Learning Resources EI-5129 GeoSafari Jr My First Telescope, Toy Telescope for Kids, STEM Toy, Ages 4+

Product Information

The GSkyer AZ70400 is a “point-and-shoot”, perfectly serviceable, and well-priced portable telescope. Once constructed the telescope offers 16x magnification, a sliding focus tube, glass optic lens and a built-in spotting sight and angle finder. It does take a little patience to focus; but, once constructed, it forms an impressive-looking telescope – and kids will feel proud of what they’ve achieved by making it. The materials are light enough to keep the weight down which is great for a telescope that is meant to be carried around or handled by kids. When fully assembled, the total weight is just slightly below 2 kg (4.2 lb).

You will see a pattern in this review. To be honest, the GSkyer AZ70400 is not spectacular in any area, but it is also not bad at anything. The bright colours and functional nature of GeoSafari Jr products encourage children to get outside and explore the world around them. GeoSafari Telescope Highlights We loved the soft eyepiece of this telescope, which is kind on toddlers’ eyes, plus it’s easy to turn and adjust the focus. There’s a handy wrist strap to prevent the telescope from accidentally hitting the ground, plus a carry case offers protection when it’s taken out and about. The build quality is no exception. While a lot of it is made out of plastic to save costs, the important parts that keep it stable are sturdy and appear durable. I’ve seen a lot worst in more expensive models. If you have bought an item from us that proves to be faulty, please let us know as soon as the fault becomes apparent so we are able to help.The Moon is of course the main target for these kinds of telescopes. You will get an excellent view out of it and should be able to distinguish all of its major geological features.

Magnification – The relationship between the telescope’s optical system and its eyepiece. You’ll usually see this in units such as 10x, 20x and 30x. Using the GSkyer AZ70400 is also extremely easy as you would expect from any refracting telescope. It is basically “point and shoot”. To control it, you will use a single lever found on the mount (the part that connects the tripod to the tube). This is called an Alt-Azimuth mount because it can move on two axis (altitude and azimuth which is a fancy word to say “rotation”). Compound (catadioptric) telescopes – These offer the best of both worlds, comprising a combination of lenses and mirrors within the tubes. They’re very pricey – and probably not the best choice for young children. Telescope parts The GSkyer 70400 is a pretty good kid’s telescope. It is miles ahead of the toy telescopes out there as it is made by an actual optics company. It is also a solid option if you are looking for a secondary portable scope. The telescope says it is for ages 8+ however with adult help my 5 year old could use it and really enjoyed it. Recently he has become very interested in Space and when he saw this he was so excited. The set up was straightforward and easy. Everything came in one box and it was all clearly labeled with diagrams. The instructions were easy to follow and it only took about 10 minutes for my husband to set up without our son ‘helping’. We received the telescope at the perfect time as Comet NEOWISE is visible from the UK at the minute and we were planning a night to go see it. You can see it with the naked eye but you really have to know what you are looking for so a telescope is recommended.

LEGO DUPLO

Reflector telescopes – These use a mirror instead of a lens and offer high quality and clarity, meaning they’re ideal for viewing distant objects but not so good for viewing Earth objects. You can also expect to pay more for this type of telescope. The Gskyer AZ70400 comes with everything that you need to get started out of the box. This adds A TON of value to the already accessible cost of this model. Offering a magnification of 8x, this isn’t really a telescope for the night sky. Nevertheless, it’s brilliant for practising magnification while trying to spot animals and birds in the daylight. We think that this is a great way to engage toddlers and encourage outdoor play. Plus, when they’re a little older, they’ll have great skills to transfer to a proper telescope for the night sky.

Maximum magnification – The magnification limit for the telescope. Beyond that, you won’t get any extra detail and you might even get blurriness. Magnification is determined by the focal length and the eyepiece being used at any given time. Here’s a calculator for it. Assembling and setting up the telescope is a breeze. The process is toolless and doesn’t take more than 5 minutes. It also includes a 3x Barlow lens which is great because that is the exact size that you need to reach the maximum magnification the telescope can reach using the 10mm eyepiece. In case you don’t know, a Barlow lens multiples the magnification of the eyepiece. There are 24 different images featuring planets, the stars and space, with each image containing five facts and five questions. There’s a child-friendly dual eyepiece that looks more like a pair of binoculars, and the audio can be set to a variety of different languages. Suitable for kids aged three years and up, this toy telescope is an ideal way to get your toddlers interested in how lenses and telescopes work. Made from sustainable bamboo, this small and lightweight telescope is easy for little ones to use on their own.We weren’t initially sure about whether this telescope would appeal to children, but it was extremely popular with our testers (aged 4, 6 and 8), who loved looking at the different images and learning about what they were viewing. And it definitely raised interest in the night sky and learning more about it. The telescope does take a little time to put together, but it’s definitely worth it. First, it comes with two eyepieces, a low-power 25 mm and a mid-power 10mm. Both are Kellner eyepieces which are serviceable although not great. They can be upgraded as the telescope supports any standard 1.25″ eyepiece but honestly, with such a basic telescope you are not going to see much improvement as you will be limited by the small aperture.