Choosing the best camera for kids takes just as much consideration as choosing the best one for grown-ups! Obviously, the key factors to think about are going to be different, but they're by no means less important.
Some factors, like image quality, are still going to come into play. As are looks –although little ones are going to like far more outlandish colors than I do! Still, the best cameras for kids are as much about usability, robustness, and affordability – not to mention educational value, if you want to help your kids understand photography rather than just enable them to take pretty pictures.
Either way, there are loads of great cameras out there for children, some of which are expressly for younger people, and others that just happen to suit them.
If you're picking the best camera for kids, the first thing to think about is the age of the child for whom you're buying. If you're shopping for a toddler, then something brightly colored and simplistic is the way to go, but beyond that things start to get more complicated. Is this a holiday distraction or a tool for a student?
I've included a wide spectrum in my selection, and a number of my colleagues have contributed to these choices. We're lucky to have a lot of parents on the DCW team, and we spend a lot of time around kids – including letting them play with cameras and helping us review them – so these are definitely kid-certified!
Chris George
Chris has been writing about photography professionally for nearly 40 years and has tested hundreds of different cameras. He has advised lots of parents about choosing the right cameras for their children – and has bought a fair few for his four children too! He has been the editor of What Camera, N-Photo, PhotoPlus, Video Camera, and Digital Camera magazines.
Best for ages 3-6
VTech makes a range of brightly colored, big-buttoned, entry-level tech gadgets for kids, and this is its current digital camera offering. I love the oversized rubbery build quality that absorbs the shock of occasional drops, with big grips on either side. Read more
Best for ages 5-8 Aimed at young children rather than toddlers, this offers a decent 8MP stills resolution and can use standard microSD memory cards. The big appeal for me is that it comes with a waterproof housing for use in the pool, sea or bath. Read more
Best for ages 7-11 I think this camera does a good job of appealing to a wide range of ages, thanks to a fun design touches for youngsters, and practical features for older, more demanding, users – such as a selfie camera and high-resolution stills & video capture. Read more
Best waterproof camera for kids
The Tough range has a long reputation in the rugged camera market. If you're looking for something waterproof, drop-proof, crush-proof and everything-proof, I can vouch for the TG-7! With a decent zoom and 4K video, it takes great images too. Read more
Best instant camera for kids One of the easiest instant cameras to use, the new Instax Mini is a great choice for kids. Its autoexposure mode produces great results in a range of lighting conditions, and kids love the cute and compact prints it spits out as much as I do! Read more
Cutest instant camera This is the daintiest little instant camera - and its mini size makes this a particularly good choice for smaller kids. Prints are also smaller - and the film is more expensive than Instax Mini - so there is a price to pay for being the cutest. Read more
Best hybrid Can't decide between having an instant camera or a digital camera? This model allows you to get both! You can shoot 5MP pictures that you can store to memory, and then print out the best onto the low-cost (and low-quality) Zink paper. Read more
Best action camera for kids
In my opinion this older GoPro is a great option for older kids who want to concentrate on shooting video rather than stills – and is much more affordable than the latest generation. It features great image stabilization and can be used underwater. Read more
Best build-your-own camera
This is a camera for kids you like to build things. The Airfix-like kit lets you make your own 35mm film camera using bits of plastic. It takes time and dedication to put together, but as a gift for the right person, it's great value Read more
Best for teenagers & students
If you are looking for a camera for a child who is studying photography at school, or wants to take it seriously as a hobby, this basic DSLR is a great starter to the joys of interchangle lens cameras. Read more
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Watch out for older versions still in some stores with much lower resolution
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Low-resolution LCD screen
VTech makes a range of brightly colored, big-buttoned, entry-level tech gadgets for kids, and this is its current digital camera offering. Build quality is great, with its oversized rubbery build absorbing the shock of occasional drops, with big meaty grips on either side of the recessed lens for small hands to get enough purchase.
While the camera and its controls may be relatively big for the average intended user, the specs have been improved with the most recent edition of this camera with a 5MP sensor, coupled with a 4x digital zoom. On the back is a 2.4in LCD for composing and reviewing shots, through which you can also play five built-in games, so you've got a secondary use if the novelty of taking pictures wears off. The camera uses 4x AA batteries and a microSD card, which you will need to buy separately.
"If you're after a first camera for a 3+ year-old child, the VTech Kidizoom Duo is an excellent choice," said my colleague and proud dad Ben in his review. "It's well priced, built to last, and is packed with kid-friendly features like a selfie camera, lots of digital effects, video mode and even some basic computer games. It's designed so even a pre-school child can use it was only minimal tuition, though the obviously toy-like build, handling and styling may be a bit too basic for an older child already accustomed to using a parent's smartphone or tablet."
So the best camera for kids? Yes, but only if they're very young.
Comes with underwater housing for pool and beach use
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Comes with an microSD card and a card reader
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Rechargeable battery
Reasons to avoid
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Not suitable for very young children
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Low-resolution video
This 8MP camera is designed for kids aged around 4-8, and comes with a decent set of features to keep the curious mind occupied. Despite its resolution, video quality is reduced to a very low-res 320x240 pixels.
An appeal of this model is that it comes supplied with a waterproof housing, which can be used at depths of up to 10ft / 3m, but you do need to check that the housing is secured properly before diving into the pool! Another fiddly operation is inserting and removing the supplied microSD card, but this does at least mean that the user can take lots and lots of pictures. Available in bluish or pinkish color to suit different tastes!
"The Oaxis myFirst Camera 2 is the perfect kids' vacation camera!" beamed my colleague Kalum in his review. He was impressed with its ability to capture good image quality, and commented on the robust design that enables kids to have fun without you having to worry about them breaking the camera. There's a waterproof housing that comes as standard - allowing your kids to take the KidiZoom in the swimming pool or sea. The video quality is its the only disppointment, but that didn't take away from the great experience Kalum and his daughter had with this camera!
This kids' camera does a great job of appealing to multiple ages. For the younger user, it comes with a shockproof pouch with an animal design – this both guards it against drops, and gives it more kiddie appeal. But as the child gets older this can be removed, and the user can start experimenting with more features.
We love that this model doesn't skimp on the specs, unlike some of its rivals. Stills resolution is a respectable 16MP, and video records in high-definition. What's more, the camera offers a front and rear lens – so you can use it to shoot selfies, which children will love. There's even a macro setting for close-ups, too. This costs more than some, but we think this model's features and perfomance mean it offers great value for money.
"The myFirst Camera 3 provides a fun and exciting introduction to photography," said Kalum in his review. "The FullHD camera for photos and video enables kids to capture the world through their own eyes. I tested this camera with the help of my 18-month-old daughter, a tad younger than the target market, but she had a blast all the same, and it sparked a real interest in taking photos. The video quality was a bit of a letdown, however, the photos were great and she loved seeing what she had taken when we got home."
Since 2021, Olympus cameras have been sold under the OM System name. The Olympus TG-6 was my favorite waterproof compact camera, and it has now been reborn as the OM System TG-7 (which our Editor owns). It is pretty much identical, but that is a good thing in my book, and ensures this newer version remains my top recommendation for a rugged camera.
How rugged is it? As well as being waterproof to 50ft / 15m, the camera can survive being dropped from 7ft / 2.1m as well as being crushed by anything up to 220lbs / 100kg (and it's also freezeproof to -10°C / 14°F, should it somehow get left in the fridge or freezer!). In short, no matter what your kids do to it or how hard they play with it, they won't be able to break it!
It's quite an advanced camera, with lots of features and functions (such as excellent macro and microscope modes) should you want them, as well as a crisp 4K video for filming adventures, and has a great zoom range of 25-100mm. So it's a very capable imaging device if your youngsters want to learn about proper photography.
Every kid who has been to my house always makes a beeline straight for the Tough, because mine is fire engine red (though it also comes in Batman black) and loves the fact that they can take it in the sandpit, get their dinner all over it, and even take it in the bath to wash it!
Color options: Pink, white, blue, purple, or green
User level: From kids to adults
Reasons to buy
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Easy and fun
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Inexpensive
Reasons to avoid
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Can't disable flash
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Image quality varies
One of the easiest Instax cameras to use, this recent version of the trusty Mini series is a great choice for kids. Its autoexposure mode produces great results in a range of lighting conditions, and though it can be a bit temperamental sometimes, kids love the cute, compact images it spits out just as much as I do!
Instax prints look great as ever, small and full of fun, and loading them is as easy as it ever was. The camera is powered by two regular AA batteries, and the flash reliably gives every image a burst of light (and I do mean every image, as there's no way to disable it). Inexpensive, user-friendly, and full of fun, kids big and small will have a great time with this one.
I should point out, of course, that Instax film isn't exactly cheap, so it costs money every time a photo is taken. That said, kids absolutely love having a physical photo and seeing the results of their pictures as a tangible thing rather than an ephemeral image on a screen.
The Polaroid Go is a palm-sized camera that kids will fall in love with faster than it takes a photo to develop. Bigger instant cameras balance exposures better, and rival Instax Mini cameras deliver slightly better image quality indoors – but neither are as fun to use as the Go, which still produces pleasing pics.
As you can see in the above photo of our reviewer holding it, the Polaroid Go is positively tiny in adult mitts (kind of a dainty hamburger size) but it's the perfect proportions for a child's hands. And while plain white or black aren't the typical colors for kiddy cameras, I've never seen a kid resist the urge to pick this up (after all, plenty of kids play with their parents' white or black smartphones)!
A consideration is that Instax Mini film works out cheaper than Polaroid Go film, but then you'll also need to replace those AA batteries on the Mini whereas the Go just needs USB to top up the power. And the Go boasts double exposures, which you won't get unless you opt for pricier options like the Instax Mini 90. A fun and funky little camera, the Polaroid Go is ideal for little hands to get started with.
Much as I love the Polaroid and Instax options above, the Kodak Printomatic may be the perfect instant camera for kids. Well, it's a digital instant camera, housing a proper little printer that uses Kodak's Zink all-in-one cartridges to spit out little prints that measure just 3 inches.
Now, these Zink prints are more like color photocopies than the true color photos you get from Polaroid and Instax. However, they still look pretty good (especially to kids' eyes) and more importantly Zink paper is much more affordable than instant film. Plus, the prints are water, tear and smudge-resistant – and they have peelable backs that turn them into stickers, too.
On top of that, the Printomatic also produces 5MP digital photos that you can save to a low-cost microSD memory card – so you don't have to print every photo you take, making this a cheap option that's good fun for anyone.
LCD: 2.2in touchscreen at rear, plus 1.4in screen at front
Max video resolution: 5.3K at 60fps, 4k at 120fps
Color options: Black
User level: From kids to adults
Reasons to buy
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Affordable
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Waterproof and tough
Reasons to avoid
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No zoom lens
A GoPro camera is a terrific thing to bring along on a family holiday, able to capture all your adventures in crisp detail as well as stand up to the rough and tumble adventure that is life with kids. And I've certainly noticed that kids are very eager to play with it – and can get some great results, much like those of us of a certain age used to love playing with Super8 cameras or VHS camcorders!
The 2021-vintage GoPro Hero10 Black is a perfect choice, more affordable than the more recent models in the Hero range (such as the latest flagship Hero12 Black), but still with more than enough functionality to capture fantastic images and videos. While this older model lacks the sophisticated features of its more expensive contemporaries, there's plenty of great stuff here; 25fps burst shooting is nothing to sneeze at, and you get 4K video at 120fps.
The whole family can have huge amounts of fun with a GoPro, and this affordable version is the ideal choice. A GoPro isn't a camera for kids specifically, but its ruggedness and ease of use make it ideal for older children tackling new adventures and outdoor pursuits.
For those who are looking for a little more of a project, it’s worth looking at the Lomography Konstruktor F – a fun, build-it-yourself kit that gives you all the parts you need to assemble a fully functional 35mm SLR film camera in a matter of hours.
There’s no need for glue or anything else – like an Ikea table, everything’s in the box, and there are a few extra screws for the inevitable moment that one disappears through a gap in the floorboards. Be aware, though – this is not a simple Lego set. It’s pretty complicated and will take a long time, and I wouldn’t recommend it as a project for kids younger than mid-teens (though it should be said, I've seen a 46-year-old photographer get flummoxed by the assembly, while his 14-year-old figured it out no problem!).
The Konstruktor F also comes with stickers, enabling it to be customized as the user pleases, and once it’s ready it functions by and large pretty well – though the controls are a little fiddly and the top-placed viewfinder might give you a crick in the neck. The finished SLR is plasticky, crude, and basic by any standards – but it's an excellent grounding in how film cameras actually work, and a fun addition to the camera shelf!
You may not initially think of a DSLR when considering a camera for the kids, but this option from Canon ticks three key boxes in being small, light, and easy to use for secondary school-age children (I recommend looking at our dedicated guide on the best student cameras aimed at those studying in high school or college).
A great all-round choice is the EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D, which boasts great autofocus and 4K video. It also features some grown-up specs, namely a 24.2MP sensor and a 3-inch vari-angle touch screen. Canon sees this as a way to tempt smartphone photographers to step up to their first proper camera.
Its proportions make it perfect for teen hands, while the menus are nice and clear. The picture quality is very good, too, with accurate white balance and well-saturated colors. I've taken some wonderful images on this camera, which you wouldn't know weren't taken on a top-end model. It's not the cheapest DSLR but it's a great combination of size, features, and long-term usefulness – and the best camera for kids starting in college.
Traditionally, we run of gamut of tests on camera resolution, dynamic range, and noise under scientifically controlled conditions using two key testing tools: Imatest Master and DxO Analyzer. We then use these real-world testing and lab results to inform our comments in buying guides.
However, the best cameras for kids aren't really about these kinds of capabilities. So we do the only testing that really matters when it comes to cameras targeted at kids: we put them in little hands! A number of us on the DCW team are parents or have young nieces, nephews and siblings, so it's easy (and enjoyable) for us to get them playing with these cameras and seeing what they think. Do they find them easy and fun to use? Are they durable enough to withstand being bashed around? Are the images of acceptable quality? Are they good enough to tempt them away from daddy's camera phone?
Our little helpers make sure that we're recommending the best cameras for kids.
It depends on the kids, honestly. VTech makes cameras that are the right blend of appealing design, robust build and easy-to-engage usability for very little ones, but anyone older will outgrow its features.
A Tough camera is indestructible enough to survive whatever your children do to it, but its advanced features make it an expensive purchase. And an instant camera enables your kids to produce physical photographs, but there is a cost whenever the shutter is pressed.
Do you want a glorified toy, to distract your kids for a while, or a device that's designed to enthuse and educate them into an interest in photography? Work out what you want – and what is right for your little ones!
Should I buy a kid a camera?
Cameras can be an absolutely wonderful way to cultivate creativity in children – just like a set of crayons or paints. A camera can not only encourage their development of visual language and expression, it can also give them a unique and valuable way to engage with the world around them.
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
