Which telescope is best for kids?
We know that nearly every kid loves to look up into the night sky and ponder. Whether it be the craters on the Moon, the rings around Saturn, or the moons of Jupiter, kids love astronomy! Our experts have taken the time to put together a list of telescopes that will bring you and your kids together under that night sky for the ultimate family experience.
We’ve compiled a set of guiding principles when considering these scopes that will ensure you and your family have a wonderful, stress-free experience with your telescope!
Many of our recommendations meet most if not all of the following requirements:
- High optics instead of plastic objectives
- Low weight & portable
- Ability to attach a smartphone for lunar photography
- Great for manual control & scanning the night sky, or computerized (“Go-To”) technology for ease of use
- Can be used in both the daytime & nighttime
- Little to no maintenance
- Each option has the potential to see Saturn’s beautiful rings, moons & bands on Jupiter as well as deep sky objects like star clusters
- Ready to use out of the box with little assembly required
- Could fit in two age groups: families with kids 12 & under (with an emphasis on ease-of-use); & families with kids 12 & over
Ideal for families with kids 12 and under
The two top picks below are ideal for families that have younger children that may not be comfortable moving the scope around the night sky to search for objects themselves. This is where the computerized telescope plays a big role.
With a bit of help setting up from the parents and after the initial alignment, the telescope will go anywhere you want it and track that object in the night sky. This makes the experience considerably less frustrating than having to locate objects and constantly reposition the eyepiece as it moves out of the field of view.
Celestron NexStar 4SE
Our top pick in this family range would be the Celestron NexStar 4SE. With a 4” aperture Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design you’ll be sure to see rich colors on the planets, the Moon as well as star clusters. This optical design also has the added benefit of zero maintenance and is fairly robust. No need to adjust mirrors on your Celestron telescope for the “optimal view” -- simply follow the instructions for the Go-To system, focus on the object and you’re all set!
- Maksutov-Cassegrain design delivers great contrast & color on the planets & stars
- Low weight at around 23 lbs. fully assembled
- No maintenance
- Fully computerized for ease of use
- Can be used during the day or night
Recommended accessories
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102
Our next choice is the Celestron StarSense DX 102mm. Not a Go-To mount, not a fully manual mount, this is what we like to call a “push-to” system. Utilizing a smartphone application coupled with the included StarSense Explorer bracket, you simply push the scope to the objects you want. The 4” aperture refractor continues our push for high contrast, rich colors on the planets, the moon and star clusters. This also provides a zero maintenance optical design for a sturdy, reliable experience! Learn more about the StarSense Explorer series and app here!
- This scope is easy to mount and has a very sturdy tripod
- The 4” lens will allow for bright views of planets and the moon
- Under very dark skies, one can view the brighter deep sky objects such as the Double Cluster, Orion Nebula, Ring Nebula, Pleiades and Hyades Star Cluster
- The included smartphone app assists in finding nearly any object in the night sky
- Can be used day or night
Recommended accessories
Ideal for families with kids 12 and older
Our team felt that telescopes in this age range should include the same kid-friendly requirements, but with an added bit of future-proofing. These telescopes will grow with your child, from inspiring that initial spark of interest, all the way through their amateur astronomy journey. Not to mention...they’re pretty cool-looking telescopes!
Celestron 8" NexStar Evolution
Our top pick is the Celestron 8” NexStar Evolution. The largest of the scopes we’re recommending, it has more than enough aperture to see the planets clearly at a high magnification, and pull out detail you couldn’t capture with a smaller telescope. This opens up more deep sky objects with considerably more brightness.
The Evolution mount includes a built in Wi-Fi system for wireless control using your smartphone and a lithium ion battery -- making this the most complete system offered yet! With optional accessories such as a motorized focuser, auto-alignment StarSense system and the ability to attach a camera directly on the back of the scope, this really delivers on the ultimate experience!
- No maintenance
- Fully Go-To for ease of use
- 8” aperture in a compact SCT optical design
- Feature rich mount and Go-To system
- Future-proof design increases versatility
- Sleek, modern design
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Celestron NexStar 6SE
Our second pick is the Celestron NexStar 6SE. Sticking with the fully computerized system, the NexStar 6SE offers 6” of light gathering power, allowing for fantastic views of planets, the Moon, and deep sky objects. This will not get views as deep as the Evolution 8”, but is considerably more portable!
Want wireless control like the Evolution? Simply add the Celestron SkyPortal WiFi module. Want to take pictures of the moon, planets and bright deep sky objects? Simply attach a DSLR or a planetary camera to the back of the telescope and you’re all set! All around a great telescope and arguably the most reliable option on this list as it has been around for years, the Celestron NexStar 6SE surely won’t disappoint!
- Fully Go-To system with large database of objects to choose from
- Portable system that can be moved when completely assembled without much trouble
- Has access to nearly all the Celestron accessories to in order to maximize the versatility and future-proof nature of this scope
- Orange is the new...orange -- trust us, it grows on you
Recommended accessories
The Hunt for Night Sky Objects
Apertura AD8 8” Dobsonian
Not interested in either of the computerized telescopes? Want to see how much patience your child has? Well we have the scope for you! A fully manual powerhouse of a telescope - the Dobsonian! Ask any amateur astronomer and they’ll tell you that they’ve either owned or currently own a Dobsonian telescope.
One of the most popular telescopes around for good reason, you get the largest aperture for the price. There is a trade off however; this is a fully manual, “find it yourself” type of scope. Now… learning the night sky is absolutely something we recommend everyone do, and if you’re up for the challenge you’ll be blown away at what the Apertura AD8 Dobsonian telescope can do.
- 8 inches of aperture at a faster f/5.9 focal ratio, this scope is capable of seeing nearly every object you might want to find
- Fully manual design teaches patience, while delivering a sense of tremendous reward and accomplishment when the object is found
- Dual axis bearings make the movement incredibly smooth in altitude and azimuth (up/down & left/right)
- Comes with all the accessories you’ll need right out of the box!
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This Article was Last Updated on 08/15/2023
