Direct Link: https://www.microscope.com/juniorscope-the-ultimate-kids-microscope-1.html

The OmanoJuniorScope, The Ultimate Kids Microscope Kit, from Microscople, LLC, is not a toy. It’s a real, working microscope that kids ages eight and up can use to get started in microscopy. I have tried out several “microscopes for kids” and have found them to be too limited to actually be useful, but that’s not the case here! I was pleasantly surprised, and my tenand thirteen-year old kids were totally fascinated!

In the box, you’ll receive the microscope itself, the Usborne “The World of the Microscope” book, and a starter kit that includes five prepared slides, five blank slides, five cover slips, one pack of lens paper, one forceps, one plastic test tube, a petri dish, a toothpick, a cotton swab, one straight dissecting needle, one bottle of eosin y stain, one bottle of methelyne blue stain, and a dropper. The microscope has high-grade glass optics for clear viewing, a two-in-one lens for high or low power, three magnification levels (40x, 100x, 400x), and both bottom LED illumination for translucent objects and top LED illumination for opaque objects. And you can use it anywhere with three AA batteries!

If you’ve ever used any kind of microscope before, even as a kid in school, then you’ll know exactly how to use the materials. If you haven’t had that experience, then the included Usborne book will explain everything you need to know, complete with full-color illustrations! Your child could literally open this box and get started on his/her own! In addition, Omano has included a set of Amazing Microscope Adventures cards. The first card explains the basics of setup and use and the terminology associated with the parts of the microscope. The other cards provide specific explorations your children can do that are sure to fascinate them! And these thick, plastic cards are in full-color with information on both sides. They would be great summer projects to assign your kids for some summer fun!

We were using this microscope within minutes of opening the box. It was really that easy! The prepared slides included skin, an insect leg, and three kinds of stems. I placed the slide, turned on the bottom LED light, adjusted the focus, and invited my kids to be amazed! We had just started studying the human body, so the skin slide was so interesting for them to see! We even looked at our fingertips using the top illumination, and we were shocked at the detail we could see! The kids were literally shrieking with delight! They said they wanted to see more and more specimens, so we made a plan to order some more prepared slides of human tissues that will pair nicely with our study of the human body this year. And of course, we have everything we need in the box for preparing our own specimens, as well! 

The JuniorScope is lightweight and was easy for the kids to share and pass around, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel like a toy. The EZ Focus Knobs adjust the focus so smoothly, and it makes it easy to make the slightest adjustments for the best viewing experience. Don’t let the size fool you! This microscope takes up very little space on my school room shelves, but it provides a very detailed view of specimens, and it’s just right for children’s hands. Before you bite the bullet and invest in a more expensive microscope, I would encourage you to give this one a try! I think you’ll find it suits the needs of your home classroom, and I have no fear of the kids breaking it. It feels sturdy and is surprisingly effective. I really wish I’d had this when I first started homeschooling my children fifteen years ago!

-Product review by Kelly Burgess, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July, 2018