The My Living World Pocket Microscope is made by Interplay - the children's craft, nature, technology and science kit specialists. We've reviewed several of their kits, but this is our first in the My Living World range.
Inside the box you have everything a young scientist might need - collection jars and labels, tweezers, slides, cover slips, as well as the all important Pocket Microscope itself. The cover slips are circular plastic, so they are good for little hands in that they do 'stick' to your specimen, but they are very fiddly. The recommended age for this kit is 6+, so younger users might need a assistance with this bit.
The microscope really is pocket-sized, only 140x48mm, and it requires 2 AA batteries which aren't included. Once powered though it has a light which directs into the lens area, so that whatever you are looking at is lit up and can be seen really clearly.
Included are two slides with 4 specimens each. One Textiles and one Grasshopper. I'm not so keen on including animal specimens because I'm a bit of a veggie hippy, and you aren't really sure how they've been collected. It is however a brilliant educational tool.
Here is the Nylon through the microscope...
We noticed we also had a bit of 'fluff' on our lens. The Pocket Microscope has a 30x lens, with a rotating adjuster to change focus.
It didn't take either of my boys long to get the hang of looking through the microscope, and we'll be taking it outdoors this weekend to collect some more samples. My 6 particularly wants to find a 'dead ant'....I can barely contain my excitement at that one...
The My Living World Pocket Microscope has a suggested age of 6+, and a recommended bargain price of only £9.99. Every child can make use of it and learn with it, and they really are added fun to take with you on a day out practically anywhere. I can also vouch for the fact they can last 10 years, and the batteries will last longer than you think too. Available now from all good toyshops and online.
Interplay offered a Pocket Microscope for one of my readers. That giveaway ended at midnight Sunday 29th May 2016.
We were sent our Pocket Microscope for review.
Wow. That's a really excellent price for a set like that. I think my son would love it.
ReplyDeleteA butterfly breaking from it's cocoon!
ReplyDeletesome flower petals
ReplyDeleteleaves @msedollyp
ReplyDeleteMy 7yr old nephew and i love exploring the insect world This really would be great fun to own
ReplyDeleteMy children are learning about minibeasts, so we will probably look at those as well as other things from the garden.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see a ladybird
ReplyDeleteA ladybirds for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a butterfly
ReplyDeleteMaybe my skin? To see what my finger prints look like up close! Also leaves and flowers!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see what my nails looking like under a microscope ☺
ReplyDeleteI would like to see one of my eyelashes. I understand that some people have microscopic organisms living on them.
ReplyDeleteI would love to show my grandson what lives under his nails, might encourage him to cut them
ReplyDeleteA bee as they look striped but I bet they're not
ReplyDeleteWorms would be interesting.
ReplyDeletemy son loves spiders
ReplyDeleteThe best thing I have seen is a bee. I like looking at hair too
ReplyDeleteI would look at hair and insects
ReplyDeleteRemember doing this with my microscope 40 years ago when I Wes given one for christmas always fascinates me
Aphids they are so tiny!
ReplyDeleteLeaves or sand is also very interesting
ReplyDeletea butterfly wing x
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have a real close up of a flea!
ReplyDeleteworms
DeleteTree bark would be quite interesting to examine
ReplyDeletemy nephew loves plants and insects
ReplyDeleteI think a leaf :)
ReplyDeleteA bit of human skin
ReplyDeletea cross section of a tendon
ReplyDeleteProbably the real life X-Files. I'd love to take a microscope to all that's hidden away in those secret warehouses ;)
ReplyDeleteA scab!
ReplyDelete@rachiegr
Probably little bugs lol x
ReplyDeletea butterfly
ReplyDeleteA ladybird.
ReplyDeleteMY son is currently fascinated with bugs in the garden so would loves to s anything like that
ReplyDeleteFlowerheads
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see skin flake from a dinosaur
ReplyDeleteA flea
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a butterfly.
ReplyDeleteany insects in my house!
ReplyDeleteThe Ebola Virus!
ReplyDeletea caterpillar
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest
ReplyDeletei would love to see a caterpillar and all its little legs.
ReplyDeleteA dragonfly
ReplyDeleteAny little garden insects x
ReplyDeleteAn ant
ReplyDeletea butterfly
ReplyDeletespider x
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves flowers and leaves. So mostly it would be something from plant kingdom
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a dragonfly
ReplyDeletebugs x
ReplyDeleteflowers
ReplyDeleteMy son would love to look at the crystals he's grown
ReplyDeleteWhat would you like to see under the microscope? a human hair . . . . l'd find it interesting
ReplyDeletemy grandson loves creepy crawly's
ReplyDeleteLeaves and feathers
ReplyDeletemy son likes looking at little bugs and would be very fascinated
ReplyDeleteMy daughter said she would love to look at a fly under the microscope, she has seen it on the TV and wants to see for herself
ReplyDeleteinsects/bugs
ReplyDeleteSpider or ladybird
ReplyDeleteGarden soil and insects
ReplyDeleteI'd like to examine some plants.
ReplyDeleteA ladybird, thanks for the lovely giveaway.
ReplyDeleteA butterfly wing
ReplyDeletebugs/spiders
ReplyDeleteFlowers and leaves would be cool
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see how clean our drinking water really is from the tap!
ReplyDeletewe would love to see flowers
ReplyDeleteMillipedes & centipedes
ReplyDeletea fly
ReplyDeleteA spiders nest that would be pretty cool
ReplyDeleteLadybird :)
ReplyDeleteA snowflake I think would be amazing under a microscope x
ReplyDeleteA ladybird
ReplyDeleteA butterfly
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see dog hair :)
ReplyDeleteLeaves
ReplyDeleteI'd love to say we'd want to see something really interesting but my son is obsessed with slugs at the moment!! So we'd like to see a slug!
ReplyDeleteOh got to be a butterfly they are beautiful
ReplyDeleteMy little boy turns 6 in July and I know he would love this microscope. He would get a woodlouse and have a good look at it first!!
ReplyDelete