A toy children’s microscope is a rather complicated device, in addition it’s not cheap, so you should approach it responsibly. To choose a suitable model, you need to clearly understand for what purpose it is acquired.
Not just fun
A toy microscope is a wonderful gift for a baby. Classes with him develop curiosity, arouse interest in the world of animate and inanimate nature. Carrying out experiments with a microscope, children are transformed before their eyes. They can spend hours sitting behind him, looking at the most unexpected objects, and with interest perform tasks in chemistry, physics and biology, thereby increasing the level of knowledge.
With a microscope, you can examine slices of onions and apples, leaves of plants and indoor flowers, plant pollen, pieces of paper, bread crumbs and mold, insects and parts thereof. All this is really possible to see through a children's microscope with a 100-300-fold increase and the presence of illumination of transmitted or reflected light. With a more serious increase, you can already see the red blood cells - red cells in a drop of blood. In serious training models, it is even possible to detect the simplest microorganisms moving in a drop of water (if the water is tinted). This can be done with an alcoholic solution of iodine, fucorcin, baby blue and other dyes.
The microscope, the photo of which is given here, with its bright design and ease of use will absolutely delight your baby! This wonderful gift will develop logical thinking, observation, perseverance, desire to achieve results in a child. Both children and parents discover a lot of interesting and unusual things with the help of a magic device. The kid, who did not know yesterday what a microscope looks like, today with excitement explores everything that is enough for imagination.
Models for children
There are several types of toy microscopes for children. The easiest option is a toy microscope for a preschooler. It is intended for kids, but, despite this, the device is quite complex and interesting even for an adult. Such models are quite unpretentious. It makes sense to purchase them if you want to captivate your baby with the interesting world of biology from childhood.
The next variety is an educational children's microscope for schoolchildren. Its cost is higher, and the device itself is much more complicated. Such a device allows you to conduct the necessary experiments in the lessons of natural science and biology.
Student microscopes (the name speaks for itself) are used to train specialists in specialized universities, and they have also been widely used in carrying out standard procedures in various fields of science. Sometimes they are called routine. They provide sufficient accuracy of research, which explains their quite "adult" cost.
The microscope, the photo of which you see here, already has a completely "adult" design and "serious" functions. Such a device is suitable for a student and even a student.
Adult models
Working microscopes are the next category of quality. Such devices are used in laboratory experiments with serious research, provide high image quality. It makes sense to buy it for a student only in case of a serious passion for biology.
Laboratory microscopes with replaceable modules and used both for everyday use and for serious research work are usually produced in small quantities and are nonetheless very popular.
A children's kit - a microscope and a telescope - is another novelty in the market. This is a model that combines both of these devices at once. A children's telescope microscope most often has a set of lenses for each function and a diagonal mirror. The increase in such models is usually very strong. The telescopic lens has a diameter of about 40 millimeters and a focal length of about 500 millimeters.
How to make the right choice
When buying, one should take into account the child's age, level of mental development and inclination, as well as own solvency. The market today is represented by a huge number of models, which are not so easy to understand. Most often, for younger children, they buy a toy device with a small magnification factor, intended mainly for an initial acquaintance with the microworld and for conducting simple experiments. For the kid who does not yet know what the microscope looks like, explain its purpose in an accessible language and make sure that the child is interested.
Goods of Chinese manufacturers with their relative cheapness can not always justify even their low cost. Do not believe if the package with a Chinese children's microscope shows an increase of more than 300 times. The products of the price group up to $ 60 optics are not so high quality, high numbers increase - no more than an advertising gimmick.
Buy baby
If the child is still a kindergartner, it’s too early to buy a device for a student. As a toy for preschool children, it is better to choose the model "Young Biologist 40" or "Microscope for children DMS-1". These simple devices have a 40-fold increase, which is quite enough for a young researcher, they have a simple shape and a stable design, as well as a low price.
There are even glamorous microscopes for young ladies, made in a special girlish (for example, pink) design. Some of them are a compact hybrid of a microscope and a mini telescope that can fit in your pocket.
We buy a student
An older child can get a high magnification microscope or even a digital model that has much wider possibilities for experiments. Children's microscopes are equipped with illumination, safety glasses, color filters. The kit includes all the necessary tools for work and accessories for experiments.
An example of a toy microscope for a child over 8 years old is a model with a magnification of 100 to 300 times, made of durable material and equipped with glass optics, a projector and a backlight. Glass lenses provide excellent image quality. The stage is illuminated by an LED lamp. The kit, as a rule, includes up to several dozen accessories for experiments, glasses, filters, a Petri dish, a glass rod, a magnifier and much more, as well as ready-made samples for research. The cost of such microscopes is usually in the region of one and a half thousand rubles.
What to look for when buying
If you have decided on the purpose of the purchase and the optimal cost, it makes sense to consider specific models. A children's microscope can be both domestic and imported (most often Chinese). Pay attention to optics. If the lenses are plastic, they will be scratched from rubbing. Lens with a small increase, especially Chinese, often do not give a clear picture - only stains.
If the backlight is provided with an incandescent bulb, it may be ineffective. Better choose LED backlight. It is better if the backlight mirror is curved - for more focusing of light. It must be well fixed and protected from scratches.
The lenses of the eyepiece and especially the lens should be glass. Resolution and image quality depend on the lens. The tube and the tripod of the microscope should be metal. The brightness of the LED backlight must be adjustable. Unlike incandescent lamps, LEDs provide more natural lighting and do not heat up, so they are more reliable.
About accessories
It is worth paying attention to the number of accessories sold in the kit, the convenience of their operation and storage, as well as the availability of detailed explanatory instructions. Modern models of children's microscopes are usually sold in a kit with many useful accessories that allow you to examine what your soul desires. Samples for examination, for example, animal hairs, etc., may also be attached.
A child’s microscope, consisting of plastic parts, is justifiable to buy a young child to ensure safety. Children a little older are recommended to purchase models with glass lenses and a glass slide. In addition, parents usually prepare samples for examination by children.
What else do parents need to know
Setting up the device and preparing drugs is a fairly responsible process. Like it or not, this is the task of parents, and the role of children is to watch, listen to explanations and learn new knowledge.
With a microscope having a high magnification ratio, some work experience is required . For everyday experiments, an increase from 40 to 200 times is quite enough. There is an opinion that for those who want to seriously interest a child in the miracles of biology, it makes sense to purchase an old domestic medical microscope, laboratory or industrial. Such a microscope can be purchased with hands in good condition. If you buy a Chinese toy, do not chase high magnification, it is better to take care of the build quality and ease of adjustment.
The gears of the microscope drive easily slide relative to each other due to lubrication, which will have to be changed after several years of operation. Otherwise, the control of the moving parts will be too tight, and the wheels may be damaged.
Children's microscope: reviews
According to buyers, microscopes, as a rule, correspond to the declared characteristics. Still, it’s better to configure them for adults, since accuracy and smooth adjustment are required. Children with great interest look at the provided samples of wool, as well as grains of sugar and salt. Thanks to color filters, crystals of ordinary salt look like a fantastic cosmic landscape.
Other consumers in their reviews complain about difficulties with customization, especially in Chinese models, they believe that, no matter how hard they try, it was not possible to achieve good picture quality. Some buyers have decided that inexpensive Chinese microscopes are only suitable for entertaining an older preschool child, and as a teaching aid for a student they leave much to be desired. But the majority nevertheless came to the conclusion that at the stated price, a children's microscope (reviews are about the model “Microscope for school (9001 PS)") is fully consistent with its purpose and can be used in biology classes.