Oregon Scientific Smart Globe Myth **REVIEW**

James is absolutely fascinated by our planet and space! He was so excited when the dark nights started rolling in early because it meant we could look at the moon and stars on our way home from swim practice several nights a week.

Like most children he full of questions about our planet, space and the different countries around the world. So when we were recently asked if we would like to review the new Smart Globe Myth from Oregon Scientific I knew James would love it.

I had been considering getting James a globe for quite a while now so I was so excited to try this one out with him. Only this one is more than just your standard globe, it has several hidden features giving it a fascinating modern twist!

The Smart Globe Myth brings reality and myth together. By day you can explore the countries and oceans using the globe as you would a standard globe. The countries and oceans are clearly marked making it easy to read and explore.

However when night time falls this globe becomes a little bit magical... With the switch of the power button the globe turns into a mythical world with 88 lit constellations to explore. James especially loved this part, exploring the myths and tales that went along with each constellation.

The Smart Globe Myth also has an audio element to it. With the press of a button you can choose between Constellation Stories, Fairy Tales and Earth Facts. The Fairy Tales are in keeping with the constellations and have been enjoyed by both James and Evelyn.

We have been using the fairy tale stories as a alternative bedtime story on some evenings, using the globe in the lit up "myth" mode and letting the globe tell us a few fairy tales as we gazed at the constellations on the globe.

I was amazed at how bright the illuminated map is and the facts are really interesting and educational too. Its a great toy that I know both James and Evelyn will enjoy for years and years to come.

Another fantastic element to this globe it the AR mode.  The Augmented reality mode is used via the "Smart Globe" app which can be downloaded for free on IOS or Google Play. You do need to sign up for an account via the app which only takes a few minutes and you are ready to go. The app allows you to bring your globe to life in many different ways. Including animals, dinosaurs, landscapes, landmarks, planets, weather and even cuisine.

I downloaded the app onto my phone but as its quite a small screen I initially found it a little fiddly to use. We later tried it on my sons tablet which was much easier to use. The first thing we tried out was the weather and James (and I!) were fascinated traveling around the globe, finding out all about the weather across different countries. We found tornados and storms in the United States and snow in the Peoples Republic of China!

The Smart Globe Myth has so many great features we have been thoroughly impressed. This would work both as an educational toy and as a fun toy with so many different modes. James has been picking up fascinating facts without ever realising he is learning all about the planet as he plays.

One thing I would mention is that I had originally planned to use this as a night light with the illuminated map and fairy tales story mode. However we quickly realised that the globe will actually switch itself off with a rather loud "Goodbye" making it unsuitable as a night light as it woke Evelyn up saying goodbye just as she drifted off. However as I mentioned above it works great as a bedtime story with somewhere there to switch it off before you leave.

The Smart Globe Myth comes ready to use including batteries (it requires 3 AA batteries which are included). It comes ready to use out of the box as it is already fixed onto the stand. The globe with stand is around 13 inches in height and around 10 inches in diameter which I think it a great size. Its big enough to fit plenty of information onto and the countries and wording is clear and easy to read. However the globe is still small enough to fit nicely on a bedroom shelf or be stored when not in use without taking up too much room.

The Smart Globe Myth is aimed at children aged 5+ and is priced at £39.99. Whilst I would agree that the globe as a whole would be best for children aged 5+, if you have younger siblings like us they can definitely still make use of this globe such as the fairy tales and the light constellations.

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** We received this product for free for the purpose of this review. However all words, opinions and images are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. I retain full control of this post and its content. **