Sherlock Magnifying Glass

I love this particular magnifying lens as it is subtly yet powerfully different from most magnifying glasses that are marketed at children...

For one thing, the simple, thin frame around the lens provides a neutral border free from distractions. Magnifying glasses for children are so often elaborately painted or decorated on the frames and although this can be beautiful it can also distract and detract from what the child is trying to view through the lens itself. This particular lens has a frame that allows the child to focus on the details within!

The lens itself is also functional! This might sound like a silly detail to mention - after all, why wouldn't it be functional?! Yet it is surprising how often a "Kid's Magnifying Glass" will actually contain a lens that is of such low quality that it distorts the view rather than magnifying it clearly. This seems counter-productive to me, as surely the purpose of a magnifying lens is to improve and increase the view of the exploration. This particular lens genuinely allows the child to focus on precise details by maintaining a clear image when magnified (to 2.5X its regular size). 

The lens is around 7.5cm in diameter and the 10cm handle fits snugly into a child's hand. I have observed children using magnifying glasses with longer handles and find that a long handle tends to make the child's movements more clumsy as the weight of the lens sitting at the top of a long handle creates an almost metronome-like effect that often provokes the child to swing the tool from one side to the other. This particular handle does not create that problem - it's shorter length simply inspires children to hold it close and go investigating!

This magnifying lens is such a simple yet valuable tool. A child can head into the garden with lens in hand to discover the wonderful world of insects or can stay inside exploring a basket of shells and treasures! The possibility are absolutely endless! 

It even makes a wonderful 'Numeracy' or 'Literacy' tool - find a newspaper and pick out a letter of the alphabet that is familiar to your child (such as the first letter of his or her name). Then demonstrate how to play "Letter Detectives" by using the magnifying lens to increase the size of the print so that your child can pick out individual letters and spot that familiar letter!