(I was given a complimentary JuniorScope from Microscope.com to facilitate this review. However, as always the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own. You can read my full disclosure here.)
Have you been looking for a great microscope for your kids to use for their Science studies?
Recently Microscope.com reached out to me to ask if I would like to review their Omano JuniorScope. Since all my kids are really into natural science I jumped at the opportunity for the JuniorScope is the highest rated microscope for kids that is on the market. I knew this would be the perfect tool to use with my kids this Summer to keep them educationally engaged and later for homeschool.
When the JuniorScope arrived my oldest (10-year-old daughter) was especially excited and couldn’t wait to open it and try it out first thing. When we carefully opened the box there was a paper with a URL for your kids to watch a short video with tips on how to use the microscope.
After watching the short video we began t carefully unpack the microscope and supplies (since it’s a real microscope it is breakable which is why they recommend for kids 8+) The JuniorScope has 3 different magnification levels (40x 100x & 400x). It also has top and bottom LED illumination to better view your opaque specimens and translucent slides and has EZ focus knobs that make it easy for kids to use. Best of all it runs on 3 AA batteries so you can use it anywhere!
What comes with the JunioScope:
- 1 JuniorScope Microscope
- 5 Blank Glass Slides (not cheap plastic)
- 5 Pre-prepared Slides
- 5 Cover Slips (for the Blank Glass Slides)
- 1 Pack of Slide Labels
- 1 Pack of Lense Paper (to clean the microscope lenses)
- 1 Forceps (tweezers)
- 1 Plastic Test Tube and Petri Dish
- 1 Wooden Pick
- 1 Cotton Swab
- 1 Straight Dissecting Needle
- 1 Bottle of Eosin Y Stain
- 1 Bottle of Methelyne Blue Stain
- 1 Dropper
- Batteries
- 5 Instruction Cards (to get you started with easy to follow start-up projects: Microscope Basics, Crime Science Investigation, Plants, The Human Body, Insects)
The set instructions were easy to follow to figure out how to work the new microscope and the adjustable knobs were easy for my daughter’s small hands. For our first viewing experience, my daughter chose to look at the backside of a penny. She loved how the penny magnified 100x looked like a rainbow flecked road. Next, we looked at a 2 dollar bill where you could clearly see the fibers and the pixelated design.
My 5 & 8-year-old boys couldn’t wait for their turn to look through the scope. They all noticed different things as they looked at the money. My 8-year-old son got soo excited when he discovered we could use the JuniorScope to look at blood and germs and cant wait to do so.
My youngest who is just 5 is too young to operate the microscope himself so my oldest adjusted everything for him so he could look through the lens and join in the fun without risking damaging anything. He can’t wait to look at Leaves, grass, and bugs in future experiments.
For our next experiment, we plan to slowly go through their pr-prepared glass slides (it came with 5) before we eventually take the plunge and start making our own slides.
There are soo many things we can study and learn about the world around us with this microscope and my kids can’t wait. We plan to use it regularly all summer and of course once homeschool starts again. As long as we take care of it properly this microscope can last our whole life. (though as my kids get older we will probably invest in nicer educational microscopes).
I have to say I was very impressed with the quality of the Omano JuniorScope. This is not a cheap toy but a real tool quality made with young students in mind for ease of use. If your kids are into science I highly recommend investing in a JuniorScope for your home. Even adults will love it!
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