How to choose the Best Digital Cameras For Kids: from toddlers to teens

Are you looking for the best camera for kids? Choosing a camera for your child takes some consideration but on this page you will find tips for finding the Best Kids’ Cameras and links to the best priced kids’ cameras.

See also these: Digital camera for kids with preview screen.

The first consideration, apart from the age of the child, is whether how the camera looks is more important than how it actually performs.

Is a colorful casing important? Is your child “gadget-savvy” enough to cope with any slightly more complex features, rather than having a camera that they can just “point and click”? See also these electronic toys gift ideas.

Children love to copy adults and buying them a digital camera may seem like a crazy idea because of the worry that it may get broken. However, there’s a variety of digital cameras on the market made especially with kids in mind. There’s also a range of “first” cameras for the older child who is ready for something more advanced.

A nice bright color may appeal to your first grader, but older kids may prefer something a bit more sophisticated.

Other considerations include the amount of storage you think the camera may need. Is a memory card slot a feature? Are there USB and AV leads to connect to PC and/or TV.

Here’s a selection of the Best Kids Cameras, to suit all ages and budgets. See also more specifically Toddler Cameras and Camera’s for pre-teens, tweens and teens.

By the title of best kids camera, what I am actually referring to is the Best Buy for a camera for kids. There are many options out there along with a varied list of prices for these cameras built to endure the rough play of kids. In my opinion the best camera at the best price is the Vtech Kidizoom shown below. You might find a camera for a little less money but they will not have the same features as the Vtech camera for kids and I think that has to be part of your decision when looking for the best quality with the best price.

Some of the kids cameras take pretty awful photos. Now, you could argue that it is because a child is taking the picture and they are not going to stand still and not move their hands when they snap the shot. That is a valid argument. However, with some of the other cameras even when an adult takes a photo with the camera the photos are fuzzy and low quality. That is not the case with the Vtech Kidizoom camera. This is a actually a real camera built stronger for kids to use.

A quick look at some of the features of the best cameras built for kids to use 

A Good Basic Camera For Kids

Featured above is the Vtech – Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera. This Kids’ Camera is a real 2.0 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, self-timer and includes five games. It has a 256 MB internal memory and SD card slot for memory expansion. Suitable from age 3 and up. Also available in pink and orange.

VTech has a couple of different styles of cameras for kids. The one shown here is a basic 1.3 megapixel camera with a zoom feature that will go to 4X. Kids can store around 1,000 photos in the internal memory of the camera. They can also edit and add borders, stamps or even some funny effects to their photographs. Because it is for kids there are also three games that they can play while the camera is on. There is also an option for them to make short little videos, too. I am showing you the one in pink but this same camera also comes in orange, blue or black versions.

Vtech – Kidizoom Spin & Smile Digital Camera

Camera offers 2.0 megapixel photos with the option of zooming up to 4X. It has a self-timing feature and includes 5 games for kids to play. The lens rotates allowing to take a self portrait. Children can add borders, silly effects and special stamps to their photos. An internal memory of 256 MB with a SD card slot for expansion of memory allows for saving 1000+ photos. Kids can record videos with sound, too.

VTech Offers A Swivel Lens

Kids can rotate the lens to take photos or videos of themselves or spin it back and take photos of the people, pets or objects in front of them. 2.0 mega-pixel camera with 4X digital zoom feature. There is also a timer built in for kids to use for when they want to pose in some special way. Five games can be played on the camera, too. The internal memory of the camera is 256 MB but there is also an SD slot for extra storage of your kids photos. 

Another Swivel Lens

Built for the rough handling of kids by Fisher-Price this camera offers a swivel lens to allow kids to do some self portraits or to video themselves if they want to. The controls are kid friendly so they won’t need for you to help them once they have used it a time or two. You can download software so that the children can edit or share their little masterpieces. You will need an USB cable in order to connect the camera to a PC and that is sold separately. MAC users can view pictures and save them but will not be able to use the edit feature. You will get the camera, 4 AA batteries and instructions on how to use the camera when you purchase this model.

Can handle being dropped

This durable camera that is also made by Fisher-Price was built to withstand being dropped. That is good because we know that kids are going to not understand about being extra careful and there will be the occasional dropping event. This model is similar to the one above except that it does not have the swivel lens. It also offers PC based software for a photo editor. The size is better suited for kids hands and the grips are easier for them to hang on to. They can store around 2,000 photos in the internal memory. You can get the camera in a blue version shown here or a pink version.

The Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera has easy, child friendly controls and is built to survive being dropped and battered. It has an internal memory that can store over 1000 pictures.

Recommended for ages 3 to 7, Reviewers say that the pictures are best viewed on the camera, not a PC, so my view is that it would probably suit younger, pre-schoolers as a 7 year old’s expectations may be higher.

• Measures 5.1 x 2.3 x 3.2 inches
• Requires 4 AAA (LR03) Alkaline 1.5V – not included

Toy camera’s that work!

Remember: these are toy digital camera’s. They work, but don’t expect them to be as good as a ‘real’ adult digital camera.

What you get for your price is:

* a toy that works *

* a camera that doesn’t break easily *

* your own camera is safe for a while longer *

A Lego Camera

Oh this is just too much fun! Legos are so very popular with kids right now. This camera looks like it has been built with those popular plastic bricks. The fun part is that it really will take photos! It can store around 80 photos and if you connect a USB cable to it download the photos to a computer. The resolution is 8 mega-pixels and it has a built in flash. Just for the fun of it, kids can add real Lego bricks to the top of the camera if they want to.

One reviewer said: “its a great buy and is very durable easy to use good size for kids hands.”

• Qualifies for free delivery.
• Robust and strong: will survive falling, drool etc.
• The only camera on this page that has flash.

Made with older kids in mind, this LEGO 3MP Digital Camera has 1.5″ LCD screen and holds up to 80 photos. There’s also a built-in flash and fixed focus.

Although the camera looks like it is made from LEGO bricks, it cannot be taken apart. However, LEGO bricks can be added to the top and the bottom so it can be integrated into LEGO building creations.

• Measures: 3.8 x 1 x 2.5 inches
• Uses rechargeable batteries

V Tech Disney’s Cars Kids’ Digital Camera – Lightning McQueen Digital Camera

Reviewers gave the V Tech Disney’s Cars Kids’ Digital Camera an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. One said: “the features and built-in memory as well as quality more than beat the very inexpensive price.”

Recommended for ages 3 – 7 years, the Lightning McQueen Photo Editor software can be used to add frames and stamps to the photos. This Kids’ Digital Camera has three modes: Camera – for taking photos; Photo Editor – for adding stamps and frames; Movie – for taking videos.

An AV cable is included for connecting the camera to a TV and a USB cable for connecting camera to a PC. The internal memory can store up to 500 photos or 10 minutes of video. Storage capacity can be increased by using an SD card (not included).

• Measures: 5.9 x 4.1 x 2.2 inches
• Requires: 4 AA batteries (not included)
• Qualifies for free delivery.
• Robust and strong: will survive falling, drool etc.

Something else to consider is the customer service of the company that manufactures a camera for kids. How good will that service be if you have a problem? In some cases a company may dismiss your problem with an ever so polite response that it is after all a toy for kids. That is not the case with Vtech. They want the customer to be happy with their purchase.

Affordable digital camera for pre-teens and teenagers

We’re out of the ‘toy’ category now. These are real point and shoot cameras. For the precocious kid who is capable of taking care of a somewhat fragile piece of technology. I got my first real camera when I was 12. Perhaps your child (or grandchild) is ready for one at that age as well. 

Kodak Easyshare M5350 Digital Camera (Red)

Reviewers give the Kodak Easyshare M5350 16 MP Digital Camera an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. One reviewer said:
“For casual, all-around use, this is one of the nicest units I’ve worked with.”

Incredibly light and portable, the Kodak Easyshare M5350 16 MP Digital Camera is an inexpensive digital camera, ideal as a first camera for the older child or teen. It comes with all the features you would expect from a “proper” digital camera but there’s a lot of “fun” extras too.

There’s also a dedicated video record button, which allows you to start shooting as soon as you want to. Photo editing is also possible directly on the camera – you do not have to download to a PC first.

• Measures: 5.8 x 1.8 x 5.8 inches
• Requires: Kodak Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery KLIC-7006 and Kodak USB AC adapter for in-camera charging (included)

Are you in search of the best cameras for kids? Perhaps you are wanting one to give as a gift or your child has expressed an interest in learning how to use a camera. Then again, maybe you want something that will allow your child to take his or her own photos so that they will leave the more expensive family camera alone. What I have found is that there are some great options for a camera that actually works that are built tough enough for the rougher handling that a child will give it.
Because these cameras are built with children in mind, they are not going to perform like an expensive model for adults. They do take decent pictures for a child to be proud of and they offer the experience of shooting images and some even give some basic editing features for your child to learn.

A case in point is a woman left a review of the camera and said that her only disappointment was that the camera had not come with a wristlet strap as it was supposed to. Shortly after her review was made public on the site, a company representative contacted her, apologized for the lack of the strap and sent her the strap immediately. Now, that is customer service the way it should be. The company is not waiting for people to contact them with complaints but being pro-active by keeping abreast of what adults are saying online about their product. To me, that says that they truly care about customer satisfaction and the quality of the product that they are offering to the public. This played a major role in my decision to recommend the camera as the best buy for a kids camera. You want a great price but you also want a great product with good features and better than average customer service.

See also my selection of best camcorders for children and other gadgets for kids. 

One reader says:

Robust is indeed the way to go!….like anyone with Kids would think otherwise! Mine are not at that age yet, so goodness knows what will be available in a few years.

I have purchased quite a few higher spec ‘waterproof’ camera’s in the past……they are indeed waterproof….providing you don’t take them anywhere near water!!