There is no better way to learn about biology than with your own eyes! Microscopes are not only useful tools for scientists, but they are also great for teaching kids and students about the biology of cells and microorganisms.
There are several kits of microscope slides for kids and students. These kits contain different types of biological specimens, which is nice because otherwise, you would not have access to such a variety of cells, microorganisms, and plants. In addition, these microscope slides are professionally prepared to ensure the best microscopic observations. This is why they are often used to demonstrate the full range of observations that you could make with a microscope. Please also have a look at my previous post to learn how to use a microscope or to find the best compound microscopes for kids.
Let’s now review the best kits of microscope slides for kids and students featuring various professionally prepared slides with mounted specimens!
Best Kits of Microscope Slides for Kids
Microscope Slides for Kids 48-Pack from DIY-Science with Insect, Animal, and Plant Specimens
This kit of prepared microscope slides for kids from DIY-Science is fantastic! It contains 48 microscope slides with a wide variety of plants, flowers, insects, and animal specimens. This beginner’s kit for kids is a great way to teach them about microscopy and biology. No wonder why this kit is one of the most popular on Amazon with a global rating of 4.6 out of 5 with almost 3000 reviews.
These microscope slides are made of highly transparent plastic. Furthermore, these microscope slides have smooth edges and will not break into sharp pieces. Children can therefore use them safely.
Even though these microscope slides are perfect for kids and beginners, it is worth noting that plastic microscope slides are in general less clear than classical glass microscope slides. As a result, don’t expect these microscope slides to look like professional ones. Nevertheless, these slides are well prepared and well labeled. This is a great specimen collection to introduce kids and children to STEM, biology, and the microscopic world!
Click Here to See this 48 Pack of Microscope Slides for Kids from DIY-Science on Amazon
These microscope slides are also slightly smaller than regular glass slides used for microscopy. In addition, these microscope slides are compatible with any type of digital or compound microscope. However, some specimens like insects might be more difficult to observe with a digital microscope. These microscope slides showing opaque structures will work best with a stereo-microscope or a microscope with an additional light source illuminating the specimen from the top.
In summary, this 48-pack of microscope slides for kids is a great kit for beginners. This product is a good value and a nice way to introduce children to biology.
Here is a list of the various microscope slides for kids included in this kit:
12 insect specimens (red microscope slides):
Butterfly wing/ butterfly antenna/ butterfly leg/ locust wing/ locust antenna/ locust leg/ dragonfly wing/ dragonfly abdomen/ dragonfly leg/ honeybee wing/ honeybee antenna/ honeybee leg
12 plant specimens (green microscope slides):
Celery leaf/ corn stem/ lotus root/ cabbage leaf/ pumpkin ovary/ ginger root/ onion epidermis/ burdock root/ carrot root/ cucumber ovary/ sponge gourd stem/ potato starch
12 flower specimens (yellow microscope slides):
Dandelion fuzz/ carnation stem/ tulip pollen/ laver/ lily pollen/ camellia pollen/ sunflower pollen/ bamboo cane/ phlox leaf/ pine tree stem/ veins of holly leaf/ agar
12 animal specimens (blue microscope slides):
Goldfish scale/ sardine scale/ plankton egg/ canary feather/ rabbit hair/ cat hair/ horse hair/ cow hair/ sheep hair/ fowl feather/ duck feather/ pigeon feather
AmScope PS25 Prepared Microscope Slide for Kids with 25 Slides Including Plants, Insects and Animal Tissues with Brown Wooden Case
This is a really nice selection of microscope slides for kids from AmScope! These are high-quality slides made from optical glass for clear viewing. This kit of 25 microscope slides includes plants, insects, as well as animal or human tissues. In addition, this is a highly rated kit on Amazon with over 7000 reviews.
Check this Nice Selection of 25 Microscope Slides for Kids from AmScope on Amazon
The biological samples are preserved in cedarwood oil and sealed with a glass coverslip to preserve specimens. Since these slides are made of glass, they are recommended for children 8 years and up. Furthermore, this kit is very convenient to use, as the slides are all numbered and well-identified. These slides measure 3 x 1 x 0.4 inches or 75 x 25 x 1mm (H x W x D). These microscope slides also come in a wooden storage box to prevent breakage and facilitate their handling.
The AmScope PS25 microscope slide set includes 25 prepared slides of a variety of specimens including plants, insects, and animal tissues. These samples composed of human blood, dog cardiac muscles, insects, or mushrooms will definitely catch children’s attention!
In conclusion, these microscope slides are the perfect selection for kids. It is easy to make nice observations with these high-quality microscope slides for kids and I would definitely recommend buying this kit!
Here is a video showing this set of microscope slides from AmScope to give you an idea of what this kit looks like:
Here is the list of prepared microscope slides included in this kit:
Coprimus mushroom (cross section) / dense connective tissue (section) / dog cardiac muscle (longitudinal section) / dog esophagus (cross section) / dog skeletal muscle (longitudinal section and cross section) / dog stomach (section) / honeybee worker leg-composite (whole mount) / house bee mouth parts (whole mount) / human blood (smear) / hydra (longitudinal section) / Hydrilla verticillata leaf (whole mount) / Lilium anther (cross section) / Lilium ovary (cross section) / nymphaea of apustio stem (cross section) / onion epidermis (whole mount) / pig motor nerve (section mount) / pine leaf (cross section) / pine stem (cross section) / pumpkin stem (cross section) / rabbit spinal cord (cross section) / rabbit testis (section) / sunflower stem (cross section) / Tilia stem (cross section) / young root of broad bean (cross section) / Zea stem (cross section).
Mega Biology Set from National Geographic with Learning Guide and 25 Prepared Microscope Slides for Kids and Students
This kit of 25 prepared microscope slides from National Geographic is probably the most appealing for kids and beginners! It comes with a learning guide that is fully illustrated and well vulgarized for children. This guide explains what you can find on these microscope slides, as well as the biology of these specimens. There is no better way to learn about microscopy and biology!
Furthermore, I don’t have to introduce a brand such as National Geographic. The good reputation of this nonprofit organization for the promotion of science speaks for itself. They are selling high-quality science toys and this kit of prepared microscope slides is no exception.
This kit contains 25 different prepared microscope slides. These are professional microscope slides of standard size and made of highly transparent glass. They include a great variety of specimens with animal samples such as muscles, nerves, skin, organs, and tissues. In addition, this kit contains several plant specimens, as well as mold and algae.
The microscope slides are perfectly labeled and well organized in a wooden box. The slides are well-protected and easy to transport with this durable cedar box.
Overall, these professionally prepared microscope slides are perfect for kids and beginners. Moreover, the learning guide is also a nice addition. This kit would make the perfect gift for any child that is passionate about biology and STEM.
Here is the complete list of specimens included in this kit of prepared microscope slides:
1. Skin gland sweat sec.
2. Stratified squamous epithelium W.M.
3. Loose connective tissue W.M.
4. Fibrous connective tissue sec. (tendon L.S.)
5. Skin hair follicle sec.
6. Stomach wall sec.
7. Kidney L.S.
8. Artery and vein T.S.
9. Small intestine sec.
10. Pancreas (pancreas islet)
11. Skeletal muscle T.S. & L.S.
12. Separated smooth muscle W.M.
13. Cardiac muscle sec.
14. Spinal cord T.S.
15. Bryophyta
16. Hair mold W.M.
17. Rhizopus nigricans W.M.
18. Volvox W.M.
19. Chlamydomonas W.M.
20. Seaweed
21. Seed of Zea mays L.S.
22. Plant root tip L.S.
23. Plant radicle T.S.
24. Terminal bud L.S.
25. Plant stoma W.M.
Best Kits of Professional Microscope Slides for Students
Kit Containing 60 Prepared Professional Microscope Slides for Students with Various Specimens from Lakwar
This is a great set of prepared microscope slides for students! These professional microscope slides are made of highly transparent glass and the specimens are well mounted and protected by a glass coverslip.
These microscope slides are great educational toys and are ideal for teaching biology. These slides are clearly labeled and provided with a storage box and a complete list of slides. There are a wide variety of specimens and 7 types of slides included in this kit with plants, insects, animal, and human specimens. I really like the great selection of human tissues and cells provided in this kit. In fact, there are more than 20 microscope slides with human samples including a blood smear and tissue cross-sections.
Check this Kit Containing 60 Prepared Microscope Slides for Kids or Students with Various Specimens
Another great aspect of this kit is its selection of 5 prepared microscope slides with microorganisms, yeasts and bacteria. It is really cool to look at a bacterial smear of Escherichia Coli or yeasts from the Penicillium strain that look like microscopic flowers. Furthermore, there are 18 microscope slides with various plant specimens. It is also worth noting that these microscope slides have standard dimensions (1 inch x 3 inches or 25mm x 75mm).
In summary, this is a nice kit of prepared microscope slides for students and beginners. There are a wide variety of specimens and the high-quality preparations ensure great results and perfect observations with any type of microscopes! If you would like to have more samples, you can also get a larger set with 120 different specimens from the same supplier!
Kit Containing 100 Prepared Professional Microscope Slides with Various Specimens Ideal for Students from Bnise
The last kit of prepared microscope slides that I selected is really amazing! It contains 100 different prepared specimens that are professionally mounted on high-quality optical glass. There is a huge variety of slides provided with this kit and you will definitely enjoy looking at every single one of them!
This kit contains professional-grade biology specimens that can be used with any type of microscope. These high-quality microscope slides are easy to use and you can clearly see the different biological specimens at different magnifications.
One of the best features of this kit is the variety of specimens that are included. There are so many plants, insects, bacteria, animal cells, and human tissues to discover! This kit can be used to teach about the different phases of cell cycle division. Indeed, you can look at the cross-section of a young root of a plant to find cells and look at the inner content of their nucleus. These professionally stained samples can display cells that are at different stages of cell division or mitosis. It is nice to see the condensation of the chromosomes and their alignment at the interface of the dividing cells!
Furthermore, this kit of microscope slides contains a huge variety of human samples. These microscope slides are therefore perfect to teach human biology and its cellular anatomy. There are also many samples showing the cellular organization of human cells and organs. You can look at human skin with gland sections or hair follicles. There are also specimens of lungs, pancreas, liver, kidney, small intestine, spleen, testis, ovaries, and more. This kit even contains some human parasites like Ascaris, one of the most common types of worms that can be found in the intestines.
In addition, these microscope slides have polished round edges for safer use by younger children. These microscope slides are all also labeled and stored in plastic boxes convenient for their storage and transport. These slides are well-packed with a protective sponge to secure them in place. This kit even comes with a short manual explaining how to properly handle, clean, and store these microscope slides!
In conclusion, this is the perfect kit of microscope slides for students! The great selection of specimens is ideal to cover different areas of human biology, as well as the biology of plants, insects, and microorganisms.
Here is the complete list of prepared specimens that can be found in this kit of microscope slides:
- Zea Root C.S.
- Young root of plant T.S.
- Tilia Stem C.S.
- Stem of Nerium indicum T.S.
- Stem of Nymphaea tetragona T.S.
- Stem of Mentha haplocalyx T.S.
- Fern Stem C.S.
- Pine Stem L.S.
- Leaf of Jasminum nudiflorum T.S.
- Pine Leaf C.S.
- Leaf of Hydrilla verticillata W.M.
- Onion Epidermis W.M.
- Branched stellate hair of leaf epiderm W.M.
- Lower epiderm of leaf of Lotus W.M.
- Lower epiderm of leaf of wheat W.M.
- Lower epiderm of leaf of Rape W.M.
- Lower epiderm of leaf of Lilium W.M.
- Rape pollen
- Cucurbita W.M.
- Vegetable Pollen W.M.
- Pea Pollen W.M.
- Flower bud of Lilium brownii var.viridulum T.S.
- Honeysuckle Petal w.m.
- Ovary of Lilium T.S.
- Pumpkin ovary C.S.
- Pome Sclereid W.M.
- Kelp sec.
- Spore of Equisetum arvense W.M.
- Nostoc W.M.
- Agaric T.S.
- Fibre W.M.
- Euglena w.m.
- Paramecium w.m.
- Rotife w.m
- Planaria T.S.
- Earthworm C.S.
- Daphnia W.M.
- Ascaris C.S.
- Taenia Pisiformis Section
- Rabbit hair W.M.
- Sheep Hair w.m
- Grasshoper antenna
- Antenna of Honeybee W.M.
- Antenna of butterfly W.M.
- Mouthpart of Honeybee W.M.
- Housefly Mouth Parts W.M.
- Mosquito Mouth Parts W.M.
- Simple-cell of egg of Frog Sec.
- Frog Epidermic Cell Section
- Honeybee Worker Leg-Composite W.M.
- House Fly Leg W.M.
- Leg of Grasshopper W.M.
- Leg of butterfly W.M.
- House Fly Wing W.M.
- Butterfly Wings Ocales W.M.
- Dragonfly Wings W.M.
- Honeybee Wings W.M.
- Ant W.M.
- Aphis W.M.
- Mosquito pupa W.M.
- Tail C.S.
- Yeast smear
- Aspergillus W.M.
- Penicillium W.M.
- Rhizopus W.M.
- Mushroom sec
- Smooth muscle islolated W.M.
- Smooth Muscle L.S.&C.S.
- Skeletal Muscle L.S.&C.S.
- Cardiac Muscle L.S.
- Human Cell Mucus Membrane Smear
- Dense Connective Tissue Section
- Ciliated Epithelium Section
- Oesophagus T.S.
- Stomach Section
- Small Intestine Section
- Lung sec
- Liver Section
- Kidney Section
- Spleen Section
- Pancreas Section
- Urinary Bladder Section
- Ureter C.S.
- Ovary Section
- Testis Section
- Oviduct T.S.
- Uterus Sec.
- Tongue L.S.
- Trachea C.S.
- Epididymis sec.
- Large vein sec.
- Thymus Sec.
- Human Blood Smear
- Motor Nerve W.M.
- Spinal Cord C.S.
- Human Hair W.M.
- Artery and Vein C.S.
- Arteriole C.S.
- Human Skin Sweat Gland Section
- Skin of Human (show hair follicle) Sec.
Legend:
-WM (W.M.)： Whole Mount (Entire Specimen or Organism)
-LS (L.S.)： Longitudinal Section. A section cut lengthwise. Cut parallel to the longitudinal axis.
-CS (C.S.)： Cross-Section. Such as a thin wafer of an Earthworm. Cut perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Sec: Section Sm/Smear: Smear
-TS (T.S.)： Transverse. An alternative name for cross-section.
-Sq: Squashed preparation
Conclusions
I hope that you enjoyed reading this review of the best kits of prepared microscope slides for kids and students. Who knows, maybe one of these kits will trigger a new passion for biology and encourage kids or students to pursue a successful career in biology. I am living proof that this is more than just a possibility, as I was playing with microscopes as a kid and grew up to become a scientist in cell biology.
Please feel free to ask questions in the comment section down below, or to share your experience with microscopes and professionally prepared slides for microscopy.
References
-Wikipedia page for microscope slides
–How to use a microscope – Guide from Microscopes for Schools