Astronomy & Space Exploration, Age 11–14 - September 2025
Discover space and astronomy with telescopes, planet kits, and rockets. These products let children explore the night sky and space science at home.
Many sets include maps, projectors, or models that make space learning visual and highly engaging for beginners.
Suited for ages 11–14, they spark a passion for astronomy and exploration while introducing children to scientific observation.
Check out our top 5 picks below, along with brief reviews and notes to help you decide.
Celestron Speciality Series Travel Scope 70 Telescope
Our take: The Celestron Speciality Series Travel Scope 70 is a compact 70 mm refractor built for families and first-time observers. Its lightweight, portable design with quick, tool‑free setup and an included tripod/backpack makes it easy to take from backyard to vacation. Two eyepieces and an erect‑image diagonal support both night‑sky and daytime nature viewing.
Kids can experience hands‑on STEM learning by exploring the Moon’s craters and phases, spotting Jupiter’s four largest moons, and getting glimpses of Saturn’s rings under steady skies. During the day, it doubles as a spotting scope for birds, landmarks, and distant scenery.
Along the way they’ll practice aligning a finderscope, choosing eyepieces, and mastering focus while building intuition about optics, magnification, and star‑hopping/navigation. It encourages patient observation, note‑taking, and curiosity about the night sky.
Key Features
- All coated glass optical elements for clear, crisp images
- Erect image diagonal so that your views are correctly oriented
- Smooth functioning altazimuth mount with easy pointing to located objects
- Quick and easy no-tool set up
- The telescope and tripod fit inside the custom backpack for easy traveling and storage
Pie Matrix Astrophotography Smartphone Adapter Mount - Unive...
Our take: The Pie Matrix Astrophotography Smartphone Adapter Mount lets you securely attach your phone to a telescope, binoculars, or a microscope, turning everyday optics into a simple imaging rig. Its adjustable alignment helps center the camera over the eyepiece for cleaner, sharper shots of the Moon, planets, and star fields.
Great for young explorers, it encourages hands-on STEM learning: understanding optics and magnification, practicing stable framing, and experimenting with focus, exposure, and light. Kids can document observations and build confidence in scientific thinking and data recording.
Getting started is easy—begin with the Moon, use a tripod or steady mount, and try a timer or remote shutter to avoid shake. Always practice safe viewing: never aim at the Sun without a certified solar filter.
Key Features
- Universal Smartphone Compatibility: This smartphone camera adaptor is universally compatible with most smartphones, including iPhone and Android devices. It features an adjustable phone clamp that fits a wide range of phone sizes and an eyepiece clamp that accommodates optical devices with an outer diameter of 2.5-4.8 cm (0.98-1.89 in), making it ideal for use with telescopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes
- Revolutionary 3-Axis Adjustment System: The Pie Matrix Astrophotography Smartphone Camera Adaptor features a cutting-edge 3-axis design, allowing for precise adjustments in every direction—up and down, left and right, and forward and backward. This ensures your smartphone camera is perfectly aligned with the eyepiece of your telescope, binoculars, or spotting scope, delivering high-quality astrophotography, nature photography, and more
- Durable and Stable Construction: The Pie Matrix Adaptor is engineered for maximum durability and stability, built from high-quality aluminum alloy and durable plastic. Unlike other adaptors that may bend, tilt, or warp over time, this adaptor holds your smartphone tightly and perpendicularly to the eyepiece, ensuring a steady and reliable connection. Rubber pads on both the eyepiece clip and the phone clamp protect your devices from scratches and abrasions while providing a firm and secure grip
- Optimal Eye Relief with Z-Axis Adjustment: Capture crystal-clear, distortion-free images with the adaptor’s Z-axis adjustment feature, which lets you fine-tune the distance between your smartphone camera and the eyepiece. Perfect for astrophotography, wildlife photography, and landscape photography, ensuring vibrant and sharp images every time
- Secure Grip with Protective Rubber Pads: The adaptor features rubber pads on both the eyepiece clip and phone clamp, providing a secure and protective grip on your devices. This prevents scratches and damage, ensuring your smartphone and optical equipment remain safe during use
- Compact, Lightweight, and Versatile: Despite its robust construction, the Pie Matrix Adaptor is sleek, compact, and lightweight, making it an ideal companion for any digiscoping adventure. Its portability and ease of use make it a must-have tool for astronomers, nature photographers, birdwatchers, travelers, researchers, and anyone with a passion for capturing the world in exquisite detail. Whether you're exploring the night sky or documenting the beauty of nature, this adaptor empowers you to take your photography to the next level
- Effortless Fine-Tuning for Precise Alignment: Achieve perfect alignment every time with the adaptor’s easy-to-reach fine-tuning knobs. These allow for precise adjustments with minimal effort, ensuring your smartphone camera is always correctly aligned for stunning astrophotography, birdwatching, and landscape photography
- Essential Tool for Capturing Extraordinary Detail: The Pie Matrix Astrophotography Smartphone Camera Adaptor is a must-have for anyone looking to capture high-quality images and videos. Its versatility and durability make it an essential tool for both amateur and professional photographers, ensuring you can capture the universe and the natural world in stunning detail.
Apex Smart Star Projector Pro 2025 Edition – Galaxy Night Li...
Our take: The Apex Smart Star Projector Pro 2025 Edition – Galaxy Night turns any room into a soothing cosmos, casting drifting nebulae and shimmering stars that kids can explore from bed. With smart controls and gentle bedtime-friendly soundscapes, it’s designed to calm evenings while keeping young minds curious.
Great for learning, it sparks early astronomy curiosity as children observe colors, motion, and patterns, inspiring questions about stars, planets, and space. Adjusting brightness, rotation, and scenes builds cause‑and‑effect understanding and introduces ideas like light mixing and cycles.
Use it for story time or quiet play to encourage imagination & storytelling, mindful breathing, and a healthy sleep routine. Pair nightly observations with a simple sky journal so kids practice noticing, describing, and comparing what they see—easy, screen‑free STEM fun.
Key Features
- 2025 Upgraded Edition – New and improved Apex Smart Star Projector Pro with brighter visuals, smoother rotation, and upgraded sound quality.
- 6 Projection Slides + Nebula Effects – Projects colorful galaxies, nebula clouds, and stars to create a stunning space atmosphere.
- Laser Star Projector Feature – Adds realistic green laser stars for a true planetarium-style experience in any room.
- Built-in Bluetooth Speaker – Stream music, bedtime stories, or meditation sounds directly from your projector.
- Smart APP & Voice Control – Control brightness, rotation, timer, and sounds through the mobile app or Alexa/Google Assistant.
- White Noise Sounds – Includes soothing sounds like rain, ocean waves, lullabies, and more to promote relaxation and sleep.
- Perfect Gift & Décor – Ideal for kids’ bedrooms, gaming setups, romantic nights, parties, meditation, and as a premium gift option.
Pie Matrix Helix 130/650 EQ Astronomical land & Sky Reflecto...
Our take: What it is: The Pie Matrix Helix 130/650 EQ is a 130 mm f/5 Newtonian reflector on a manual equatorial mount, designed for crisp views of the Moon, planets, star clusters and bright nebulae. Its compact tube and stable tripod make it suitable for both night sky and daytime land viewing.
Why it’s great for kids: Learners explore real optics (aperture, focal length, magnification), practice celestial tracking with right ascension/declination, and witness STEM concepts like Earth’s rotation, lunar phases and planetary motion—building patience, observation and note‑taking skills.
What they’ll do: Align a finder, center targets using slow‑motion controls, compare eyepieces to understand field of view, and sketch lunar craters and star fields—turning curiosity into hands‑on discovery and engaging family observing sessions.
Key Features
- EFFORTLESS SETUP & OPERATION: The Helix Reflector Telescope features an easy-to-assemble design that ensures hassle-free setup. The included adjustable heavy-duty steel tripod, finished in sleek stainless chrome, offers stability and durability, making it simple for users of all levels to get started with stargazing
- 2-YEAR BRAND WARRANTY: Enjoy peace of mind with a 2-year warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship. For support, reach out to our 24/7 customer care team at 1800 203 6638 or support@thepiematrix.com.
- VERSATILE FOR DAY AND NIGHT: With its long optical tube and a focal ratio of f/5, this telescope is not just for nighttime sky gazing. It's also ideal for daytime spotting, allowing you to observe terrestrial objects with clarity. The versatile design ensures that you get the most out of your telescope, day or night
- OPTIMAL FOR CELESTIAL OBSERVATION: This telescope is designed with the beginner in mind but doesn't compromise performance. It offers the best entry-level experience for observing celestial objects and bright deep sky objects, providing clear and detailed views that will inspire and amaze
- EXPLORE DEEP SKY WONDERS: Even at an entry-level price, the Helix Reflector Telescope opens up the universe for you. You can observe stunning deep-sky objects such as the Andromeda galaxy, nebulae, and star clusters. This telescope provides an excellent introduction to the wonders of deep space, perfect for both beginners and seasoned enthusiast
- PRECISION MANUAL EQUATORIAL MOUNT: The smooth manual equatorial mount makes tracking celestial objects straightforward. It features dual slow-motion control cables for accurate tracking and alignment, and it works seamlessly in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Marked indicators on the Right Ascension and Declination axes help with easy navigation
- ENHANCED VIEWING EXPERIENCE: The optical red dot infrared finderscope helps in easily locating and centering objects in the night sky. Additionally, the green moon filter improves contrast and reduces glare when observing the moon, providing a more comfortable viewing experience
- PERFECT FOR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY: If you're interested in capturing the beauty of the night sky, the Helix Reflector Telescope is a great starting point. It supports the use of narrowband filters to isolate specific gases, and with a small refractor mounted on the equatorial telescope, you can take stunning images of objects like the Helix Nebula. The telescope's compatibility with various filters and accessories makes it an excellent choice for budding astrophotography.
- EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINING: The Helix Reflector Telescope is not only a tool for serious astronomers but also an educational and entertaining device for families and enthusiasts. Whether you are an astronomy buff or looking to spark an interest in stargazing in your children, this telescope provides endless opportunities to explore space, planets, stars, and satellites.
- COMPREHENSIVE ACCESSORY KIT: The Helix Reflector Telescope comes with a range of accessories to enhance your viewing experience. This includes K10mm, and K6mm eyepieces for different levels of magnification, a 20mm erecting lens for upright images, a 3X Barlow lens to triple the magnification of each eyepiece, and a phone adapter for capturing images with your smartphone.
Space Arcade Space Launcher 76mm Newtonian Astronomical Refl...
Our take: Space Arcade Space Launcher 76mm Newtonian Astronomical is a beginner-friendly reflector telescope that invites young stargazers to explore the Moon’s craters, bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and eye-catching star clusters.
Ideal for STEM learning, kids practice hands-on skills—setup, focusing, and basic star-hopping—while grasping key optics concepts such as mirrors, light-gathering, and image formation.
Regular sky sessions build curiosity and confidence, encourage observation logs and sketching, and teach sky orientation (constellations, lunar phases), turning family astronomy time into an engaging educational journey.
Key Features
- 76mm newtonian telescope with quality coated glass mirrors
- A quick and easy, no-tool setup
- Alt-Az control for smooth and accurate pointing
- Sturdy but light weight and adjustable height tripod including an accessory tray
- A kids-friendly telescope, light weight and quick setup