“I’ve got a riddle for you. What’s blue, talks, and keeps my kids busy for an hour at a time?

The Spark Talking Telescope!”

She’s not kidding; both the Spark Talking Telescope and the Spark Talking Microscope from the Discovery Channel Store have been top favorites of our parent bloggers and their children too.

The telescope was beloved just as much by this group of bloggers as it was by the first group. The kids loved gazing at the pictures - “…beautiful - very colorful and clear. They actually feature NASA images.” - learning about the bodies featured on the slides - “…[he] was particularly enthralled to hear facts about each.” - and testing themselves - “his competitive nature meant he was eager for the quiz…”

The parents were impressed too. They loved the slide drawer: “The slides are held in a tray that slides in and out of the main body of the telescope. I like it when you can easily keep all the pieces together!” and were pleasantly surprised to find that “…the talking is not too loud or obnoxious (like other learning toys I’ve had to lose to retain my own sanity).”

Another blogger figured out how to switch between slides without turning the telescope off and back on again (this question was brought up by a few bloggers in the first group):

“Once the telescope is in a particular mode - facts or quiz - it remains that way until switched. This can possibly cause some confusion if the child switches the slide right after being quizzed about the previous slide; however, it is easy enough to simply switch back to facts mode with a new slide before attempting the quiz.”

In other words, pop the new slide in place and hit the facts button, then enter the new slide’s code when prompted.

One blogger who reviewed the telescope reported: “I’m so impressed that I’m going to purchase the Spark Talking Microscope as a birthday present for my oldest when she turns six.” And judging by the blogger reviews of the microscope, she will be just as thrilled with it as she is with the telescope.

The Spark Talking Microscope operates much the same as the telescope: “The microscope comes with slides that your child can slide into the microscope and look at under 5x magnification. Then the microscope tells them all about it. When they are done, there is a quiz mode. Learning and fun all wrapped up into one!” Another blogger commented: “The microscope is surprisingly sturdy, made of very well constructed plastic and the slides are also quite durable. [My son] was thrilled to remove the items from the box and was soon on his way to exploring all kinds of new creatures including a flea, brine shrimp, scorpion…”

The microscope was even a hit with a little girl whose mother wasn’t sure how she’d react: “She loves it! She will put a specimen (insects that she would never go near if they were not on a slide) under the microscope, learn all she can about it, then she races to me to tell me all about her new discovery. She not only learns more about the world around her, she is having fun doing it!” She went on to reassure her readers: “Do not let the talking aspect of this product deter you. It is actually a fabulous feature! The microscope narrates incredible facts about what she is looking at. Truth be told, I have learned a thing or two myself.”

As with the telescope, although it’s geared toward ages five and up, a few younger siblings were intrigued by the microscope as well:

• “Although [my younger son] is a bit young to use the microscope he also enjoyed learning from the narrative facts and activities, definitely a nice early exposure to what I’m sure will be a growing love for science just like his older brother.“
• “…my newly 4 year old loves it. In fact, at her preschool they use it as part of the science curriculum and her teacher says it is a sad day when it is not a part of the lesson plan.“

In fact, the only wistful feedback from this group came from a mother who hopes “that perhaps the Discovery Channel Store will release more slides in the future…”

Finally, two bloggers lauded these toys for their accessibility and ease of use:

• “…one of the major problems I have with science toys is the mess. Chemistry sets and electronic kits are a little advanced for my kids, and frankly, I can’t even keep track of the Legos - the thought of dealing with traditional microscopes with their glass slides and sensitive lenses gives me hives. I want my kids to love science, and I love to encourage their exploration, but I don’t want to have to constantly admonish and correct.“
• “…the controls are simple enough that it can still be considered a toy. The slides are gorgeous, and like any slides will smudge if not handled properly. However, these plastic ones can be wiped off, whereas those delicate glass ones for microscopes that the kids will encounter later in their science careers are not as forgiving. (Raise your hand if you’ve ruined a specimen before!) This telescope teaches responsibility in a much lower risk situation.“

No doubt about it - the Spark Talking Telescope and Spark Talking Microscope are “perfect option(s) for families of younger kids who are hungry for a magnified view, with parents who don’t want to micromanage the learning experience.”

Buy them for your own budding scientists at the Discovery Channel Store!