this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2025
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Would prefer it to not be "hair" 'makeup" girlish oriented, but rather something challenging for her mind. I am her Uncle, and would like something maybe aimed at DIY outside of Lego if you know what I mean. Budget is small, maybe 39.99? Can move either way if needed

Advice, much needed as a 36 y/o male with no kids

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[–] Neuromancer49@midwest.social 27 points 1 day ago (6 children)

I was about that age when I was gifted a microscope. No idea if you can still find them that cheap, though

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

In my area's thrift stores, $500 microscopes are available for $10, no joke. People buy them for their kids, kids never use them, into the box and off to the donation center!

[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Microscopes are definitely available in OP's price range.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago

I had one as a kid, and LOVED it. It came with a bunch of sample slides, but I always took some small bottles with me on my daily summer bike trips (we were free range back then), and collected samples from swamps, puddles, drainage ditches, etc.

By the time I got to high school, I sailed through science classes, because I already knew how to make slides, and had already seen much of the stuff we were discovering.

[–] Sibbo@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago

Yes, also had a microscope at around that age, even with some sample plates that you could look at, such as a squeezed fly.

[–] Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 day ago

I also got a microscope around this age - now I'm an environmental scientist

Another good one would be an easier STEMmy puzzle. I had one that was a bunch of shapes that had to fit together into its small case. Kinda of Tetris like.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Might be able to build one, could be worth looking into, thanks!

[–] Flubo@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There is something super cool: pocket microscopes. You can take them out in nature since they are small, they are in your price range and they are astonishingly good!

Just piling on because I got a pocket microscope as a kid. It definitely led to me thinking about what objects in the world around me are made of. And if course I wondered about the components of those bits and pieces. Fast forward, and I now I have a chemistry degree 🙂

[–] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

We gave our 5yo a microscope for his 5th birthday, and he loved it!