If you have a child interested in astronomy and the night sky, or you would like to nurture this interest, a telescope can help them in their journey. There is no better way to view the moon, stars, and nebulas than through a good telescope.
However, you probably don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a telescope for your kids. So, this article can help you find the best telescope for kids. We want to help you find something durable and functional, a model that is reasonably priced. We will look at the top 7 contenders for the best telescope for kids.
Comparison Chart
Celestron – AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Telescope – Reflector Telescope for Beginners – Fully-Coated Glass Optics – Adjustable-Height Tripod – Bonus Astronomy Software Package
Celestron – 70mm Travel Scope – Portable Refractor Telescope – Fully-Coated Glass Optics – Ideal Telescope for Beginners – BONUS Astronomy Software Package
Emarth Telescope, Cultivate Kids’ Interest in Astronomy, Upgraded 70mm Aperture 360mm Refractor AZ Mount Telescope with Tripod & Finder Scope, Amazing Gifts for Kids Beginners Adults
NASA Lunar Telescope for Kids – Capable of 90x Magnification, Includes Two Eyepieces, Tabletop Tripod, Finder Scope, and Full-Color Learning Guide, The Perfect STEM Gift for a Young Astronomer
MaxUSee 70mm Telescope for Kids & Astronomy Beginners, Refractor Telescope with Tripod & Finder Scope, Portable Telescope with 4 Magnification eyepieces & Phone Adapter
Best Telescope For Kids: Reviews
Celestron – AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Telescope
If you are looking for a reasonably priced telescope that performs like a high-end unit, the AstroMaster is worth looking into.
Review
The AstroMaster is an excellent telescope for viewing celestial objects. It has fully coated glass optics combined with a 130 mm glass optic objective lens and a 114 mm aperture. This large aperture allows you to see far-off objects with outstanding clarity and precision.
This telescope features a Rayleigh resolution of 1.07 arc seconds, which is pretty decent for an affordable telescope. Moreover, there are dual slow-motion control knobs for precision adjustments.
In addition, you get 10 mm and 20 mm eyepieces. The lowest magnification that can be achieved with this telescope is 16x, with the highest being 269x. This should allow you to easily see stars, planets, and more.
This AstroMaster features a manual equatorial mount, so you can easily move the telescope and track objects by turning the knobs; plus, you also get a red dot finder scope. This allows you to zero in on targets such as star clusters and keep them centered.
Another feature is the easy-setup lightweight frame. One person can set up this unit in a few minutes, and you can make height adjustments between 32 and 51 inches, so it should be suitable for kids and adults. The travel tripod is a useful accessory. Because of these features, this is a good beginner’s telescope.
Pros
- Lightweight design
- Easy to set up
- Good aperture and zoom
- Portable telescope
- Ideal for viewing deep-sky objects
Cons
The frame could be a bit more durable
Celestron – 70mm Travel Scope
This telescope from Celestron is highly affordable and ideal for viewing distant objects. When you look at the price, you might think it’s a toy telescope, but it’s fully functional.
Review
Although this Celestron model is good enough for viewing celestial objects, it is technically a terrestrial telescope for viewing far-off terrestrial objects on this planet.
This telescope has a 70 mm objective lens and 20 mm and 10 mm eyepieces. Although the aperture is not huge, it enables you to clearly view objects at great distances and with excellent light collection.
Moreover, it features basic magnification of 20x and 40x, with the lowest magnification being 10x and the highest being 165x. It might not be the farthest-viewing telescope, but it is good enough for beginners.
The Celestron is a lightweight and compact telescope. Although the frame is of decent quality, its lightweight nature makes it highly portable. A travel-friendly adjustable tripod comes with your purchase. There’s also a custom backpack, so you can easily carry the whole package around.
In addition, there is software you can download for free for this model that will provide real-time coordinates for various overhead objects, so you can easily locate them with the telescope.
Pros
- Ideal for terrestrial viewing
- Good aperture for nighttime celestial viewing
- Very lightweight
- Great price
- Easy to set up
- Super portable
Cons
Not ideal for celestial viewing during the day
Emarth Telescope
If you are looking for a small manual telescope for your kids and want a small tabletop model, this one might suit your needs.
Review
First, remember that this telescope comes in at well under $100; this doesn’t mean that the telescope is poor quality. It produces sharp images, but don’t expect to see every part of the Orion nebula during the day or even at night if there is a lot of light pollution.
However, this unit has a 360 mm focal length and a 70 mm aperture. You also get fully coated optical glass with very high transmission coatings that allow you to see objects with outstanding clarity and detail, whether in the sky or on Earth.
This model comes with a 10 mm piece for up to 40x magnification and a 25 mm piece for up to 16x magnification. However, with the included 3x Barlow lens, the magnification ratio can go higher.
Moreover, this telescope has a 5×24 finder scope with a mounting bracket. Of course, you can expect all adjustments to be manual for the low price, although this is easily done with the various knobs.
The adjustable tripod allows you to set this telescope up in many positions, no matter where you go. However, the frame and tripod aren’t the most durable, although you can’t expect more for the price.
Pros
- Good beginner telescope
- Sturdy tripod
- Good erect image
- Quality optics for a low price
- Easy to adjust
- Fantastic price
Cons
Minimal durability
Orion SpaceProbe II 76mm Equatorial Reflector Telescope Kit
If you are looking for a relatively affordable telescope full of great features and accessories, the SpaceProbe II might be ideal for you and your kids.
Review
This telescope kit has an equatorial mount that easily tracks objects in the night sky. However, what stands out is the 700 mm focal length and the large 3-inch aperture.
This allows for excellent light collection, providing superb image brightness and clarity. You can easily view the moon, terrestrial objects, and bright star clusters. It might not be enough to see faint and distant stars, but for the low price, there’s really nothing to complain about.
In addition, this telescope comes with a 25 mm eyepiece with 28x magnification and a 10 mm eyepiece with 70x magnification. However, you also get a 2x Barlow lens. This means you can effectively double the magnification for both eyepieces, allowing up to 140x magnification. However, this telescope features manual focus; it’s not a computerized telescope but it is OK for kids.
Moreover, the kit includes a guidebook that will tell you where stars and other celestial objects are on any day of the year. Kids should have no problems with this telescope for viewing celestial bodies. On a side note, although the included tripod might not be the best in the world, it is relatively durable and stable.
Pros
- Up to 140x magnification with Barlow lens
- Good aperture for light collection
- Very clear images
- Affordable kids telescope
- Comes with star charts
- Easy to set up
Cons
Somewhat limited durability — especially the tripod
NASA Lunar Telescope
The NASA Lunar Telescope is one of the most basic and affordable telescopes. It might not be the best choice for viewing deep-space objects, but it’s a great beginning telescope for children who are just getting into astronomy.
Review
Although this telescope is highly affordable, it still has high-quality optical glass for clear light transmission and excellent image clarity.
However, there is no information about the optical length or the aperture because it is a basic telescope for kids.
But with the two eyepieces, the low power, and the high power piece, you can choose between 18x or 90x magnification. Although the magnification options are limited, this telescope should be good enough for beginners.
With your purchase, you also get a star finder scope to easily locate objects in the sky. The 100% manual adjustments are easily made with the knobs. The equatorial mount makes objects in the night sky easy to track.
Moreover, this model comes with a tripod that is easy to adjust for height; it’s relatively stable, although durability is a different issue.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Clearer image than comparable units
- Easy to set up and adjust
- Low and high power pieces included
- Great image quality for a low price
- Great starter scope
Cons
- Tripod is not overly durable
- Not many magnification options
MaxUSee 70mm Telescope
This is the most affordable telescope on our list. It’s surprising that it has such a clear image and comes with many useful accessories, considering its relatively low price.
Review
This telescope features a 400 mm refractor lens that lets you see great distances easily and with optimal clarity. It has a 70 mm aperture, providing amazingly clear and bright images.
There’s also a 5×24 finder scope, so you can easily locate objects in the night sky. Moreover, this telescope comes with a 6 mm, a 12.5 mm, a 20 mm, and a 25 mm eyepiece for low, medium, and high magnification.
In addition, you also get a 3x Barlow lens with your purchase. This allows you to triple the magnification capabilities of all included lenses. The lowest magnification is 16x, with the highest being 200x.
Next, the smartphone adaptor can easily capture images you see with this telescope. Remember that there’s an equatorial mount that makes it easy to track objects in the sky. You also get a tabletop tripod to steadily hold the telescope in place.
Pros
- Excellent image clarity and brightness
- Comes with moon filters
- Phone mount included
- Great magnification properties
- Very affordable
- Great telescope for beginners
Cons
Included accessories have a relatively poor build quality
Orion StarBlast II 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope
The Orion StarBlast II is one of the most powerful and high-magnification telescopes on our list. It’s not cheap, but greater functionality comes with that slightly higher price tag.
Review
This is one of the best telescopes for overall image quality. It features a reflector optical design with a focal length of 450 mm and an optical diameter of 114 mm, with an aperture of 4.5 inches. This allows you to see great distances with fantastic image clarity and color.
Moreover, it comes with 25 mm and 10 mm lenses with 18x magnification and 45x magnification. The lowest magnification is 16x, with the highest 228x. This makes this telescope the farthest-reaching out of the models we reviewed.
This telescope features manual focus, although the knobs are straightforward to use. At the same time, this model has an equatorial mount, which makes objects in the night sky very easy to track. The slow-motion controls are for effective tracking.
In addition, this telescope comes with a high-quality tripod that is durable, stable, and easy to adjust for height. The tripod’s bottom has an accessories tray. This is likely the best model we have reviewed regarding the overall build quality, as it is also a powerful telescope.
Pros
- Superb clarity and color
- High magnification rates
- Great build quality
- Easy object tracking
- Stable tripod
- Portable
Cons
Not the most affordable option
Buyer’s Guide
Let’s go over a few essential points to keep in mind before purchasing a telescope, whether for beginners or otherwise.
Focal Length
One of the most important considerations is the focal length, the distance between the primary lens and the point where light rays come together. Generally, a shorter focal length is better for closer objects, such as the moon and nearby stars, whereas a longer focal length is better for deep-sky objects.
Aperture
For those that don’t know, the aperture is the diameter of the light-collecting region, and the larger this aperture is, the more light can be collected. The bigger the aperture, the more light is collected, and the brighter images will be.
Mount
For a basic telescope like those we reviewed, you want to go for an equatorial mount, making it very easy to track objects in the night sky. Try to get a model with slow-motion controls, which makes tracking much easier.
Ease of Use
We are talking about basic telescopes for kids, so you should get one with very simple controls. For instance, a computerized telescope is probably too much for most kids. Simple controls and an easy setup are needed.
Weight and Cost
You should also look for a telescope that is not overly heavy. Try to keep the weight below 20 lbs., although this might not always be possible. Moreover, pay attention to the cost. As you can see from today’s reviews, taxes included, you shouldn’t have to spend more than $300.
Magnification
In addition, pay attention to the magnification power of the telescope, with some models viewed today being able to magnify by up to 228 times.
Refractor or Reflector
You want a refractor telescope if you are looking for the highest quality image possible.
FAQ
Can You Take Pictures With a Telescope?
With the basic telescopes we looked at, you cannot take pictures. You need a tracking mount that allows for long exposures without causing star trailing.
What is the Difference Between Terrestrial and Celestial Telescopes?
A terrestrial telescope allows you to view far-away objects on the Earth, whereas a celestial telescope is designed for viewing far-away objects in the night sky, such as the moon and stars.
What is the Best Type of Telescope for My Child?
Generally, you will get the most bang for your buck with a simple refractor telescope. They generally don’t cost much and have pretty good features and overall quality, considering the low price.
What is a Good Age to Start Using a Telescope?
For children ages 5 and up, a simple toy telescope should be fine. However, if we are talking about fully functional telescopes, around 8 years old is recommended.
Do You Really Need A Tripod to Use a telescope?
Yes, you do need a tripod to use a telescope. Without one, you won’t be able to keep the telescope steady, making it hard to track objects and see clear images.
How Do Telescopes Contribute to Scientific Development?
Telescopes allow us to see further into the night sky, teaching about our universe and much more.
Final Verdict
If you are looking for the best telescope for kids, we recommend taking a much closer look at the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope. It’s the most expensive telescope on our list, although it still comes in at under $300, so it’s still pretty affordable.
Although the price tag is not huge, it has fantastic features that allow you to see great distances into the night sky with optimal clarity and a high-quality design.