We were recently one of our frequent visits to Pacific Science Center and as usual the last stop we made was the gift shop. Nate and his friend found these tiny little microscopes and begged for them. How could I say no to such a cool little science toy? It sure beats the heck out of the chintzy souvenirs they usually want.
They have been put to great use. The kids have examined everything from rocks to a small wound on my arm. It’s only about an inch long with a half-inch lens, but has a respectable 45x magnification. It has both a white and a UV LED light on board. The manufacturer recommends it for looking at gems (indeed, PacSci had it with the geology stuff) and for identifying fake IDs. As a toy it’s been fascinating for the kids to look at everything from the shells of their pet snails to the murals painted on local bus shelters.
You can currently get this teeny-tiny wonder for about six dollars (a third of the price I paid) at Amazon.com:
