All the grooviest gadgets: This week: Children's Gizmo's

The great British summer has returned with a soggy vengeance. With that in mind, a round-up of these weeks gadgets to keep the children occupied and entertained during the summer holiday, whatever the weather They were tested on a panel aged 2 to 14.This rugged and portable £50 microscope from www.looksmall.com was developed by Rick Dickinson, Sir Clive Sinclair's former product designer. It kept three small boys occupied for hours, investigating leaves, insects and even bits of fluff. It uses natural light or batteries, is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket and is very easy to use. Simply place a specimen on a ring on the top of the microscope (there's a magnetic holder) and focus using the thumb wheel on the bottom. The 35x magnification, chosen on the recommendation of teachers, is powerful enough to see things in great detail without losing the sense of what you are looking at. The eyepiece doubles as a 10x magnifier, perfect for peering into flowers.TREKKER MICROSCOPE

Rating: Excellent ****