What’s one of the fastest and most engaging ways to get kids interested in science and biology? By getting up close and personal of course. And one of the best ways to do that in the classroom is with – kid friendly optics!
Kids are fascinated by the world around them, and they’re even more interested when they can use tools and magnifiers to get a closer look at it. Ever since the discovery of the microscope, people have wanted to see the tiny things around them. Fortunately, today there are so many ways to engage students through the use of kid-friendly optics.
Ideal for science labs, nature, and outdoor education classrooms and clubs, and even the budding entomologist at home, Nature Watch has a wide variety of optics that help promote a child’s curiosity.
Top Optics Crafts & Activities for Kids:
The BugView Catching Magnifier
A two-in-one for twice the fun! There are plenty of toys and tools for putting bugs under a lens, but this one is particularly clever. It can be used to catch bugs and view them under magnification, in a single one-handed tool. This is great to keep around a classroom, and it can be pulled out whenever a crawler happens to wander across the floor. It’s non-evasive and once inspected, the kids can safely release the bug when they’re done.
Make Your Own Monocular Kits
Here’s another twofer: teach children the principles of optics by helping them make a working monocular viewer! These easy-to-assemble kits allow children to see for themselves how devices such as binoculars work while making their own. It can be decorated too for a customized takeaway from an invaluable lesson.
Zoomy 2.0 Digital Microscope
One problem with most microscopes, of course, is that they’re difficult to share with the entire class – but not with Zoomy. This is a USB digital magnifying device which can easily connect to your PC, Mac, or digital projector while providing up to 54x magnification. You can easily share microscopic views with an entire class.
Geovision Micro Pro Elite Microscope Set
Every science classroom should have a good microscope, and the Geovision Micro Pro Elite comes with everything you need to build lessons. Beyond being an excellent microscope, with magnification up to 900x, this 98-piece kit also includes slides, Petri dishes, pipettes, and much more.
See Things Differently with Nature Watch Kid Friendly Optics
Nature Watch encourages children of all ages to get in touch with their natural surroundings. With activities for kids that foster a passion for environmental sciences, educators trust Nature Watch to provide the most inventive crafts and accessories to make learning fun. Click here to see our full range of nature education materials, kid-friendly optics, STEM activities, books, and other teaching tools. And contact us to learn more about our classroom resources.
