlobe Discovery that I was provided by Oregon Scientific in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion about this product.