February 13, 2008
Kids Microscopes - Let them Explore
The term “microscope" can be divided into “micro” which means small and “scope” which means to view. In other words, it is a device, which is used to view small images that are not visible to the naked eye. A microscope is an important education tool in the field of scientific research and education. It imparts a lot of educational training to schools and colleges and their extensive use opens new discoveries in the field of medicine. Kids of the present times have to be exposed to this technology in order to understand the beauty of nature and the outside world. With kids microscopes, you are opening the doors to a new world to be explored by them.
You usually gift your kids with electronic items, toys, books, or clothes on their birthday. If there is something different and precious you want to gift your child, you should definitely think on a very different plane, like giving them a microscope. There are a lot of precious things your child will be able to do with this device. He will be able to understand the world around him, look at it from a different perspective and begin enjoy the world he lives in.
Why a Microscope?
Kids in general have a lot of interest in the outside world and are very creative at their work. It is up to you as the parent to bring out this interest in your child, instill confidence, and encourage his explorations, creativity, and development of work. This work will help your child in his all round development and will expose him to a completely new world. Children learn better, when they work with their hands. By switching on the Discovery or Animal Planet channel on the television, the reach is not great. If they are physically exposed and asked to work on something, it helps them learn and understand better.
Some Activities that You Can Suggest
If you want your child to know his environment, let him start using a kids microscope. It is however very important for you to explain the working of the device and its care and handling procedures. They should be made to understand that a microscope is an expensive device and requires utmost care in its handling and maintenance. Some of the activities that you can suggest are as follows-
- Let them take a banana peel and leave it out in the environment for a few days. After a few days, they can examine the peel under the microscope. They can see the decomposed peel and the cellular changes it has undergone.
- If they have studied about a leaf and its parts, they can even take a simple leaf and examine its parts under this device. This will help them relate to their theory and will probably open more possibility to exploration and study. You can take this opportunity to talk to them about the role of trees and its importance in keeping the air clean.
- They can even study about different water sources, the debris each place collects and the importance of keeping the environment clean and tidy.
By gifting a kids microscope, you are opening newer avenues for your child to experience, view and explore. Don’t kill the natural curiosity, which arises in every child. You need to give them sufficient information to satisfy their quest for knowledge. Give the space to explore and let them enjoy the world they live in with their own eyes.