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Edmund Scientifics Scope Constructor Review Giveaway {closed}

Do you have a lego-obsessed kid who loves science?   How about a kid who loves microscopes, telescopes, and experiments?  Then I have the kit for you!  The Edmund Scientifics Scope Constructor Kit not only lets your little one build these scientific tools, but it also explains how they work in kid-friendly terminology — even easy enough for my 2nd grader to understand!

Edmund Scientific Scope Constructor Review Giveaway

Geared for ages 8 and up, the Scope Constructor Kit comes with 148 pieces and a 60-page manual. The kit allows you to construct 28 different models (AKA experiments!) and explains exactly how light and lenses work together — on magnifying glasses, binoculars, field lenses, telescopes, and microscopes.  The kit also includes three 3 pre-made slides (housefly wing, feather, and bean leaf) as well as the materials to make 2 slides of your own!

In the manual, you will find step-by-step pictorial directions on how to build each experiment.  Then after you have built the scope, the manual explains how to use your scope, so you can discover how it works for yourself.  Finally, the section called “What’s Happening” explains the science behind the scope and how it works.

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How does it work?

By working your way through the manual, you will learn how lenses work to bend light in order to make an object appear larger or smaller.  In the first experiment, we learned how to enlarge an image.  This was followed by making the image smaller but crisper, inverting an image, and seeing what happens when you add 2 or more lenses.

The second portion of the manual was  built around understanding the mechanics behind a field telescope and a pair of binoculars.  The five experiments in this section include building a 8x long telescope, 15x field telescope, 4x field telescope, 8x short field telescope, and 4x binoculars.

The third section of the manual focused on telescopes — some strong enough for astronomical observations!  Here, you can build a 4x telescope with a short optical tube, 10x telescope with a short optical tube, 10x telescope with a long optical tube, 15x telescope with a long optical tube, and a 15x field telescope with a long optical tube.

The final section of the manual revolved around magnifying objects–just like a microscope.  This included 6 experiments where you would build microscopes — both handheld as well as desktop, ranging in magnification from very low (maybe a 2x or 3x) to 25x, and all the way up to 80x!

So, is it really worth it?

At first, I wasn’t sure if my son would enjoy building this kit.  However, when I opened up the box and he saw how easy the directions were, he quickly started building the first scope in experiment one.  Within 10 minutes he had it set up and was exploring to see if he could understand what the lens was doing.  After I snapped a few quick pictures, he ran back inside and started on the second experiment.  Within just a few days, he had already constructed all of the beginning experiments and was working on the later experiments in the book.

how a lens works Edmund

The Mom Stamp of Approval!

Thanks to this little kit, my son has learned so much about lenses and how they work.  He now realizes why an image inverts with lenses; the impact from adjusting the distance between two lenses; what causes the brightness of an image, and the effect of using concave and convex lenses.  The only negative thought that I have about this kit is that it takes times for younger children to learn how to properly adjust the distance between the lenses so that the image is clear. I often had to get the image in focus for him and then let him minutely adjust it so that he could see the desired effect.  However, I attribute this problem to my own son’s maturity level and him being below the suggested age range.  Other than this, the product was stellar!

Buy it:

You can purchase the Scope Constructor Kit from Edmund Scientifics for $59.95. Edmund is graciously offering HHM readers an exclusive gift of the Constellation Playing Cards just for ordering the Scope Constructor Kit. IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to receive this exclusive gift, you must put the Scope Constructor Kit AND the Constellation Playing Cards in your cart, and then enter the promotional code HHMSJJ. Only one promotional code may be used with each order. Offer good through 12/10/2013. These promotions cannot be combined with any other offers.

Scope Constructor

Win it:

One lucky reader will receive one Scope Constructor Kit from Edmund Scientifics. Enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: One HHM team member received the Scope Constructor Kit to review in exchange for an honest review.

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34 Comments

  1. Binoculars, but I may need to change that answer to telescope as my som was having fun last night after he rediscovered the one he bought at The St. Louis Arch.

  2. This would fill a huge desire in my daughter as she loves science and nature, and has sorely disappointed that little of either has been in this years curriculum as of yet! Hope I won

  3. Oh my My daughter would love this! I think she would build the Microscope first and then the binoculars and the the Telescope! These are all so Awesome!

  4. I think probably the microscope would be built first. I had thought of getting them one for Christmas because I think they would enjoy one!

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