Using microscopes with kids — whether at home or in the classroom — is a lot of fun. It’s always cool to see how amazed they are by the things you can see under a microscope that you wouldn’t know were there otherwise. Just a drop of water from a nearby pond or creek can be full of interesting things to observe.
Entry-level microscopes for classroom or home use tend to be both durable and easy to use so they’re great for kids. You can choose plastic or metal models with various ranges of magnification. They often come with sample slides and other fun stuff for kids to explore.
This National Geographic branded microscope, for example, has large knobs that are easy for kids to manipulate. It magnifies up to 400 times and includes specimens from plants, rocks and minerals, as well as empty slides and the tools kids need to collect their own specimens. There’s also a lab guide full of activities for them to try.
If you like a more traditional microscope like the ones you might have used growing up, try this one from AmScope. It has up to 1200 times magnification and weighs less than three pounds. It includes everything you need to hatch and observe brine shrimp, as well as prepared and blank slides and supplies to collect specimens. It also includes a hard sided carrying case.
Whatever microscope you choose, be sure to grab our free printable microscope activity set. This set includes parts of the microscope (labeled and with labels for the student to add), a word search, writing page and several sheets for drawing observations from under the microscope. You can grab the printables from our online shop.
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