Before you read our post on the best telescope for kids, If your child is a little bit older and you’re looking for something more powerful, check out this post for the best telescopes under $200. These scopes are a great entry for beginners and are powerful enough to keep them engaged whilst still learning everything to know about astronomy. Clear skies and happy hunting!
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Imagine if you could give your kids the amazing feeling of being able to see the stars in greater detail when they look up at the sky.
An astronomy hobby that you partake in with your kids will do that and teach them about our fascinating universe, which is why you should consider purchasing a telescope that you can use with your kids.
Aren’t telescopes too complicated for kids to use?
Some telescopes can be difficult for children to use. Adult telescopes are not recommended as they might be bulky or difficult to set up. But, there are telescopes that are made with kids in mind.
Check out this review of the best telescope for kids 2023: bring the stars to your kids with our guide on how to find the simplest, most exciting telescopes your kids will love to use. Who knows?
You might have a budding astronaut in your household!
Contents
Best Overall: ECOOPRO Telescope For Kids
Featured Specs
- 70mm aperture
- Finder scope and two eyepieces
- Adjustable tripod
Benefits
- This starter telescope for kids has a 70mm aperture so it will collect enough light for your kids to be able to see the planets and stars. Your kids will love being able to view the moon clearly as well as see planets such as Venus right from their backyard!
- The telescope’s glass is fully coated with high transmission coatings. This is what helps to produce clear and sharp images.
- It comes with extra items, such as two eyepieces that will enable your kids to magnify the sights from 51x to 128x, and a finder scope to help them find celestial objects easier.
- If you’re helping your kids to set up this telescope, you’ll be happy to hear that you don’t need any tools! Soon after your kid excitedly opens the box, he or she will be able to start using the telescope without delay.
- This telescope is versatile “ your kids can use it when they want to view wildlife during the day or head out to do some bird watching. It’s not reserved for looking at the stars.
Drawbacks
- The tripod doesn’t feel that stable, which can make it tricky to use, especially for really young children.
- People who have purchased this telescope for their kids have reported that they don’t like how the tripod legs have to be adjusted to be able to move the telescope up or down. A lever would have made this task much easier.
- The telescope is made of plastic components.
Extra Features
- Despite its drawbacks, this telescope comes with an adjustable tripod that can be rotated up to 360 degrees for the most comfortable viewing.
- As a nice bonus, the telescope also comes with a star map to help your kids locate the stars.
Buying Advice
This ECOOPRO telescope is a valuable way to help your kids get started with astronomy.
Best Budget Telescope for Kids: Qooarker Telescope For Kids
Maybe you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a telescope for your kids, perhaps because you’re worried that their interest in astronomy will be fleeting (next week, they might talk about baseball instead).
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a budget kids’ telescope that’s made with quality in mind. This one by Qooarker ticks all the right boxes.
Featured specs
- 50mm aperture
- 18x and 90x eyepieces
- Moon lens
Benefits
- This telescope will give your kids amazing views of the night sky, thanks to its two eyepieces that are included in the pack: you get a 18x wide-view eyepiece and a 90x close-up eyepieces to enable them to see more details when viewing celestial objects. An example is the moon – not only will your kids be able to see it but they’ll see details such as its craters.
- A tripod is included with your purchase that can be used for manual slow-motion tracking of celestial objects. It can also be adjusted 180 degrees in the vertical direction and 360 degrees in the horizontal direction “ best of all, you don’t have to first move its bracket.
- As with the other telescope we’ve featured in our review, this one can also be used to view birds, wildlife, and more, so it’s versatile for use at night or during the day.
Drawbacks
- The instructions that come with the telescope aren’t very useful when it comes to setting up and using the telescope. This can prove tricky if you’ve never set up a telescope yourself.
- Some people who have purchased this telescope have reported that it’s difficult to zoom into objects with it.
- The manufacturer states that the telescope contains high-quality optical glass, but not much else is known about it.
Extra Features
- The telescope comes with a moon lens that will further help your kids to see more details when they look at the moon.
- People who have purchased this telescope for their kids have mentioned that it’s really easy to set up, taking no more than 10 minutes.
- This telescope is easy to handle, and only weighs 1.9 pounds.
- It’s a really budget-friendly telescope to purchase, proving that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to give your kids a fantastic present.
Buying Advice
If you’re looking for a starter telescope for your kids, this one is worth considering. It’s a good telescope for kids that is sure to inspire them to want to learn more about astronomy.
Best Beginners Kids Telescope Kit: Gskyer Telescope
If you want to purchase more than just a telescope, like an actual kit, this is the best one to purchase for your kids. Here’s why!
Featured Specs
- Barlow lens
- Smartphone adapter
- Altazimuth mount
Benefits
- This telescope has a fully coated optics lens with high-transmission coatings. This means that your kids can view the moon and stars more clearly but it also protects their eyes.
- This telescope comes with two eyepieces that are replaceable, as well as a Barlow lens. This 3x lens helps to increase the magnification of the eyepieces by three times!
- The telescope comes with an altazimuth mount that can move up and down or side to side.
- It also comes with a 5×25 finder scope. This has a mounting bracket and cross-hair lines so that your children will find it easier than ever to locate celestial objects in the night sky.
- Your kids will love that they can take pictures of what they see, thanks to the smartphone adapter and wireless camera remote that are included. They’ll be raring to take pictures and send them to their friends!
- The telescope has a 70mm aperture to collect light and 400mm focal length, meaning that the images your kids see will be clear and also of a high-resolution.
Drawbacks
- People who have purchased this kit have reported that the tripod is not as secure and stable as they would have liked.
- The telescope’s knobs and settings are extremely sensitive, and they don’t lock into place securely.
Extra Features
- The telescope comes with an adjustable aluminum alloy tripod and carry bag.
- This is the ultimate astronomy kit for kids because you’ll also find a zenith mirror in the pack. This mirror prevents the views of what you see in the night sky from being upside-down, making it much more user-friendly.
Buying Advice
If your kid is showing serious interest in astronomy, why not upgrade from a telescope to a telescope kit? This one is the best budget telescope for kids.
Runner Up: ToyerBee Telescope For Kids
Another kit worth checking out is this one by ToyerBee. It has some excellent features for kids and adult beginners and is much less expensive than the previous telescope kit on our list. Let’s check it out!
Featured Specs
- 3 eyepieces
- Smartphone adapter and wireless remote
- Star map
Benefits
- This telescope has a 70mm aperture and 300mm focal length so that the celestial objects you view are clear and bright.
- It comes with a 3x Barlow lens as well as three eyepieces so that you can increase the magnification of what you see by up to 150x.
- This telescope comes with a smartphone adapter and wireless remote.
- This kit comes with other items to make it even easier for your kids to get started with astronomy. It includes a star map, adjustable tripod, and finder scope, so you’ll have everything you need in one purchase.
Drawbacks
- Making use of the telescope with the smartphone and included holder isn’t that easy because the phone moves quite a lot, which produces shaky images.
- The telescope’s eyepieces aren’t of very high quality, with some people stating that they had to replace them.
Extra Features
- This telescope doesn’t require any tools for it to be installed.
Buying Advice
While it doesn’t have features that are very different from other telescope kits you can find on the market, this kit provides a solid entry into astronomy for your kids. They’ll love having items such as Barlow lenses and smartphone adapters in the pack.
Best Toy Kids Telescope For Children: Little Experimenter Telescope for Kids
While this is more of a toy than a telescope, it’s a fantastic way to help your kids become more interested in astronomy before you purchase them an actual telescope. It’s also filled with features that they’ll love.
Featured Specs
- 24 astronomy images
- 3 LR44 batteries
- Kid-friendly eyepiece
Benefits
- This toy telescope comes with projection discs so that children can look through 24 pictures of beautiful planets, spaceships, and more.
- With your purchase, you’ll receive a guidebook that’s filled with useful information, interesting facts, and activities related to the universe.
- You can turn this telescope in different directions and lock it in place so it feels like a real telescope.
- You’ll love that the eyepiece is soft to the touch. It gently shapes around the eye so that your kids can feel more comfortable when using it.
- The telescope allows for 2x magnification.
Drawbacks
- While it is a great introduction to astronomy, one of the things to realize about this telescope toy is that your kids won’t be able to use it to view the real moon, stars, and planets in the night sky very well.
- Some people who have purchased this telescope toy for their kids have reported that the tripod legs are too short for kids to use comfortably.
Extra Features
- The tripod can be folded up, so it’s easy to store.
- The batteries required for use in this telescope are included.
- This telescope and projector have been 100 percent Child Safety certified.
Buying Advice
If your children are still very young but have an interest in the stars and moon, you should purchase this toy telescope for them.
Your kids will love projecting images of celestial objects on their bedroom walls. This telescope kit is a fantastic way for them to learn more about the universe while having fun.
Telescope For Kids FAQ
After reading our best telescope for kids reviews, you now have a better idea of the type of telescope you should purchase for your kids.
If they’re still really young, a telescope toy could be a better choice, but if they’re older and have a strong interest in the universe as well as astronomy, a telescope kit could help to inspire them. But, what should you bear in mind when purchasing a telescope for your kids?
Let’s answer that and some other common telescope questions.
How to choose a good telescope for kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thh9MKQlpeEu0026ab_channel=CfAPress
There are a variety of telescopes for kids on the market, so it’s not always easy to know which one is best for your kids. Here are some pointers to bear in mind when you shop for the best beginner telescope for kids.
Keep it simple
One of the best things to look for when purchasing a telescope for your kids is simplicity.
You don’t want the telescope to be too difficult for them to understand, such as if it contains loads of eyepieces they won’t know what to do with, as that can be overwhelming. One or two eyepieces, and perhaps a Barlow lens, is more than enough for them.
Ensure it’s compact
The smaller and more compact the telescope, the better!
You want your kids to be able to move the telescope around with ease and carry it with them. Bonus points if the telescope comes with a convenient carry bag, such as the Gskyer Telescope we reviewed.
Guides and maps
You want your children to learn about the stars and planets while they try to find them in the sky, so to help them, it’s important to look at what instructions and guides are included with the telescope.
A smart choice is the Little Experimenter telescope, which comes with a guidebook which is filled with facts and information about the universe, or the ECOOPRO telescope, which comes with a star map to help your children discover where in the sky to search for celestial objects.
Easy installation
This is a feature that, thankfully, seems pretty standard when it comes to telescopes for kids.
You don’t want to battle to set them up before you can start using them with your children.
Refractor telescope type
As you can see on this list, most of the products we’ve featured are refractor telescopes. This type of telescope is worth purchasing for your kids because it is versatile. While you can obviously use it to look at objects in the sky, refractor telescopes can also be used during the day, such as when viewing birds or mountain landscapes. So, they can be fun and educational for kids in various ways.
At what age can I teach my kids to use a telescope?
When choosing to purchase a telescope for your child, it’s important to take his or her age into account.
If your child is still very young, such as around the age of three or four years, he or she will probably have an extremely short attention span so you don’t want to overwhelm them with too much information about the universe too soon.
That’s why a simple telescope, even a toy telescope for kids, can be a great introduction to astronomy for them.
When children are around the age of seven, they will be able to focus on tasks for longer, which is when you can let them use slightly more advanced telescopes, such as the Gskyer Telescope kit we featured in our telescope for kids reviews.
They’ll also be at the age where they will want to use the telescope on their own a bit more while also wanting more information about celestial objects and how to find them.
Of course, having extra features available to them, such as a smartphone adapter, will obviously appeal to kids as they grow older.
A good tip for introducing kids to astronomy is to let them start by using their eyes when viewing the sky at night. Once they can find things like the North Star and moon, they’ll be interested to find other celestial objects and that’s when a telescope can come in handy.
How to use a telescope for kids
To use a telescope for kids, you’ll first have to assemble it. Reading the instruction manual included with the telescope should be your first task, as different telescopes will have different instructions.
Generally speaking, though, the process shouldn’t take longer than half an hour. You’ll need to put the telescope on its tripod platform, then tighten a lock to ensure that they are secured together.
Then, you’ll have to insert the eyepieces into the telescope’s diagonal mirror. Again, there will be screws to insert to ensure that the eyepieces are secured.
You’ll also have to insert the finder scope if your telescope came with one as this will help your kids to locate the stars and planets. Make sure you adjust the focus knob so that the images they see will be bright and clear.
Once you’re all set up, you can show your kids how to look through the eyepiece and focus on an object that’s about 100 or so feet away, like a tree.
To do this, they need to center the object so that it’s clear and focus on it by turning the focus knob, then move on to a more powerful eyepiece. Remind them never to look directly at the sun as that can damage their vision.
Once they’re comfortable with those steps, they can focus on an object in the sky, such as the full moon.
Conclusion
Your kid has been asking you tons of questions about the moon and stars, and you can see his or her eyes light up when you answer them.
Surprise them with the best telescope for kids, such as those we’ve reviewed in this buying guide, and give them a gift that keeps on giving. Your kids will love spending hours watching the beautiful night sky, and they’re sure to feel inspired to learn even more about our amazing universe.
Purchasing a telescope for your kid who’s interested in astronomy is a fantastic way to help them in their journey to start exploring the universe – and you’ll be able to enjoy the telescope, too!
