How to Make a Globe Out of a Ball

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Things You'll Need

  • Ball

  • Tape measure

  • Sheet of paper

  • Scissors

  • Map of the world cut-out

  • Tape or glue

Making a globe out of a ball is a fun project to do with kids.

A globe is a map of the world that's painted, drawn or affixed to a round object. A globe is useful in helping students learn the geography of the world and where countries and regions are located in relation to each other. Instead of purchasing a globe from a store, you can make your own globe using any type of round ball, such as a tennis ball, basketball or kickball, and a cut out of a specially designed map, which you can find online.

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Step 1

Measure the circumference of the ball you are using to create your globe. The circumference is the distance around the middle of the ball. Place one end of a tape measure in the middle of the ball, and wrap it all the way around to find the circumference.

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Step 2

Draw a rectangle on your sheet of paper. The length of the rectangle should be equal to the circumference of the ball, while the height should be equal to half of the circumference of the ball.

Step 3

Print out a map of the world cut-out. Note that a regular flat map of the world will not work unless it has been designed to be cut into a spherical shape. These can be found online, such as the ones on gma.org or challenger.org.

Step 4

Cut out the map from the map cut-out, then adjust the size of the map you print to be the exact size as the rectangle on your sheet of paper. You can use a copy machine to enlarge or reduce the map until it fits.

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Step 5

Place the paper around the ball. Make sure the equator lines up with the middle of the ball. Tape or glue the paper around the ball, and tape or glue each pointed edge to the top or bottom of the ball. When complete, this will create your globe.

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