please recommend a microscope

[monkeymama07]

I have a 5.5 year old and am looking to purchase a microscope.

[Tranquility7]

It depends what you want to look at, but we just bought this dissecting microscope and LOVE it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080IH1XS/ref=oh_details_o07_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I did a bunch of research - I had also bought a cheapy toy microscope a while back that actually had greater magnification, but it was only lit from the bottom and so anything you wanted to look at had to be mounted on a slide.  It was cheap as I said, and we had tons of trouble with getting it to work properly.  For my 7 yr old and 3 yr old, we really mainly wanted to look at leaves, bugs, rocks, paper, pencil lead, coins, etc. up close, but not yet at the cellular level.  The new scope we bought is terrific - you can look at items using the light on top, and since it is binocular you see it in 3D (plus it is easier to view for children than a monocular style).  Plus, it comes with a cool little camera that you can mount on one of the eyepieces and display the image you see on a computer, take pics, etc.  The camera definitely isn't perfect (smaller viewing field than the actually eyepiece, and not as crisp focus) but it is a fun little addition and makes it so we can all see the image at the same time.

 

It is very easy to use, and DS has had a ball gathering up all kinds of things around the house to look at under it.  He just puts it on the stage and focuses like a pro.  So far we are only using the 40x mag level, but later I'll teach him to use the 80x level.  Also, we have so far only used the upper light and 3-d objects, but eventually I'll teach him about slides and we will use the other light.

 

When he is older we will obviously need to buy a more high powered scope for looking at cells and such.  But for now, this is the perfect microscope for us.

 

[Dmmetler]

We have this one

http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Lab-Duo-Scope-Microscope/dp/B005WJJE7O/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1373119364&sr=1-1&keywords=Duoscope

 

I lucked out-there's a discount store here that starts out at about half list price, and then, after a month, reduces by 10% a week until it gets to 90% off of their price-so I got the microscope for $5. It's nice to be able to look at solid objects.

 

 

[longnightmoon]

We got a Brock Magiscope when my dd turned 6. We absolutely love it. It seems pretty indestructible (I think it has a lifetime warranty for damage) and it's very easy to use. The best part is you don't need to mess with slides so we use it all the time. Find a dead bug? Just stick it under the scope. Want to look at some sugar or salt? Put it on some black paper and check it out. Even my 3 year old likes to use it. It has been a fantastic purchase.

[MommaOfalotta]

:bigear:

[Stellalarella]

Here is another thread to read  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/477745-microscope-recommendations/

[yucabird]

We got a Brock Magiscope when my dd turned 6. We absolutely love it. It seems pretty indestructible (I think it has a lifetime warranty for damage) and it's very easy to use. The best part is you don't need to mess with slides so we use it all the time. Find a dead bug? Just stick it under the scope. Want to look at some sugar or salt? Put it on some black paper and check it out. Even my 3 year old likes to use it. It has been a fantastic purchase.

We love our Brock too!

[Farrar]

For a younger child like that, I'd get the one Glory recommended.  We have a nice one that's more like the second one linked and it has higher magnification, but you have to use slides and you basically get a flat image.  The nice thing about the type in the first link is that you can just toss something on there and look at it.  It will be several years before you want to see things at much higher magnifications, so I would say that's the way to go.