The Best Telescopes for Kids in 2024: Our Top Picks for Young Stargazers
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 the 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 quality optics instead of plastic objectives
- Low weight & portable
- Ability to attach a smartphone or DSLR for basic astrophotography
- 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, Jupiter's moons & bands, 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, and families with kids 12 & over
Ideal for families with kids 12 and older
The telescopes on this list were picked to grow with your child, providing kid-friendly requirements while also featuring a bit of future-proofing. From inspiring that initial spark of interest and carrying them all the way through their amateur astronomy journey, these telescopes are sure to provide fun under the stars for years to come!
Apertura AD8 8” Dobsonian —
Looking for a more "hands-on" approach? 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 thanks to the exceptional performance they provide.
One of the most popular telescopes around for good reason, you get the largest aperture for the price. While Dobsonians are fully manual telescopes, learning the night sky is absolutely something we recommend everyone do, and if you’re up for the challenge you’ll be blown away by the quality the Apertura AD8 Dobsonian telescope can deliver!
Advantages:
✓ 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)
Recommended accessories
Celestron 8" NexStar Evolution —
Our next 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 also opens up more deep sky objects with outstanding 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, the StarSense AutoAlign system, and the ability to attach a camera directly on the back of the scope, this really delivers on the ultimate experience!
Advantages:
✓ 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
Recommended accessories
Celestron NexStar 6SE —
Next up is the Celestron NexStar 6SE. As a fully computerized system, the NexStar 6SE makes your nights under the stars exceptionally easy. This Celestron telescope 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 it is considerably more portable!
Advantages:
✓ 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
Recommended accessories
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 computerized telescopes and app-assistance comes into play.
With a bit of help setting up from the parents and after the initial alignment, effortlessly find targets either automatically with the Celestron 4SE, or with the guide of the StarSense app with the Celestron StarSense DX102. This makes the experience considerably less frustrating than having to manually locate objects!
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 sharp views— simply follow the instructions for the Go-To system, focus on the object and you’re all set!
Advantages:
✓ Maksutov-Cassegrain design delivers great contrast & color on the planets & stars
✓ Low weight at around 23 lbs. fully assembled
✓ Fully computerized for ease of use
✓ Can be used during the day or night
Recommended accessories
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102 —
Our final 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 provides high contrast, rich colors on the planets, the Moon and star clusters. Refractors also require zero optical maintenance for exceptional quality night after night! Learn more about the Celestron StarSense Explorer series and app here!
Advantages:
✓ 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
By combining portability, ease of use, and the ability to spark a love for astronomy, these top picks for the best telescopes for kids are sure to provide fun, engaging nights under the stars. Whether you’re looking for a simple, manual setup that those of all ages can enjoy, or a telescope with more advanced features for older kids, we have quite the selection to choose from!
Click the arrow above to see MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style citations.
MLA:
High Point Scientific Team. "Best Telescopes for Kids," AstronomyHub, High Point Scientific, 24 Oct. 2024, https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/best-telescope-for-kids.
APA:
High Point Scientific Team. (2024, October 24). Best telescopes for kids. High Point Scientific. https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/best-telescope-for-kids
Chicago Manual of Style:
Bibliography:
High Point Scientific Team. "Best Telescopes for Kids," AstronomyHub (blog), High Point Scientific, October 24, 2024. https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/best-telescope-for-kids.
Footnote:
High Point Scientific Team, "Best Telescopes for Kids," AstronomyHub, High Point Scientific, October 24, 2024, https://www.highpointscientific.com/astronomy-hub/post/best-telescope-for-kids.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about astrophotography and choosing the right gear for you? Not sure where to begin? Check out our Astronomy Hub!
This Article was Originally Posted on January 01, 2021
