Life Science has always been one of my favorite topics and as a former Science teacher, I want to make sure that I pass on my love of the subject to Riley.  Now I may be a little biased in this opinion, but I don't think that the importance of Science can be stressed to children enough.  It is a subject which utilizes reading, writing, mathematics, deductive reasoning and creative thinking and teaches us the way our world works.

I love getting out in the backyard with Riley and examining every leaf, rock, insect and spider we come across. Thanks to Learning Resources and the Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope, we can study our findings in a whole new way.  Keep reading to find out why this is a scientific tool no child should be without!

I can recall when I was about 10 years old, I received my first microscope, which was a very bulky contraption that needed slides, cover slips, an electrical source or the sun for the microscope's light.  It was also extremely hard to get the specimen in focus and then, there was no way to capture what you saw to share with others or keep for yourself.

Boy, how technology has changed the way we do things!  The Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope is the easiest microscope to use and is even recommended for children ages 3-18.  Imagine that...a 3 year old operating a microscope!  All that's necessary is a laptop or computer which contains a CD-ROM and USB port, so that you can  upload the imaging software and plug the Zoomy directly in.

The Zoomy also comes with two adapters for face/scalp and nose/ears.  These adapters snap on the end of the Zoomy and allow you to put the microscope directly on your own skin or hair, without damaging the lens in any way.  Notice from the first picture below, how every freckle, hair and even the texture of my arm's skin are seen perfectly using the Zoomy.

I also love the compactness of the Zoomy as well as how it contains its own LED light source and requires no batteries whatsoever.  This device runs completely off your own computer's power and is so small and lightweight, that it could be tossed in your laptop bag for scientific discoveries on the go.

As a matter of fact, if you are using the Zoomy along with a laptop, then you can examine anything interesting you come across right then and there.  That's how Riley and I came to discover our backyard in much greater detail.  We plopped down on our bellies with my laptop and the Zoomy and studied everything we could find.  Just check out our up-close pictures of a seashell, plant's stem and leaves and a piece of bark.

My Skin	A Shell
A Plant	Tree Bark

The Zoomy offers 35-53X magnification and focusing this microscope is super simple.  All you have to do is slowly twist the top section of the Zoomy back and forth until the item pops into focus.  The high-resolution images displayed on your computer screen are crystal clear and capturing your discoveries is as simple as clicking the silver button on the top of the Zoomy.  I was able to take the four pictures you see above in a matter of minutes and couldn't get over how quick and easy this was to do.

I think that Learning Resources has hit a home run with the Zoomy Digital Handheld Microscope for it works well with almost any computer...simply plug and play.  You will need to install the microscope's software, which is contained on a smaller CD, so if you happen to have a CD-ROM drive which doesn't open up but rather requires the disc to slide directly in, you won't be able to use this smaller disk.  In this case, you can install the software directly from Learning Resources site using this link.

This microscope also works well with projectors or even interactive whiteboards, making it the perfect classroom tool too!  I wish I would have had one of these when I was still teaching, for I know that this would have brought new life and interest to our lessons and a way to share fascinating finds with the entire class.

I can't recommend the Zoomy Digital Handheld Microscope from Learning Resources enough!  A device that encourages hands-on investigations and scientific inquiry which can be used with children ages 3 to 18?  Now that's money time and money well spent!

Disclosure:  I received the Zoomy Handheld Digital Microscope 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.