How young can children learn to use binoculars? Is early binocular use likely to hurt their vision? Thanks.
I don't know the answer to your question but my two-year old daughter loves looking at birds through binoculars, although I'm never entirely sure that she is really seeing anything! She doesn't use them all that often, so I doubt if it does her eyesight any harm.
[QUOTE=ehrodz;1180216]How young can children learn to use binoculars? [/QUOTE]
Two years sounds about right, but their motivation is usually low. I've had more luck with little kids (2-3 yrs old) and spotting scopes, which they readily learn to see through and focus.
[QUOTE=ehrodz;1180216]Is early binocular use likely to hurt their vision? Thanks.[/QUOTE]
I can't imagine how it could. It was by observing how my son's notion of best focus consistently differed from mine when focusing my spotting scope that I first learned he was near sighted. A subsequent trip to the optometrist and fitting with glasses brought him better vision than he would have enjoyed at that age in a family that did not use optics.
--AP