• Balloon
• A platter or bowl to hold balloon steady
• Newspaper strips
• Flour, water, and a shallow dish
• Tissue paper in blue, green, and brown
• A paper clip and fishing line or thin string

• Plan to work on this project over two sessions.
• Blow up the balloon and secure the end with a knot. Attach a paper clip to the knot for hanging. Place "earth" on glass or bowl.
• Cut or tear newspaper into strips one to three inches wide. Make enough to cover the entire balloon three or four times.
• In the shallow dish, mix flour and water to make a glue-like mixture.
• Set newspaper strips, glue mixture, and balloon on a work table where children can gather and work together.

This activity can be completed and then hung in the meeting space to remind participants we must all protect our fragile planet. It may take more than one day to complete the project. On first day, create the surface of the globe. On the second day, decorate the globe.

Have participants dip paper strips into glue mixture, run their fingers down the paper to get rid of the excess mixture, then place the strip on the surface of the balloon as smoothly as possible. Have all children repeat until the globe has been covered at least three times with wet paper.

Allow globe to dry. On the next project day, make a new glue mixture. Use small pieces of torn tissue paper dipped in the mixture to create the oceans and continents. Use green and brown for continents and blue shades for the oceans. Form brown tissue into balls after dipping to show mountains or islands and cover with another single layer of the same color tissue paper to make realistic elevation changes. When the globe is complete and dry, hang from the ceiling with fishing line tied to the paper clip.

Encourage participants to help one another dip and scrape paper and perhaps help place paper on balloon. Be sure all the children can reach the balloon, particularly if any cannot stand and move to reach the globe and lay strips of newsprint on it.