DiY Microscope for 0$ (great for Your Childrens!)

My childhood was always full of science and electronics, maybe because my dad was playing with that kind of stuff.
When I was 13 I made my own "microscope" (the same way like I did in this Instructable) I was looking at stamps, small insects and that was very fascinating for me, I was looking at something that was so small and at the same time so big.

This project is great if you have kids, and you want to show them some awesome stuff, you know learning while playing. I think I will make this project with my kids in future.

Today, in age of Smart devices and big screens shining everywhere small project like this can be more atractive for kids than todays technology. (Who remember VHS tapes? Post in comments!)

Let's go to work! Enjoy!

Check out new instructable that you can make with your child here!

What You Will Need ?

This project is so simple that can be made using household items that you will find in every house, so let's check what do we need to start.

two pencils (just regular pencils, what do you thought)
magnifying glass
Clear sticky tape (you need to find tape that doesn't get messy or dirty after you un roll (?) it )
flashlight
water (I used syringe, it was more convinient)
something to look at

And that's all. All you need to make simple microscope. It is so simple that you can let your children do it themselves! That will be fun!

Come on!

Make Base!

You need to place your pencils on desk parallel with 5-6 cm of space between them.
Then just tape them to desk with clear tape. There should be space between desk and tape.

Injection!

Now take your syringe and carefully place some water on the tape.
Make sure that you don't make this drop too big. It should look like convex lens.
My drop, started to focus light just after placing it on tape!

Place your flashlight just like I show it on the photo to light up your subject.

Here Is the Part When the Fun Starts!

Now the fun starts! Place something interesting under the tape. I took my geocaching sticker.
Use magnifying glass over the drop to focus and enjoy your homemade no-cost microscope!
You can adjust height of tape by using different pencils (thicker, thinner) .
Most interesting things I found that you can show to your kids are:

fly
fabric
photos in magazines
just regular paper!

I Hope you find this instructable interesting, and enjoy making this simple tool of my childhood, now I'm 18 and I still enjoy making that kind of things, they helped me a lot to understand optics and physics in future life.

Leave me a comment what you think, Post photos of your microscope, I want to see smile on childs faces! Have fun!
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by kondzio29

A Little Update/tip

Quick Tip:
You can make this without Sticky tape! Just take razor blade and pour a drop into the hole and you have just made a lens!

Thanks for Quesnelquack for idea!

If you have idea on how to improve this instructable post it in the comments and I'll add it in this step