The Best Microscopes for Kids

There's nothing like a beginner microscope to spark your little one's interest in science. Teaching the use of a microscope can help foster a love of learning about our planet, and it can greatly enhance how a child sees the world around them. It's never too early to start encouraging a love of science. Here are the best microscopes for children, all designed to provide a fun, educational experience all the while.

Educational Insights Microscope

A Gateway to the Natural World

This highly interactive tool from Educational Insights is the perfect beginner microscope for budding science enthusiasts.
Best Overall

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Young, would-be scientists will adore using the Educational Insights Microscope, an easy-to-use, highly interactive tool that’s built with kids in mind. This brightly colored microscope is your child’s gateway to learning a wide array of fascinating facts about plants and animals, via the wise, warm voice of Bindi Irwin. (There are over 100 facts and questions in all, in fact.) Kids can choose to operate this microscope in Fact Mode or Quiz Mode, alongside looking at the many prepared slides and full-color images that this microscope comes with. And, crucially, the eyepieces are oversized and comfy, and cleanup is a cinch because all of the slides fit neatly inside this tool.

Pros:

  • Features super-quality close-up images
  • Voiced by Bindi Irwin, who spouts tons of fun, fascinating facts about animals and plants. There are over 100 facts and questions in all
  • It’s the perfect STEM toy
  • Not just a microscope; it’s also an interactive tool designed to help kids learn more about the planet (includes over 100 facts and 60 full-color images)
  • Cleanup is easy; all of the slides fit neatly inside for convenient storage

Cons:

  • Requires batteries that aren’t included

AmScope Kids Microscope

Instill a Love of Science Forever

This AmScope microscope is simply awesome for beginner scientists who may be ready for a more advanced tool.
Best Advanced

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Stimulate a love of science early in your child’s life with the AmScope Kids Microscope, which is a more advanced-level microscope than most. This super-cool tool features six magnifications to choose from, along with a specimen stage and an LED illumination system that closely mimics real microscopes. A full-blown STEM kit, this microscope even comes with sample slides, cover slips, adjustable lenses, a scalpel, tweezers, and more. Simply put, it’s an awesome pick for your child’s scientific journey.

Pros:

  • An easy-to-use microscope that’s equipped with advanced features
  • Comes with everything from sample slides to a scalpel
  • Features six magnifications: 120x, 240x, 300x, 480x, 600x, and 1200x
  • Has a specimen stage with two built-in stage clips
  • Is equipped with a nature light and LED illumination system
  • Excellent value

Cons:

  • It could stand to have a better, sturdier anti-skid bottom

Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. My First Microscope

It's Never Too Early to Encourage Learning

The GeoSafari Jr. was made specifically with toddlers in mind.
Best for Toddlers

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For the younger kiddos out there, the Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. My First Microscope is the perfect beginner microscope. This award-winning, whimsical tool is impeccably designed and made specifically for smaller children. Watch your child’s curiosity bloom as they operate the kid-sized knobs and eyepieces and marvel at the magnified objects before them. There are other kid-friendly features, too, like non-skid feet, bright LED lights, and a wider field of view, so toddlers will feel perfectly comfortable using this tool.

Pros:

  • A fantastic introductory microscope for younger kids
  • Has 2 extra-large eyepieces and a chunky, child-sized focusing knob, so it’s easy to operate
  • Features 8x magnification plus an LED light
  • The wide field of view is perfect for little ones
  • Non-skid feet = better stability

Cons:

  • The magnification isn’t super strong, so it’s not really suitable for older kids

National Geographic LED Student Microscope Kit

Comes With Everything Young Scientists Need

This incredible kit from National Geographic comes with over 50 accessories (plus a dual microscope) for kids.
Best Kit

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The National Geographic LED Student Microscope Kit comes with everything that young scientists need to satisfy their love of learning about the natural world. With over 50 accessories included (from reusable blank slides to your very own Petri dish), this kit is a powerful learning tool for any child who’s the least bit curious about animal and plant life. Solidly constructed and easy to operate, the microscope comes with two sets of high-quality glass eyepieces, so kids can opt to look at specimens on slides or closely examine objects in 3D detail.

Pros:

  • It’s basically two microscopes in one, with lower and upper LED lights
  • Comes equipped with over 50 accessories, including tweezers, an eyedropper, a Petri dish, blank slides, slide covers, and more
  • Unlike some other microscopes, this one comes with 10 prepared slides with a range of biological specimens
  • The high-quality optical glass eyepieces offer 20x and 50x magnification
  • Really easy for a first-time user to operate, and very lightweight, too

Cons:

  • On the pricey end

Omano JuniorScope Microscope

Invest More In Science

The JuniorScope Microscope is worth every penny if you have a child who's seriously interested in science.
Best Splurge

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The Omano JuniorScope Microscope may not come cheap, but you get what you pay for. Unlike cheaper imitations, this microscope features top-notch objective lenses that let kids explore the world in great detail. In fact, there are three magnification levels (most come with just two), including 40x, 100x, and 400x. Thanks to that, your child will be able to look closely at everything from insects and leaves to bacteria and blood cells. All in all, this kit is simply a wonderful gift for the science-crazy youngsters in your life.

Pros:

  • Features premium-quality glass objective lenses
  • You get both a low-power microscope (for looking at solid objects) and a high-power microscope (for looking at transparent objects)
  • Comes with a range of other tools, like forceps, a dropper, test tubes, and more
  • Portable and lightweight (at just 3 pounds), with battery-powered functionality

Cons:

  • The price point may be inaccessible for some

Frequently Asked Questions

What can my child use their microscope for?

This depends on the type of microscope that you decide on. Typically, with children’s microscopes, there are two types: compound microscopes and stereo microscopes. Compound microscopes are more powerful than stereo microscopes; the former is used to look at samples that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to see with the naked eye (like cells), while the latter can be used to look at virtually any small object. The type that’s best largely depends on your child’s age and/or developmental level.

What features should I look for in a microscope?

Aside from discerning which type of microscope is best (compound or stereo), above all, your child’s microscope should be age-appropriate and easy for them to use – especially if they’re younger. For instance, your preschooler doesn’t need a microscope with high power magnification; rather, an interactive talking microscope is best for children that age.