Items viewed under a microscope often look very different than with the naked eye. An easy and fun microscope game is taking common objects and viewing them under a microscope. Asking kids to guess what the object is, and letting them give their reasons for their answers, can be fun, challenging and educational. Objects that might be suitable for this game include paper, an orange skin, a leaf or water. The player who gets the most correct answers is the winner.
Have kids spend 10 minutes going through the house and the yard looking for an object they think will look strange beneath the microscope. Again, ask them their reasons for the objects they picked, and then look at them under the microscope. The winner is the one who picks the strangest-looking object under the microscope.
Go around the house and yard and gather up a couple of non-flying insects, such as ants or beetles. Place them on a petri dish to keep them from escaping, and look at them under a microscope. Magnified, they will look like ferocious monsters. Have kids make up stories about what it would be like to meet one of these monsters if they were as large as they looked under the microscope. Lead kids in collaborative storytelling and play-acting. This game is particularly good for kids ages 4 to 6.
Looking at pond water under a microscope is fascinating, and on any given slides dozens of different microorganisms can be found. Have kids gather water, make a slide, and see how many different micro-creatures they can find under the microscope. Kids can then look up online what the different organisms are that they are viewing. The child who finds the most distinct microorganisms wins. This game is best for kids ages 6 to 10.