Reddit mentions: The best kids microscopes

Thanks for the reply! I'll be looking mostly for bacteria/fungal hyphae/protozoa. Might try to throw the occasional bit of molding mulch, plant matter, trichome, dead bug, etc under there too and see if I can't take a cool pic.

What's the cheapest way I could conduct some decent science here? Epifluorescence microscopes are way out of my price range. I'm looking for the best sub-$150 USB microscope I can find (I should have specified a price range, sorry). You don't think I'll be able to count bacteria in a snapshot on my computer from a brightfield microscope (especially if I use a stain and get the layer of water thin enough that they don't drift in and out of focus too badly)?

Here's a video at 600x magnification with bacteria pretty visible in what seems like a brightfield microscope. This is sort of what I'm going for--any advice on sub-$150 USB microscopes for something like that? Even if the method isn't perfect, as long as it's consistent, I can get some science done (I only care about comparing bacterial populations, not about accurately counting the absolute number, just seeing if certain techniques increase/decrease them comparatively to others). What do you think?

As for filtering, that's a great idea, I can see how that would be important for getting consistent results. I'll probably mix a gram of soil with a known volume of distilled water for each sample, pass it through a coffee filter to simply get rid of sand/silt/clay, stain it, take a few pics at different locations, and get an average value. As for stains, is there anything you could recommend within my budget? Or could I just get a cheapo kit to start off with? Something like this

The age on this is 8 and up, but I think this is such a great gift for a smart little girl. Start them young!

And I vote this for the little hellion. Maybe she'll have a talent for causing great pain.

Thanks! I appreciate it!

I read a lot... This is maybe my 4th or 5th but the first in almost 15 years so I'd say I'm pretty green still. She got a major trim a few days before I changed the lights. I've been taking of
f a handful of bigger light blocking leaves about once a week. Profile from today's pH check.

I googled the name of the company on the microscope and found it on [Amazon] (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00O5ZNY9U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_osACDbGEW7TGR). That price is kinda ridiculous considering how cheaply it's made but it does work a lot better than I expected. I bought it from a surplus store, I thought it was $4, might have been $9 but no more.

Edit: the reach on that attachment is pretty limiting. It won't fit on my G8 but it fits perfectly on my iPhone SE.

Edit 2: the microscope also has a light built in which is pretty cool but it's not shielded from the camera lens so you have to zoom past it and it still washes out the colors in that corner of the picture...

> trying to inspire it by giving her more ways to express it.

This gave me a great idea for OP! I had some similar interests when I was a kid, and it wasn't uncommon for my parents to give me gifts of anatomy books, layman's/kid's books about natural sciences, science experiment kits for kids, etc. I don't doubt that their support is partly what helped me push towards my current career goals and choose the college program I'm in + the grad school program I hope to get into.

EDIT: Super late edit, but stuff like this is what I'm referring to, if OP happens to see this comment and she has a birthday coming up. I loved playing with my microscope and magnets when I was a kid!

Well, a love for Dr Stone is a love for science. I don't know how old your brother is, but when I was a kid in the 90's science kits were way more common. I've seen some in Walmart and there's this $5 store called 5 below that has some but I'll look on Amazon and see what relevant kits I can find.

here's a telescope for $33. Senku's thing is space. Space is awesome. You may also consider seeing if your local college has a telescope, I was surprised to find out that mine does and it's open to the public!

Here's a crystal growing kit. Chrome loves rocks.

Here's a microscope and here's the one I lusted after after I saw one on TechTV Screensavers $18 so cheap now! Tempting...

Electronics kit!! I had one of these! My parents threw it away because they said I was obsessive about it.. now I watch Big Clive tear apart garden lights... Senku make a radio too, which I think you can make a crystal AM radio with this kit if I remember correctly.

Not OP but I got my 3 year old this one for Xmas and he loves it. Bonus action shot I managed to get 1 pic through the scope but it was pretty hard to get the spacing right and no wiggle with a S5 camera, nice job OP. In hind sight I should have gotten one with more magnification but he still thinks its pretty cool. Looking at telescopes for his BDay now.

That one looks a little flimsy, mostly because of the skinny arm. If you were budgeting for $100, then perhaps this would be perfect for you. It's a good weight, sturdily built, and comes with lots of accessories including some simple stains. Nothing prepares a kid for a future in pathology like getting eosin as a gift, haha.

I don't know if you can get them in the US, but these are great:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Museum-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B0015X4Y5S/

Small cheap and durable, the image is excellent. I've got several for my boys and we take them to the beach, camping etc. You can just keep one in your pocket. Read the comments on Amazon.

Yea buy a microscope like this one.


https://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-AEM60100-60x-100x-Illuminated-Microscope/dp/B0037YC3V0/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=hydrofarm+60-100%C3%97+microscope&qid=1573416665&sr=8-6


Take off the phone clip for it and just look at the plants.


If you have clear and milky trichomes you have at least one more week, wait till you can see some starting to Amber at the very least.

And like I said if it's just a couple indoor plants it should take honestly less than an hour to have it chopped and hung and will take another week before it's ready for trimming and jarring.

Looks ok to me. Leaves are just going a bit yellow because it's coming towards the end. Leaves can go a bit droopy if the plant is thirsty, making it look sad. The smell is given off when the plant sweat, is it still not smelly when you touch it? As for when its ready, look at the trichomes under something like this.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Museum-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B0015X4Y5S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458306388&sr=8-2&keywords=kids+microscope. Ideally you want all the trichomes cloudy with some clear and some amber, depends on how you like it. Have a look at this, is a bit more accurate than what you've got http://www.amazon.co.uk/DF-Speciality-Paper-Water-Strips/dp/B00CX11YR2/ref=pd_cp_201_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=18BHHRFQRKSTDG8H956A

Thanks for your reply. I just googled USB microscope and found this. Looks really similar to the one used in the video. Pretty sweet.

Pics are hard to judge when they are not high quality. Doesn't look like the best quality hash. Get yourself a small microscope if you don't have one...see for sure what you have in front of you....also comes in handy for looking at buds for a variety of reasons (trichomes, contaminants...)anything like this will work just make sure its adjustable....hopefully it was dried properly and re pressed if that is water hash (big rocks are a no no for water hash)...
http://www.amazon.com/iPhone-Case-LED-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B00FQW5S4A/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1421567013&sr=8-7&keywords=garden+microscope
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-AEM100-Active-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B004ATVHB8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421567013&sr=8-2&keywords=garden+microscope
http://www.amazon.com/Carson-MicroMax-Portable-Microscope-LED/dp/B00AB2XFMW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1421567013&sr=8-4&keywords=garden+microscope

Bug discovery thing My 5 year old niece loves it.

Common cold plush Some parents use this to explain bacteria and viruses to children and how it makes you sick.


Mix between the bug discovery and a microscope, but really kid friendly

They also have a kid friendly telescope

This one looks super cute and is meant for preschoolers https://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-GeoSafari-Microscope-Preschoolers/dp/B00I0D3RE0

(It's not that strong, not going to be able to see individual cells or anything, but it's cool to look at stuff magnified)

Your new best friend!

I was looking around and found this microscope on amazon. All of the reviews said it was really good

This microscope, but I also put a bright light right next to the scope, otherwise the light only comes from below the subject, making it a silhouette.

Edit: This is the light I used

Here appears to be a picture of blood cells under a 40 dollar plastic kids microscope (the first picture):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R8QZPHVYL00VH/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00GGY85EC

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Link to the microscope:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-120X-1200X-Beginner-Microscope-Carrying/dp/B00GGY85EC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

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Here appears to be a picture of blood cells under a 86 dollar amscope microscope (the middle picture):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RIIM8M99ASYRC/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00AM5XB5O

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Link to the microscope:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-M150C-I-40X-1000X-Biological-Microscope/dp/B00AM5XB5O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540043964&sr=8-3&keywords=microscope

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Of course I don't know what cameras they used and so on, so this is a bad comparison, but it's still a comparison. I also don't know what objectives/magnifications they used in the picture, because usually people don't write those for some reason. Someone who owns a kids microscope could make a better comparison. I'm probably going to buy one some day, because I'm curious how good they are.

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But the fact that you can see blood cells, I think means that the resolution in the plastic kids microscope is quite good, compared to a generic 50 dollar USB microscope for example, which I don't think can see blood cells. The limitation of the USB microscopes can be due to the bad inbuilt camera more than optics though. Compared to the 86 dollar microscope, there doesn't seem to be that big of a difference. But again, this is a bad comparison, so we can't be sure. There might be a larger difference than what appears to be in the pictures.

It actually came with a microscope kit
The little blue container in the top left is the Hatchery

if it's not burning right that is DEFINITELY a sign of being laced or impure in some manner or another. Maybe buddy sprayed it with sprite or 7-up to fake the appearance of crystal. Always check your bud with a microscope if you don't know your source well. buy a small amount first to test if you're unsure of it.

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-M30-ABS-KT2-W-Microscope-Illumination-Magnification/dp/B00GGY85EC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421918159&sr=8-2&keywords=microscope

http://www.amazon.ca/Scientific-Explorer-Newton-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B00D831CCG/

http://www.amazon.ca/Elenco-Discovery-Planet-Microscope-Carrying/dp/B000NW5JCY/

http://www.amazon.ca/Scientific-First-Lab-Ultimate-Microscope/dp/B000N5K1AQ/

13 is old enough to get a kit that isn't necessarily made for kids.

This telescope is out of your price range, but maybe you can split the cost with another family member.

This might work, using the video option.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-USB-Microscope-Video-Camera/dp/B0011E0IYW

http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Rocket-AppScope-Attach-Microscope/dp/B00O5ZNY9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452196127&sr=8-1&keywords=appscope

Math Counters listed high priority: $12.16

Microscope for the kiddo!: $25.55

Harry Potter box set: $50.85

Wacom Tablet: 89.00

Frozen!: 19.96

Total: 197.52

The live video here was shot with a USB microscope. I think it was this one.

Another suggestion I saw was a cell phone macro lens.

bahaha damn you angry

What microscope i'll be using

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-M30-ABS-KT2-W-300X-600X-1200X-Biological-Microscope/dp/B00GGY85EC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1406581201&sr=8-4&keywords=microscope