Crew Review: Discovery Scope

I was SOOOO excited when this review opportunity came along, and even MORE excited when I saw my name on the list to actually get to review it!!! My kids love examining all kinds of weird things they find in nature and I just new they'd LOVE this.  So what is this?  THIS is the Discovery Scope!!!

It is a hand-held wide-field microscope.  It's SMALL, and LIGHTWEIGHT!! I can literally throw this in my purse and have it with me (if I could get it away from my kids long enough to PUT it in my purse). This is something that can come with us when we travel, it can even come with us when we go to the playground, or to a national park or . . . ANYWHERE!   We received the Basic Kit which includes the discovery scope and several accessories for looking at various things.  In the last few weeks we have looked at kitten ears and paws, our clothes (seriously, Sassy was fascinated with the close-up look at the weave of her dress one day in the car), mushrooms, bugs, leaves . . . I lost track, and half the time they were dragging it off with them into the woods or wherever so I didn't even get in on the fun.

The site says this is easy-to-use for ages 6 and up. I definitely agree that it is easy to use for kids and adults, I think, with a little more help, it could probably be used even younger. I don't THINK Little Bit (just past 3) could quite get the knack of looking at things, though she oooh'd and ahhhh'd when her sisters let her look at things they were raving about, but I think in another year or so, she'll be fighting for her own chance at it.

This is an amazing product for homeschoolers of all learning styles (well, I suppose if you absolutely forbid your children to ever do anything hands-on or lab-oriented, but I don't know of anyone like that) and if you don't homeschool, what better thing to keep your children entertained all summer while they're not in school? For that matter, even if you don't have kids, or your kids are grown, YOU will love this too!!

The Basic Kit that we received is $40.  For $15 more you can get the Naturalist Kit that includes a (very cool looking, in my opinion) case to keep everything in.  There are also a variety of Accessories, and a guide book and camera adapter in their Misc category.

I originally planned to snap a few pictures of the girls bent over the Discovery Scope looking at things, but then other members of the Crew started talking about the really cool pictures they were managing to take using their iPhones, and 4+ hands (in other words, they have older children and/or children who SIT STILL enough to hold the Discovery Scope really still while they took the picture), so I didn't bother. I always recommend reading the other reviews, but this time, SERIOUSLY!! Go read the other reviews!! Even if I've completely 100% convinced you to buy (or not buy) this product, go read the other reviews because some of them have some really cool pictures!!! And then wait until next Friday when ALL the reviews should be posted, and go back again and read the reviews you missed, there are some AMAZING pictures! My favorite is the video of the snail!! You can see all the reviews here.

Disclaimer: As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received the above mentioned product in exchange for writing an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are those of myself or my children, as stated.