NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Kids Microscope Science Kit - Dual LED Microscope for Kids, Ultra Bright 20x & 50x Magnification, 35 Microscope Slides, Most Complete Microscope Kit for Kids 8-12, Biology for Kids

Great for kids; my kids loved it! Picture quality is incredible! Batter life, brightness and build quality is top notch! Extremely portable!

The media could not be loaded. National Geographic Dual Microscope has surprisingly clear lens for an inexpensive microscope. The microscope has 10x and 25x lens that are easy to exchange. You simply pull to remove the lens and the next lens slides in. The distance between the two heads is adjustable, but this does not have a Diopter adjustment. You do have the Coarse Focus knob to adjust the distance from the specimen you're viewing. You have two different light sources, one from above your field of view and one below the stage that shines through the condenser lens (glass circular piece).The condenser lens comes out easily, so make sure to be careful when unboxing. Depending on what you are viewing the light source from below may still be too bright to see details. We found that if you take a small piece of wax paper and place under the glass piece it diffuses the light more and makes the specimen easier to see. There are many slides that come in a plastic case and most are already setup for viewing. (Examples: onion skin, fungi, earthworm cross section, etc.) The earthworm slide is one I would recommend diffusing more with the wax paper to see the individual layers of intestine and epidermis.This set also comes with a vile of Brine Shrimp eggs and a hatchery. The instructions to hatch the eggs are in the instruction manual. It's quite simple to make the saltwater using bottled water and salt without iodine. The eggs are supposed to hatch 24-48hrs later, but we were unable to see any hatch after waiting four full days. After research, there are many factors that could cause the eggs to not hatch, such as water was too cold, too many eggs, etc. You are instructed to place the hatchery in a window sill and it has been cold outside. With the shallow water for the eggs I fear the water may have gotten too cold. I will start the hatching process over very soon.The microscope is battery-operated and requires 2 AA batteries that are not included. Otherwise, this is a near complete starter kit for a teenager who is interested in science. I have a 7 and 6 yr old that enjoy looking through the microscope with our help. They love to find things when outside and bring in to get a closer look! Thanks for watching!

This to me is a great scope for kids getting into science. It has both top and bottom lighting (allowing lots of objects to be viewed without putting them on slides.) The bottom lens is far away from the object (This keeps the children from cracking the lens into the object and breaking it) and it is portable (so you can take it with you outside if the kids adventure into outdoor discovery).The one suggestion I would make is to have the eyepieces lock into the scope. If someone picks this up to carry it from the back, the eye pieces can fall out easily.The included slides are a great entry into the world of the small, and the ability to throw a rock, or a leaf, or any other object under the scope to zoom in is great for kids without having to prep a slide. The brine shrimp are a wonderful way to get kids into thinking about looking at small things in greater detail, and the clear box allows them to throw insects into the box and look at them in detail.Overall, I would definitely buy this again.

Easy to adjust and entertaining for those kids with a curious mind

This comes exactly as advertised and I couldn't be happier with it. My 8 year old loves science but is still at an age where a bit of clumsiness is be expected. This device is simple and sturdy enough to meet the challenges of his age range, yet still provides a "Wow, cool!" level of magnification that will keep a kid interested. You get enough magnification to clearly see plant cell walls and motes of pollen.It comes with glass plates and clips, as well as a bunch of pre-loaded plate samples like onion skin and earthworm bisection... but just as importantly, you can easily stick a quarter or a leaf under the lens with no fuss. That's crucial for kids who aren't yet ready for delicate, time-consuming procedures. For older kids, the plates come with clear instructions and are easy to assemble.I can't lie... I've played with this as much as the kids have. It's just that much fun to look at everyday things under the lens. Strongly recommend for a school-aged kid's microscope, or even for an adult who just needs a quick and easy magnifier for small details on things like coins or jewels.

My Grandson is autistic I was at a lose as to a Christmas gift for him he's 10 years old and very smart. So I googled gifts for his special talents this came up with other ideas I choose this because of the natural geography name. Well it was the best gift ever. He's still uses it everyday and says now I can really see things. It came with some slide and he now makes his own. I can not say enough a out what a wonderful gift this was for him I had it sent to him and told his mom it was coming. It came on time and was every well packed. Amazon got it there 2days before Christmas. Just in time for my daughter to wrap it.

My nephew love this microscope.