Live Science Plus
Save up to 50% on these beginner Amscope microscopes at Amazon
These beginner microscopes are heavily discounted this Prime Early Access with savings up to $33.
Keeping your kids entertained can be a struggle at the best of times, and as we look ahead to Christmas you may be wondering how to keep their minds sharp and their imaginations wild. Luckily, Amazon are offering some great discounts on their beginner microscope sets for kids, perfect for any budding scientists.
You can grab the AmScope 120X-1200X Beginner Microscope for just $27.19, and the AmScope M40-K-MDM35 Premium Microscope Set is also on sale for $56.99. These scopes are an even better price now than they were in the back to school sale last month, so take advantage of this sale while you can before the prices shoot back up again. Be mindful to get the 120X-1200X in white though, as the black one is more expensive for some reason.
To see how these microscopes fared against the competition, check out our best microscopes for kids guide to weigh up all the options.
AmScope 120X-1200X Microscope: $54.99 $27.19 at Amazon
A great starter microscope for any budding little biologists, this scope would be a great purchase at 50% off.
Amscope M40-K-MDM35 Microscope: $89.99 $56.99 at Amazon
This premium 85 piece microscope set is great for school projects, giving the ability to view specimens on a computer and save and share images
The Amscope 120X-1200X microscope would be the perfect choice for your youngsters, particularly if this is their first one. This 52 piece set has everything they'd need, and includes advanced features and all the necessary accessories for just $27.19.
This scope is capable of six different levels of magnification - 120X, 240X, 300X, 480X, 600X and 1200X. It features a specimen stage with two built-in stage clips, a single coaxial coarse focus knob, and a nature light and/or LED illumination system.
The kit comes with sample slides, cover slips, plastic tweezers, a plastic scalpel, adjustable lenses, specimen vials, collecting vials and a sturdy hard case for easy storage and travel. This set is perfect for viewing cells, brine shrimp, insects, leaves, bacteria and more!
This microscope currently has an average customer rating of 4.4 stars, with over 65% being 5 star reviews,
The Amscope M40-K-MDM35 set is slightly more advanced, making it better for older kids or those who are more interested in microscopes, so would be great as an upgrade. This scope is a premium 85+ piece microscope and is also the first combination microscope and digital color camera kit, meaning you can view, download and edit pictures of specimens directly from the microscope with the kid friendly software, then save or share them. The software that comes with this kit is compatible with PC and MAC computers.
This kit comes with everything your child would need to get started learning about the world of microscopy, from blank and prepared slides, tools, vials, and experiments. It has precision focus optics, magnifications ranging from 120x -1200x, a rack and pinion easy focus system, two light sources, a built-in color filter wheel and much more!
This set currently has an average customer rating of 4.4 stars with over 68% being 5 star reviews. It's currently on sale for $56.99.
If these microscopes aren't quite the right fit, check out our guide to the best microscopes for students.
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
Kimberley Lane, E-commerce writer for Live Science, has tested a wide range of optical equipment, reviewing camera gear from Sony, Canon, OM System and more. With over 6 years of photography experience, her skills span across landscape and seascape photography, wildlife, astrophotography and portrait work. Her photos have been featured in a number of national magazines, including Digital Camera World and Cosmopolitan. She has also contributed to our sister site Space.com and Tech Radar, and she regularly uses binoculars and telescopes to stargaze in the dark skies of South Wales.