4 yr old niece want ONLY a telescope for bday. is this too advanced?shes really smart
890300
I wouldn't buy it. It doesn't work and you can't even see a star on a perfectly clear night. Waste of money,
890301
Its not too advanced. After an adult puts it together she can easily use it on her own. However, we have tried to use it at night and it only works well with a full moon and no artificial light around your house. Keep in mind this is a kid's telescope and not a fancy one that works like the ones that go for $100+
890302
That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money and looks very cute. Just be ready to have an adult ready to find the moon first and then let her look! That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money... » Read More That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money and looks very cute. Just be ready to have an adult ready to find the moon first and then let her look! « Show Less
890303
Not at all! My daughter just turned 4, and that's the only thing that she wanted too! Both my 4 and 6 year olds have really enjoyed it. It's especially great for looking at the moon. I feel like it was a good value for the price, and an appropriate product for a child. (Any similar items seemed too advanced for a small child.) Good luck with your purchase!
890304
No, it's too flimsy for an adult let alone a child and the views through it are pretty bad.
890305
This is a nice telescope but due to the need to swap lens out and the relative flimsy nature of the unit, I'm not sure it would be durable enough for a four year old. With copious amounts of adult supervision though, it might work.
9685
My granddaughter states that she has been viewing saturn using the strongest lens. She is also thrilled that she can see the stars on clear days in full daylight. She is so happy and excited about all she is learning. this was truely a wonderful gift for her. She seems to use the middle strength lens the most. Some things seem to close with the strongest lens.
1480464
Well, I did buy them for our 3 year old also, and she has enjoyed them so very much. They are only 2X so they cant see very far, but it does help some. I would check Discovery toys and see if they have a better version of a childs binocular, or yes a cheap real one.
362358
Not at all! I teach K-8 gifted and every grade loves it. Consider buying 2! It's so fantastic that making a giant structure would be so fun! There are LOtS of pieces and great instructions so maybe get one then add to it later once she is a pro :)
142666
This is a basic, basic telescope I got for my 6 year old daughter. The zooming is not very high. It has two glass magnification pieces which are 6mm and 12mm respectively. In my opinion, its good for seeing the moon, but if your interest is more than that, it may not work for you.
1351480
I think a smart 8-year old is very close to being on the outer edge of a kid who could appreciate this. I, too, have a smart 8-year old and she can be entertained by it from time to time, but not for long and really has outgrown it. Sorry, but not sure what a better, similar item would be. Hope that helps.
1256972
It's listed as ages 8 and up. Though with help and supervision, my 3 year old daughter loves to use it to look at the moon.
2010274
I think a refractor telescope is hard to use and hard to see objects other than a bright moon. I would suggest looking into a reflector telescope instead. As far as the telescope itself, I think it is well built and good quality. It was just hard for our 9 yr old to use...and hard for me too.
2067251
Easy to focus, yes. Not too heavy, but even lighter if you buy an optional harness to distribute the weight to shoulders instead of neck. Personally, I wouldn't spend this much $$ on any child, no matter how responsible, but if you're looking into these then I would say "go for it". Kids will appreciate the 8x over any 10x because they're just as likely to be looking at something nearby as something far away. Congrats to you for thinking of gifts that will encourage new nature lovers!
1666669
I would say probably yes. Its more for the range of 4 to 6 years of age. She might get bored with it if she doesn't form a security bond with it.
1528239
I think it would be fine for a typical 8 year old, as long as some presets are made with the lenses. Some of the controls are quite delicate, so training would be required.
1754725
Never used the Edmonds Scientific Astroscan. But I really enjoy this telescope. Im certain your Grandaughter would love it!
72107
Rick,I purchased this telescope for my daughter and family in Colorado - so I haven't looked through it yet. However, they are very happy with the ease of use and the abundance of what they can see. I was very confused myself when purchasing - but I feel this is a good choice for a beginner. I did by the accessories as well by the way.
1878217
My 11 year old daughter asked for this. She is not really a science type gal, so I am jumping at chance to give her something that might pique her interest in an educational type way. I did purchase this for her for Christmas. I don't know that it will hold her interest for a long time, that is my only concern, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
339889
answer is YES. This is a fine camera. Don't short change her if you believe that she is that interested and you can afford to shell out that kind of money on a 13 y/o kid, DO! It is easy to use and will give great photos that will thrill her and make you proud. I would leave an option open for an additional lends when she discovers a special affinity for either close up, or wide angel or some other choice. Best of luck. She is a lucky kid.
1508529
Absolutely. My very gifted son got this for Christmas at age 3.5, and now a year later he STILL loves this thing. I think sometimes this coming year we may consider getting him a more powerful microscope for supervised use (because of all the glass,) but whenever he wants to play in his "lab" (his science toys area of the playroom) this is a go to item for sure.
1504337
I believe that it is a high quality microscope so it should be good for her to grow with. Ours didn't come with glass slides so we bought some but our 9-year old also puts items on the removeable disk insert on the scope base.