Summer is the season for backyard discoveries and exploration!  The insects are buzzing, the flowers are in bloom and the whole world seems to be at the peak of activity.  As a young child, I found endless fascination in nature's creatures and I want to definitely encourage that same admiration for critters big and small with my daughter.

Catching bugs and setting up tiny habitats for them can be an all-day job and for that kind of work, you need the right equipment.  Gone are the days of Mason jars with holes punched in the lid and picking bugs up with your bare hands.  Learning Resources has developed MUCH cooler scientific tools for your little one to use.  Riley and I had the chance to review the Big View Bug Jars and the Early Science Explorer's Set.  Keep reading to learn more!

The Big View Bug Jars from Learning Resources is a set of six multi-colored jars designed specifically to house any curious critters your child may find while exploring the great outdoors.  These pint sized jars have six small air holes already punched into the uppermost sides of the jar itself and the ladybug lid screws on so that there's no accidental escape.

The coolest feature of the Big View Bug Jar is in the lid, for when you push the small indention on the ladybug's back, her wings open up to reveal a built-in 3.5X magnifier!  Now, your future scientist can get a safe and up-close view of their captured specimen and watch how it moves and behaves in its new habitat.

If you think that your child will love the Big View Bug Jars, then the Early Science Explorer's Set is a definite must.  This set will encourage your child to explore anything and everything around them.  Riley just LOVED the large magnifying glass, which offers a 4.5X magnification.  She kept walking around with it, both indoors and out, examining everything she came in contact with.  I even began singing the Inspector Gadget theme song to her, at which point she started making me call her "Inspector Riley"!

What we really loved about this large hand lens is that it actually has its own built in stand so that your child can set it up and watch what happens by underneath it.  As you can see from the picture above, Riley had the magnifying glass set up on the concrete and was watching a line of ants walk around back and forth.

The large child-sized tweezers are wonderful too, for they promote fine motor skills, which all young children need to practice.  They are extremely easy to operate and because there are padded indentions where the child's fingers should go, they will always practice proper technique when using these tweezers.

"Do do do do do Inspector Riley"

Hmmm...what critters am I going to use these tweezers on?

Riley couldn't have been any happier with both the Big View Bug Jars or the Early Science Explorer's Set from Learning Resources.  I highly recommend either one of these toys, for they promote investigative thinking, fine motor skills and wonderment at the world around them.  Spark your budding scientist's outdoor curiosity this summer with a little help from Learning Resources!

Disclosure:  I received the Set of 6 Big View Bug Jars and the Early Science Explorer's Set from Learning Resources in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.