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Hot and Cold Places: Fly Pole to Pole with Bobby

Hot and Cold Places: Fly Pole to Pole with Bobby

Learn where the hot and cold places of the world are, from the North and South Poles to the Equator, by flying a hot-air balloon round the globe.

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What you'll learn

  • Where the North and South Poles are on a globe and map
  • What the Equator is: an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth
  • Places near the Equator are hot; places near the Poles are cold
  • Polar bears live in the Arctic, penguins in Antarctica, so they never meet
  • Hot places can be wet, like rainforests, or dry, like deserts
  • How UK weather changes through the four seasons and across one day

Chapter by chapter

  1. The North and South Poles: the coldest places Free to try

    Years 1–2 geography · 1

  2. The Equator: the hot middle of the Earth

    Years 1–2 geography · 1

  3. Hot and cold areas of the world: near the Equator or near the Poles

    Years 1–2 geography · 1

  4. UK weather: seasonal and daily weather patterns

    Years 1–2 geography · 1

  5. Pole to Pole Challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Years 1–2 geography: Identify seasonal and daily weather patterns in the United Kingdom and the location of hot and cold areas of the world in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles

About this adventure

Hot and Cold Places is an interactive geography game that teaches children aged 5–7 where the hot and cold areas of the world are, in relation to the Equator and the North and South Poles. It follows the KS1 Geography curriculum and is pitched at Year 2.

Guided by Bobby the Balloon, children spin a globe, plant flags at both Poles and draw the Equator, the imaginary line around the middle of the Earth. They watch a thermometer drop as they float from the Equator towards a Pole, colour a world map in hot and cold stripes, and decide whether mystery places are hot or cold.

Back home, they explore the UK's four seasons and how the weather changes through a single day. Every instruction is spoken aloud with captions, so children who are still learning to read can play on their own.

Questions and answers

Why is it hot at the Equator?

It is hot at the Equator because the Sun shines high in the sky there, so its light is strong all year round. Near the North and South Poles the sunshine arrives low and weak, so those places stay cold.

What is the Equator, in simple words?

The Equator is an imaginary line that goes all the way round the middle of the Earth, halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. You cannot see it on the ground; it is only drawn on maps and globes.

Do polar bears and penguins live together?

No, polar bears and penguins live at opposite ends of the Earth and never meet in the wild. Polar bears live in the Arctic, around the North Pole, while penguins live in the southern half of the world, including Antarctica.

What age is the Hot and Cold Places game for?

The game is made for children aged 5 to 7 and matches KS1 Geography in England, where hot and cold places are usually taught in Year 2. Instructions are spoken aloud with on-screen captions, so early readers can play independently.

What does the Hot and Cold Places game include and how long does it take?

The game has four short chapters on the Poles, the Equator, hot and cold areas of the world and UK weather, plus a 10-question challenge at the end. Playing everything takes about 30 minutes, and children can start any chapter from the chapter menu.

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