Wanna see the Microscopic World?
During school years, laboratory days were always full of excitement. For theoretical lectures only brought fat yawns. The former gave a sense of liberation by exploring the scientific world on your own.
Why am I recalling those days? During the birthday shopping for my toddler, my five year old spotted a kids' microscope. He was so eager to get it. Usually, I just tell him off as getting a toy each time we go shopping is not a good habit. But I agreed upon the microscope as it seemed a useful investment.
The microscope brought back the memories of the first time I got to use it in a Biology class to spot an amoeba. I was so fascinated to see the microorganisms. Therefore, the other day when I bought the apparatus for my kid, deep inside I was probably more thrilled than him.
When it was time to open the box, we had a little fight. My son wasn't letting me even touch it and I was eager to see it for myself. Ha-ha. Anyways, I controlled myself and let my son do the unboxing. I smirked, when he handed it over to me few minutes later because he had no idea how to use it.
Let me share the specifications with you too:
- Optical Microscope
- Three lenses with powers 100x, 400x and 1200x
- Adjustable auxiliary white light for better view
(Hmmm...seems nice. I wonder if it really works.)
Other equipment that came in the box:
- three slides
- one prepared slide
- knife
- spatula
- tweezers
- sample bottles
- sample case
(Cool...the manufacturer really thought everything through)
Here, I have labeled all parts for the ease of kids(if anyone of them is reading this post).
I made a video while I showed my son how to use it. If you would also like to see it, please click the thumbnail below:
For the next hour, we checked out different things from home. To my surprise, the result wasn't bad. It was perfect for kids and even for adults like me who just want to have fun and not trying to make a scientific discovery. Ha-ha
The zoomed-in version was so clear and fabulous for each thing we checked out. But unfortunately, my camera didn't do the justice. It was really hard to take pictures through the eyepiece.
Microscopic view of different specimen collected from home
I tried hard to take stable pictures but that's all I could capture.
We are thinking of different microorganisms and other miniscule stuff to explore. Spider web and ant are on our list.
I tried to look for bacteria in a dash of yogurt as well. But I think I didn't prepared the slide right or I am challenging the capacity of a kid microscope beyond its limits. Anyways, I will still give it one more try before moving to slightly bigger stuff like wood maybe.
Oh I rememebr, we checked a 5 rupee coin as well. Although it was too big for a microscope but my son was excited so we check it too.
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Next time, I will find something with more intricate details. The pictures are not doing the justice to the actual images that microscope shows.
I would love if you pour in some suggestions about what other experiments we can do that can interest my 5 year old kid.
Regards,
event-horizon
Very good post! I'm nearly on the way to buy an equivalent for myself!
Some things have been numerated by @chriddi.
I want to add:
Compare hair from your head and arms with hair from the child's head and arms.
Compare foot nails with finger nails (you will have to prepare it as very small stripes with coloured fluid to get more contrast).
Take a look on printed letters from different sources (book prints versus newspapers versus ink printers).
Take a look to different spices.
Compare a look to the tooth brush with cleaning brush.
If you can get it, look at the wings of flies and butterflies (sometimes there a some to be found already dead).
;-)
As for the photos: did you try to put the lens directly on the ocular (eyepiece) and then sharpening as seen by the the display of the (smartphone) camera? I don't know if that works, it's just an idea...
Thank you for stopping by and giving me some more interesting ideas. I will soon have another go with the microscope and check out all the suggested specimen by you and chriddi.
As for the pictures, I first sharpened the display on Microscope and then directly put the lens on ocular to take the picture.
I don't have a good smartphone holder to keep it steady so it took me some time to make adjustments for a clear and steady photo.
I would say your Son is fortunate to have this instrument at his age. hopefully, this would impact a lot of lessons.
My first time using this was when I was in high school....after that stage...I am not sure I have used this again.
Thanks for bringing back those old memories...
Yes... he's definitely fortunate to get these sci-tech toys. In my childhood, the most scientific thing in my possession was a magnifying glass. I used to burn papers with it in the sun. 🤣
I think yours was even more meaningful and official, i would say.
Back then as a kid...we made alot of Can string telephone..., and we keep making alot of calls...repeating the expressions we heard from movies...🤣....example.: Roger that", "Over"..
To us, African kids...that was like a million dollar invention...🤣
That's more interesting and creative. You won! 😂
Wow! A microscope for a 5-year-old! Way to go young man. It's really good to familiarize them with this kind of educational stuff, same time having fun. I am surprised with the results given by it as you have mentioned. What's the price and its brand?
My 5-year-old loves science. I am happy that I was able to find something educational and fun at the same time for him.
The box just says - Scientific Microscope, Age 6+.
It was for 2000 Pakistani Rupees.
I can understand that very well! I often felt that way too. :-)
I am quite surprised that the microscope works so well. When I think of some of the children's toys that are sold here, I'm afraid you can only expect something plastic.
But the magnification of your microscope is really good!
I would identify the green "something" in the picture as a leaf :-)
I was also skeptical about the results but the tiny details pleasantly surprised me.
Yes, that's a leaf. 😀
WOW! Your son seems to be very inquisitive MashaAllah! It's great that you let him have it. How much was it for and where did you get it?
And I'm guessing that is a microscopic picture of...grass? :P
You could also try seeing what real sand looks like under a microscope.. must be full of bacteria and germs lol right? I would like to see too!
He's extremely inquisitive. It was for 2000pkr and we got it from Zaman Sons, Mardan.
It's not grass, it's a leaf. :p
Real sand is a good idea. I will check it out and share the pictures.
Wow then this microscope is great for its price!
HAHA close enough. :p
Very cool! I also had such a children's microscope, it was my favorite "toy" for quite a while. Later, in my biology classes with the "better" microscopes, there were hardly any more interesting hours than the exploration time.
Have you already magnified hair? There are visible differences in the structure (not only the color) of blond and dark hair. Sheep hair compared to dog hair is also interesting. Insects are the most fascinating. You might find a dead spider or fly. Or you - sorry, guys, it's for science - crush a mosquito....
We all have dark hair and no pets in home. Although, I examined my hair but don't know how to get different kinds. 😂
We found a dead ant but it fell somewhere during the examination. Not sure about the spider and a fly. I'm scared of the former and the latter is gross. Haha. But I would love to crush a bloody(my blood probably) mosquito. 😂
BLOOD is very, very interesting, too... ;-)
But I don't think a children's microscope can deal with it. Please tell me if it works... :-)
I also don't think, it can deal with that. But I will definitely test its abilities. 😉
I enjoy reading this post, dear. This post reminds me of my junior high school days when I was studying Biology. I advise you to examine standing water in bottles, then the cleanliness of drinking water and moss. Maybe that will be interesting.
Sometimes looking at small objects through a microscope makes us always wary of what we consume. Like the research on snack drinks that we have researched, we are reluctant to consume them again. That's because it looks like there is a kind of clear worm moving around in it.
Drinking water is a good idea. Infact, I have just thought of something more interesting - Coca Cola. 😂