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I know this is late, but I'll answer anyway. I'm a 14-year-old. A few months ago I did chores and saved for a compound microscope. It is my prized possession and has inspired me to dabble in AP biology on my own time. I believe if your child is already inspired by the wonderful world of microscopy, the type does not matter, as long as it works well. Although, if you combine it with slides and accessories/stains to prepare your own slides, your child could learn more about lab skills. This would be ideal for kids who can be delicate with such instrument, as microscopes of any kind require optics in satisfactory condition. There is a microscope made of sturdy cardboard that I briefly looked into called the Foldscope. It's not digital, although you can put a phone up to the lens. Because it is small, it is portable. I don't have too much knowledge on the digital ones because I don't have one. the most popular one on Amazon looks to be this one. It is important to note that digitals will only look at the surface of the specimen, so if you're looking at, say, the cells of red onion membrane, you'll need a bottom light like that on a compound microscope. They are also constrained by USB cables. Choosing the right one for me was time-consuming since I wanted a cheaper one but also a high-quality one. It took maybe a full day of research to decide. I think children (me included) want the highest magnification possible. Some companies will say they have 2000x magnification, but in reality, the image is enlarged without increasing the resolution of the image. If you zoom in on a picture, it does not become more detailed. Be wary of this when looking at the specs. I realize most of this information is not about digital microscopes but I thought I could contribute.

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