Is this significantly different than getting your child a magnifying glass?

This item is designed to give kids a feel for what a microscope does. It's a little more powerful than most children's magnifying glasses. It also gives children the experience of focusing with focusing knobs. Further, it has a light for helping to illuminate details. This is a great way to begin talking to young children about the fact that things exist that you cannot ordinarily see and that tools like a microscope allow people to view small items and details.

Can you tell me what kind of detail you can see with the 8 time magnification? Wondering if it's enough for 4 year old

This microscope is perfect for a 4-year old. Children can put all sorts of items under the microscope and see interesting details. Ask your child to look at a toy, the tip of a pen or pencil and the detail on a rock and a leaf. Look at the back of a penny (dated between 1959-2008) and challenge your 4-year old to find Lincoln sitting inside the Memorial!We chose to give this microscope 8x magnification for a very good reason: the relatively low magnification is particularly good for preschool/early elementary school age children because it gives a wide field of view which is easier for a young child to understand. Another important age-appropriate feature is that the two-eye viewing is especially good for this age group.

What is the magnification on this microscope? (10x? 20x?)

It is 8x. A plastic lens, not the best but it won't break if a child drops the scope. This is made for preschoolers, after all. It works fine on small 3-D items...food, small toys, bugs, leaves, flowers, a book or picture, etc. The 8x enlarges a child's finger enough so the print lines are easy to see. The binocular view is very easy for little ones to use. Very few 3 - 6 year olds can use one eye effectively. The next step up in youth microscopes is a monocular one with a 10x to 40x magnification, I think.

Can anyone compare this to the Learning Resources Primary Science Viewscope? I'm looking for my 3 yr old.

I bought the Educational Insights My First Microscope for my inquisitive 3 yr old grandson as a Christmas gift. It was a big hit. It was colorful and very user friendly. One feature I appreciated was the large area for viewing which would accommodate larger objects. In comparing the one you mentioned to this one, I noticed that the Learning Resources has a 20x magnification while this one only has 8x. Also, the Learning resources one has a removable viewer, which is a nice feature. This one costs $14.99 and is made in the USA which was a plus for me. I hope this info helps you made a more informed decision based on your preferences.

Power Source	Battery Powered
Objective Lens Description	Achromatic
Real Angle Of View	45 Degrees
Magnification Maximum	8 x
Light Source Type	LED
Item Weight	0.51 Kilograms
Item Dimensions L x W x H	10"L x 7.5"W x 8"H
Color	Multi-color
Material Type	Plastic

Learning Resources Geosafari Jr. My First Microscope

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