EarthBall 16" Inflatible Globe

by Planet Earth

Product Features

• Lightweight Vinyl 16" globe of the Earth as seen from space by NASA satellites
• Cities of the world depicted in photo-luminescent glow-in-the-dark ink to offer gorgeous space-view
• Bouncing Earthball does not cause seismic disturbances
• Tossing Earthball will not cause tiny beings to fall from surface
• Blowing on Earthball does not cause global climate change

Product Details

• Item Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0009H7H6O
• Item model number: 081539736264
• Manufacturer recommended age: 4 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,055 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #38 in Toys & Games > Learning & Education > Globes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)

Product Description

Created from thousands of NASA digital satellite images -- The most visually authentic globe available, EarthBall pictures the world as it actually appears. Created from thousands of NASA satellite images, this realistic replica also features swirling atmospheric cloud cover and glow in the dark cities. -- Because the inflatable globe is so light weight it can be tossed around the classroom or livingroom for closer viewing, and deflated for compact storage. -- Size: 16" diameter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun and educational too., November 10, 2007

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: EarthBall 16" Inflatible Globe (Toy)

I'm a science buff and want my grandchildren to be at least interested in science if not more deeply involved. So whenever I see a toy that might help ignite or sustain this interest, I'm curious and sometimes yield to the impulse to buy.

EarthBall is a wonderful toy for kids and educational too. Orbis has done a marvelous job of converting a photomosaic of the planet to printed vinyl. The alignment between the printed sections.

The photo detail is surprisngly good. It's far from what you would expect in the pages of National Geographic, but major terrestrial features like deserts, mountains and cultivated areas are visible. You can pick out the Hawaian Islands. Both polar regions are shown. Cleverly they've used luminous ink to print the locations of densely populated areas. It's not super-bright, but it is visible and adds a little something for young minds to absorb.

The EarthBall is durable. My young grandson immediately decided to turn it into an impromptu chair and much to my surprised, it survived.

Overall, it's a fun, worthwhile toy with high play and educational value.

Jerry

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look at the world differently, August 24, 2009

By 

Ina Aronow (New Rochelle, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: EarthBall 16" Inflatible Globe (Toy)

As a ball to bounce and play with it is sturdy and durable. As an educational experience, at first I was disappointed that it did not have any countries on it and the separate continents were barely seen. But I soon saw that as an advantage for my grandkids because it is a beautiful rendering of earth as seen from space (the blue is gorgeous) and teaches a different lesson: this is just one little planet, and from a distant perspective, national boundaries are artificial and irrelevant. Something very peaceful about that.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A earth shattering hit with out 2+ year old!, August 12, 2011

By 

Nathaniel Allen (Oakland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: EarthBall 16" Inflatible Globe (Toy)

Between you and me, I bought this ball because (1) it's a good (big) size for a toddler and (2) it's more fun than a mounted globe. I am really hoping to get some educational value from it, since my son is showing some interest in maps. In fact, as my wife was inflating it, our son excitedly arrived at her feet and began yelling "Earth! Earth!" That was great.

But immediately, the horseplay ensued. I hope this ball is up to the abuse, because it's not what I intended. But... oh well. After a session of kicking, rolling, throwing and carrying "Earth!" around the house, the ball seemed no worse for wear, so we sat down for a few minutes of education.

The valve stem is at the North Pole, which our boy hasn't quite figured out how to open. Yet. Despite the cloud coverage, the continents are fairly easily discernible. He wanted to know about San Francisco Bay, which is home to us, but it's not really visible on this scale, PLUS is covered in green glow-in-the-dark splotches (the splotches don't really stick out unless I know what *should* be there). Nevertheless, we're on track to learning the continents and the oceans. If he can peg the bay area or even California at some point, that would just be bonus.

Meanwhile, I think this ball is going to get a lot more kicking than studying. Its construction isn't heavy duty, but also isn't overly thin like other beach balls I've encountered. And the seams seem sturdy enough to endure indoor play, as long as it isn't being used as an airbag or bouncy horse.

Perhaps my one disappointment is the valve isn't the "self sealing" type found on some inflatables -- the kind that won't let air escape and require a pinch to deflate.

In a nutshell, here's a dual-purpose toy I'm pretty happy with, and something I'll buy again when this one succumbs to toddler mayhem.

(Update 8/25/11) -- Call me impressed. Despite the cloud coverage and lack of any borders or labels, our 2 year old has no problem identifying San Francisco, Hawaii, Kenya of all places (a neighbor was traveling there), Australia, Antarctica, and naturally, the north pole. We've even talked extensively about earth rotating and sunsets / sunrises, easy to replicate in a dark room with a flashlight. This globe has transitioned from a play thing to a real educational experience!)