Tips for using microscopes with children. With the correct approach, even very young children can begin to learn about biology through a microscope!

How to Use Microscopes with Children
What You'll Find on This Page
I have always felt that it was a shame that young children typically don’t get much exposure to biology. People balk at using microscopes with young children. I find that, given a good introduction on to how to use a microscope properly, the vast majority of kids aged four and older are perfectly capable of using a microscope appropriately – and so appreciative of what they see!
Biology was the one thing Mike and I had in common when we first met, and so this past Christmas I gave him a microscope. He and the kids have had a blast looking at all sorts of things through its magnifying lenses!
I think of microscopes as being tremendously expensive, because they are, unquestionably, an investment. But we paid the fraction of the price of an iPad for ours, and while we don’t own an i-anything, I see parents everywhere who let their kids play with them on a regular basis!
Of course, you will need to supervise your child more carefully with a microscope than with an iPad in a solid case. Hmm, maybe someone needs to invent a child-safe microscope that actually magnifies things properly with glass lenses instead of cheap plastic ones?

Some links on this site are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you! Learn more.
How to Pick a Good Microscope for Children
I spent a fair bit of time researching microscopes before settling on the AmScope 40X-1000X. We also got these very child-friendly slides from Learning Resources. I also bought this set of glass slides for creating our own specimens. Glass slides do require very close parental supervision as they are made of glass. Glass slide covers are made of very thin glass.
I expected seven-year-old Emma and six-year-old Johnny to enjoy using the microscope, and I was right. But four-year-old Lily is the biggest fan! She has always loved anything tiny, and she loves taking something very small and seeing what it looks like magnified!
I hear all sorts of ideas about how to get girls involved in science and technology. A large number of those ideas involve simplifying the activity from what we would offer a boy of about the same age and then painting everything pink and purple. I say please, please, please do not simplify. Girls are smart, just like boys! Let your four-year-old daughters experiment with real science equipment, without editing slides to things we *think* they will like. Lily and Emma enjoyed seeing slides of insect parts from the Learning Resources slides. They also enjoyed looking at slides of different fabric fibers that we made from materials around our house.

The image above is of some cotton fibers from a Q-tip that we placed on one of the glass slides with a drop of water, then covered with the glass slide cover. I took the picture with my SLR camera, which was a little tricky since my SLR lens is much larger than the opening for the eyepiece. I’m still trying to figure out a good way to take photos of our slides

Seven-year-old Emma enjoyed writing up her notes of what she saw using the various magnifications. The microscope we got allows for five different magnifications.
Do you have a microscope that you use with your kids? What do they like to look at? What are your top tips for using microscopes with children?
Share comments and feedback below, on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter to receive book recommendations, crafts, activities, and parenting tips in your inbox every week.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
A clever idea! Have you tried kaleidoscopes? We are addicted to them.
Amalia
xo
Do you make them? I love playing with them but when I’ve tried to make them they’ve never turned out quite how I envisioned.
I balked at P’s request for a microscope, but now I’m rethinking. (Not that I’m against the idea, but he was only five (?) at the time and I thought we should wait til he was a bit older. Well, I guess he’s already a year older!)
It all depends on personalities, but my five-year-old loves our microscope, and is careful with it.
I love this post – especially the part about not simplifying and making everything pink for little girls!! I think you did pretty well with your photography of the q-tip fibers too!
Thank you, Jody!
I agree that we let kids play with things that are more expensive and less instructive than a microscope. I plan to get for my little one because he loves all things science. There is a kid friendly one that I am hoping to find on sale on the homeschool boards :-)
I would love to hear if you find a kid-friendly one that works well!
MaryAnne,
This is the one I have on my wishlist. I’m keeping an eye out on the homeschool boards for it. I’m thinking that it would be hard for my boy to break.
https://www.amazon.com/Brock-Magiscope-Basic-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B0042SUKEC
Oh wow, that looks really neat! Thanks for coming back to share the link!
I had a microscope when I was a young girl and I LOVED it. There was something so wonderful and almost magical about looking at something up close. Thanks for sharing this post, MaryAnne!
Great post, MaryAnne! I’ll definitely be referring to this if/when we buy a microscope for our kids. The cheapy kid ones are frustrating, no question.
I thought about getting the kids a microscope for Christmas but ended up not. That’s so great that you got Mike a gift that the kids love, too!
I love how your kids are keeping a lab notebook to record their observations. They might love The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate as a read aloud book. My kids didn’t get to experience microscopes as young kids. I think they used them in 6th grade. I’m sure they would have loved it though!
Thank you for writing this post! We got a microscope as a present, but it’s one of those super cheap ones, and we were all collectively frustrated with not really being able to use it. I have to look into the one you recommend!
We have been really happy with this one.
JDaniel got a microscope for Christmas. He looks to look at the slides that came with it. We haven’t started creating our own. He will really enjoy that.
My kids are most interested in the slides they create now, but it was nice for them to have some prepared ones to start off with.
GEtting a microscope has been on my wishlist ever since I saw them on so many blogs. Someday (after saving up for them) I am sure we will be able to get one :)
I hope you do manage to get one. They are a lot of fun!
LOVE those pictures of your kids at the microscope! We were the recipients of a microscope and slides from a generous Freecycler. When I tried to make a slide I sliced my finger open. It wasn’t too bad, but it frightened me enough to put the whole kit away for a while. Now I’m inspired to pull it back out!
Those glass slides can be really sharp! I hope your next attempt is more successful!
I’d love to introduce J to microscopes though biology, well micro-biology, is not one of my strengths. John seemed very excited about your microscope post and commented that a USB microscope can project bigger pictures and then you can capture the images. It looks like Amazon sells the USB camera option with the same type of microscope. Maybe they just sell an extension?
Yes, I actually thought this one came with the USB when I ordered it. Hazard of not reading the item description closely enough… You can buy it as an extension, and maybe we’ll do that eventually.
Oooh! I love this post! We just got a microscope and were a little disappointed so I may end up switching to yours. Thanks!
We have been happy with this one! We tried a different one a couple years ago and were very disappointed; thankfully this one has worked well for us.
I’ve been wanting to get the boys a microscope but was nervous I would buy a bad one. The reviews are so mixed. I also noticed you switched to Genesis! Yay! I am Genesis’ biggest fan and you will have fun fiddling around with the theme. Good luck.
Microscope reviews really are mixed! This one has worked well for us.
Genesis is pretty awesome from what I can tell so far; I need to play around with it more and would love to hear if you have any favorite resources to share. I went back and forth on whether or not it was worth it for MONTHS, but I’m happy with it now that I have it!
I have always wanted to get a microscope for the kids, I think it would be great! I love this post as you make me want to go out right now and get one! But I have to wait until next week…we are trying to stick to a budget! :)
They are definitely something you have to budget for! We have been loving ours.
Oh I would love to have a microscope especially once my kiddo is older. It’s never too early to instill a love for science and learning. I think investing in a “real” microscope also sends the message that we take their learning seriously and that it’s not just a “kiddie” thing to do.
I also like your new layout MaryAnne!