Take a closer look! Here are the best microscopes for kids.

Kids are instinctively curious, so are drawn towards magnifying glasses and microscopes. The amazing hidden world of minibeasts and nature comes alive with a simple magnifying device. Here at Gardening for Kids, for many years we have been helping parents choose the right microscope for their kids, and want to help you, too! So here is our simple guide to all things magnifying.

Magnifying Glasses – for young kids and toddlers

Magnifying glasses often provide the first glimpse into the miniature world. They are simple to use and need no focusing, so even very young children and toddlers will be able to use one. Take a look at the colourful Mini Mag – with its colourful insect styling and small size for small hands, a Mini Mag would make a perfect gift for your young child or toddler.

For a slightly older child, they will love the one-piece kids’ magnifying glass with its x3 and x6 lenses. And for the real enthusiast there is our Giant Magnifying Glass (seen above)!

Pocket Microscopes – for getting out and about

The next step up from a kids’ magnifying glass is the simple hand-held Pocket Microscope for kids, capable of up to x30 magnification.

We’ve even got a Microscope Telescope that doubles up as a fantastic telescope as well! Easy to focus and small enough to fit into a pocket to take out exploring, these are ideal for your young adventurer who is always on the go.

Microscope Set – for indoor play and STEM learning

We’ve got a beautiful kids’ Microscope Kit that would be the perfect gift for your inquisitive 6–10 year old: it comes with a handy x30 pocket microscope and slides and cover slips, so that budding biologists can even make their own mounts, just like real scientists do! But don’t worry – the microscope kit contains ready-made slides to teach children how to focus the microscope (a useful skill for school!) before they get going on their own.

Phone Microscope – for everyone!

Microscopes – brilliant though they are – have one annoying disadvantage: only one person can look down them at once! The Phonescope Microscope is an ingenious invention that overcomes this problem. It is a phone microscope that clips on to your phone or tablet camera to brilliantly magnify whatever the camera is pointing at, so that everyone can see!

You won’t believe the clarity of the images; the first time we trialled them we were amazed! Not only is the Phonescope Microscope a fun and educational microscope for kids to play with, it can also be used to help with their artistic projects or school work. What’s not to like!

As always, if you have any questions about which microscope to choose for your child, please do get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.