Binoculars for smaller children

[nialljcampbell]

My son is 4 and half (but as tall as a 6 year old), knows all the planets and can pick out many stars in the sky. I bought him some cheap 12x25 celestron binoculars which are a little disappointing....

Is anyone able to recommend small, tough good quality binoculars that he could use maybe 8x30ish?? Any ideas

[dannat]

7x35 is a good size, nikon action is a reasonable bino at a reasonable price, in scotland the action extreme which is waterproof is also worth considering

[seigell]

You might also think of purchasing or building a Parallelogram Mount for whichever binos your tyke uses... If size / weight and steady-holding are at all a concern...
They can also help from a participation standpoint, as he (or you) can locate an object with the binos and then the other of you can look at the same sight (but at a different height) without having to repeat the object search (the parallelogram maintains the aiming point).

[lakaath]

I don't know if you are still looking or what your price range is, but the Nikon travelite 8x25EX is a great little bino. It cost around $100, and the sharpness is fantastic for the price. They are waterproof and lightweight and pretty tough little things. Also, they are great for daytime use too.
The issue with the 12x25 bino's is that 12 power is too high for a child(or even an adult) to hold steady enough to observe small things such as stars and planets. Also, the exit pupil on 12x25 is barely more than 2mm resulting in a very dim image. You are better off with a lower powered bino.
I hope this helps!

[Happyfeet]

I picked up some cheap Tasco binoculars at Wal Mart a while back for when people come around with kids. The biggest problem with kids and binoculars is not the quality of glass, but the strength in skinny arms. If you remember back to using your binoculars at first for astronomy, I'm sure you will recall shakiness for a while as your arms build up find muscle control and some small muscle groups. For a kid, the weight needs to be addressed first and foremost as pain will discourage them from interest. Even if you can only buy some really cheap and small binoculars, they are better used than an expensive pair that sits on the floor until they get stepped on.

Also, a cheap scope on craigslist might get more use than binoculars overall.