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Oh, Snap! The 10 Best Cameras For Kids

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by Lauren Beach

Sep. 11, 2022

Kids taking selfies with cameras for kids

If you’ve left your phone unattended and come back to 1,000 selfies and pics of toys around the house, you know kids love playing with cameras. The solution? Get them their own — there are so many cute options. The best cameras for kids are durable enough to handle the inevitable drops and are packed with features that inspire your budding photographer to take fun and creative shots.

From battery life to image quality to storage capacity, we’ve dug into all the specs to find the best cameras on the market today for kids and to help you decide whether you want to invest in a camera with more features or not.

What Are The Best Cameras For Younger Kids?

The best cameras for younger kids have intuitive controls. You’ll also want a model that’s easy for small hands to hold with a grippy body material, molded handholds, and perhaps something additional to secure it, like a lanyard, wrist strap, or tripod. It’s critical to look for a rugged model that can handle being dropped. Another little-kid feature that’s helpful is an auto-portrait mode that keeps smiles in focus, and some models allow you to turn off or set a time limit on games.

What About Older Kids And Teens?

Older children and teenagers are ready for more control, so you’ll want additional features like delay timers, burst mode, and time lapse settings. A camera that transfers images and videos via Bluetooth may be preferable if they have their own phone or tablet, so they can easily send them to their besties.

Fun Features For Everyone

Selfies: Kids of all ages love a good selfie, so this is crucial. Some cameras use a small mirror to let kids “see” the picture, some have a front and rear lens, and others have a single lens that can be flipped.
Printing: Kids love the retro thrill of Polaroid-style cameras. Some models print in full color, some in black and white, and some even make printable stickers. Cameras with printing capabilities can be more expensive, and keep in mind you’ll need to restock on film, too.
Personalizing: There are lots of ways for kids to personalize their images and get creative, including cute frames, stickers, color-changing filters, and live filters that let kids “wear” masks.
Games & Video: While they aren’t quite handheld video game systems, there are some entertaining games in our camera picks below. Some are puzzle-based and some are even live augmented-reality games. And some of these cameras also shoot video, often with fun filters, for even more hours of entertainment.
Underwater: Waterproof models let kids take awesome action shots in the pool and at the beach.

With all that in mind, it’s time to find the right camera for your kiddo. Who knows? Maybe they’ll capture pictures of you, Super Mom, in action.

In a hurry? Here are the top picks for the best cameras for kids.

1. This Easy-Grip Camera With Fun Features: VTech KidiZoom Duo DX Digital Selfie Camera

2. A Video Camera Even Toddlers Can Use: ASIUR Kids Video Camera

3. An Action Camera That’s Waterproof: PROGRACE Children Kids Camera

01An Easy-Grip Camera With Fun Features & Parental Controls

VTech KidiZoom DUO DX Digital Selfie Camera with MP3 Player

$57

This VTech camera is durable, easy to grip with molded handholds, and features a front- and rear-facing lens for traditional or selfie-style photos. The color LCD screen lets kids use live face filters (dog, cat and pirate), photo effects, frames, and borders. Auto-portrait mode ensures faces remain in focus for new and budding photographers, and an included wrist strap is convenient for little ones getting used to holding it. The camera also has real-time augmented reality games where children can monster hunt in the real world (with parental control settings that allow you to turn off the games or set time limits). The camera connects to a computer with a micro-USB cord to add MP3 files or transfer their images and videos. This camera takes four AA batteries (demo ones included) and is available in blue or pink. Have a kiddo who loves to shoot video content? Try the creator cam version with a built-in tripod that’s also a selfie stick.

Helpful Review: “Think it’s a great camera for little kids. Love that I can turn off the games option on this camera. My 3 year old has a blast playing with it taking everyone’s pictures. (Mainly his own! Haha!) He's dropped it a few times and it’s not affected the camera at all. Would recommend it.”

02An Affordable Digital Camera In Kid-Friendly Designs

goopow Digital Kids Camera

$35

This affordable camera has dual lenses for traditional photography and selfies and video as well. Making it an even better deal, it comes with a 32 gigabyte memory card. The camera has an 8x digital zoom, as well as auto smile focusing and timed photo options. Reviewers said their kids figured out all the features with ease and that they loved the three included puzzle games. The included lanyard lets kids tote it around without losing it, and parents said the shockproof silicone material of the camera body helped their children keep a grip on it. Photos and videos can easily be transferred to your computer with the included USB cable. It also comes in several designs: pink and purple whale, purple cat, pink and red whale, blue fox, pink fox, and purple fox.

Helpful Review: “This was a gift for my 4 and 6 yrs old kids. [They] love it and have been able to figure out how to use it quickly. They love the little picture effects they can add, like mustaches, firefighter, princess, or frames. Makes the pics even more fun to take!”

03This Cult Fave Instant Camera With Over 21,000 5-Star Reviews

Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 11

$73

It’s not hard to see why the Fujifilm INSTAX Mini 11 has a whopping 4.7-star rating with over 25,000 reviews on Amazon; it looks great, works well, and provides instant, fun photos. The high-performance flash automatically adjusts based on the brightness of the setting. Selfie mode is accessed by simply pulling on the lens. A small mirror on the lens helps kids frame their pic, and the 2.4- by 1.8-inch printed photos develop in just 90 seconds. The camera includes two AA batteries and comes with two customizable shutter buttons. Ready to get started? Grab a 50-pack of film.

Helpful Review: “This camera is awesome. My 6 year old loves it. I’m in my 30s and I love it. The pictures are a bit smaller than a Polaroid, but this is a mini camera after all. The pictures are still a good size. I like that it is very simple to use. My daughter can change the film after we watched a clip on YouTube. I do also appreciate that the film for this is more affordable than others.”

04A Video Camera That’s Easy Enough For Toddlers To Use

ASIUR Kids' Video Camera

$27

Stand aside, Spielberg: Your child will be your new favorite director with this video camera that reviewers say is intuitive enough for toddlers to use. It has a 4x digital zoom and six filters, three funhouse mirror effects, and 15 photo frames to personalize videos or pictures. No worrying about batteries with this one; the battery is rechargeable via USB. The camera comes with a 32-gigabyte memory card and parents said that transferring the videos photos to their computer was a breeze. And it even comes with stickers for customizing the camera itself.

Helpful Review: “I ordered this camera as a gift for my son and he has loved every second of it. The battery life is sufficient for the amount of time a kid may put into the camera in a given week, which is quite nice. The image quality is not too bad for the price and the ease with which you can view the images or transfer them to your computer makes this product very good for its price.”

05A Mountable Waterproof Video Camera For Capturing Adventures

PROGRACE Waterproof Digital Video Children's Camera

$39

This waterproof and GoPro-style camera is ready for all the adventures. It takes videos and photos and its case allows it to go 100 feet underwater. The camera has features galore: face recognition ensures in-focus smiles, and it has manual brightness adjustment, a delay timer, 4x digital zoom, burst mode, and a three-level volume adjustment. Kids will love the 40 built-in photo frames, seven color video modes, and mini game. It comes with a bicycle mount, a helmet mount, and two fastening straps. The camera can be connected to your computer with a USB cable to recharge and transfer files, and it has a lanyard to carry it along with ease. It’s also available in blue, red, yellow, and green.

Helpful Review: “I got this as a present for my seven year old and she is over the moon. It has a nice amount of features but not too many to overwhelm a young child. Just a few buttons so as not to make it confusing. It is also super exciting for her to be able to use while riding her bike and swimming. The case is really reliably waterproof.”

06This Digital Camera That Instantly Prints Full-Color Selfie Stickers

Canon IVY CLIQ2 Instant Camera Printer

$90

This pocket-sized camera and printer all-in-one is a hit for its instant gratification. It prints 2- by 3-inch stickers in full color and can be customized with frames and filters, which are easily accessed with buttons on the back of the camera. While it doesn’t have an LCD screen like some models, the front is equipped with a 2-inch selfie mirror around the lens, so kids can tell if they’re in the frame and happy with the composition. Photos can also be saved on the camera using the built-in MicroSD slot. For older kids and teens who would prefer an app to perfect their pics, check out the CLIQ+2 model. No ink is required, as the printer uses an ink-free technology that is smudge-free and water-resistant. The photo paper comes in a 20-pack or a 50-pack.

Helpful Review: “This product is so easy to use and prints so well!! I bought it to use with the adventure challenge book (which I recommend too!) and love that you can peel the back of the pictures to stick to whatever you want. Only downside is no self timer.’

07A Scratchproof Dual-Lens Camera With A Sleek Silicone Look

omzer Kids HD Digital Camera

$40

This digital camera can take photos or video and has 30 funny frames, six color filters, and a 10-second delay timer mode. The camera has two lenses, so kids can take a picture of their newest LEGO set and then a selfie afterwards. And with a generous 32 gigabyte memory card and rechargeable battery, it’s ready to go for hours of fun. It’s designed to take a beating with an easily-gripped silicone material for the body of the camera. An included neck strap helps prevent drops, although reviewers noted that their children hadn’t managed to scratch the camera despite several whoopsies. It’s also available in pink.

Helpful Review: “This was such a great gift for my 8 year old. He was able to understand how to use it within minutes of opening the package. Simple features and the pics came out great. Best part [is] that it comes with a SD card to start using right away. I would buy again for another gift if needed.”

08The Ultimate Action Camera & Accessory Set

Fujifilm FinePix XP140 Bundle

$495

Perfect for teens and older children, this camera bundle is an investment with serious protection against the elements. It’s dust proof, waterproof up to 82 feet, and shockproof up to 5.9 feet. It’s even freeze-proof up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Capable of taking higher-resolution photos than the rest of our picks, it also takes ultra high-definition 4K video, including videos in slow motion and time lapse. It’s easy to use, too: it automatically optimizes settings and has smile shutter and eye-detection features to capture the perfect moment. The camera takes stunning photographs in low light and even has an underwater setting, as well as burst shooting and self-timer modes. It has a total of 10x zoom capability (5x optical and 5x digital.)

This camera uses Bluetooth to transfer to other devices or directly to a FUJIFILM instax SHARE printer and photos can be taken remotely using an app. The bundle includes a 64GB SD memory card, soft case, deluxe camera lens cleaning kit, battery charger, spare battery, memory card wallet, USB SD card reader, floating wrist strap, and more. Your young photographer will be all set with this kit.

Helpful Review: “This camera is great.[...] It takes great underwater video also. I am very rough on a camera, we hike and spend a lot of time in the water. It has done well with the amount of abuse I give it.”

09This Feature-Filled Digital Camera That Prints Photos & So Much More

VTech KidiZoom PrintCam

$36

The VTech KidiZoom PrintCam has tons of features: There are over 110 templates allowing kids to make comic strips, play money, greeting cards, and more. Effects, stickers, filters, and borders can be added to their photos and videos as well. The camera has three games and parental controls allow you to remove them from the menu entirely or to set daily time and printing limits (thank you VTech!) Kids can flip the lens to take a selfie and instantly print regular or panoramic black and white photos. It has a color LCD screen and intuitive icon-based buttons. The included USB cord charges the camera and allows you to back up full-color versions of the photos and videos. It comes with enough film to print 80 pictures and refill paper is more affordable than many other print cams, costing only pennies a print. It also comes with a wrist strap to prevent drops, and batteries are included.

Helpful Review: “My four year old really enjoys this camera. His favorite features are the special things you can print out besides pictures- puzzles, games and coloring pages. He's not so enthused by the games but he does play them. It's easy for him to navigate and use. He only needs our assistance when the paper runs out or it needs a charge. I love that he can print out his own pictures!!”

10Nice To Have: A Protective Case For Their New Camera

Fintie Kids Camera Case

$12

This lightweight case is designed to hold most children’s cameras in a hard EVA shell with a secure, fully-zippered design. It features a detachable wrist strap that can also clip to backpacks, making it easy for kids to carry on the go. The interior has a mesh pocket for accessories like backup memory cards, USB cables, small headphones — or small treasures, like Pokemon cards. The case fits cameras up to 4.6 inches wide by 3.14 inches tall by 1.85 inches thick, and it also comes in a few different prints, including emerald marble, ocean marble, rose gold and a funny character.

Helpful Review: “Super sturdy little case, I was very impressed with its durability and overall structure. The case is easy to find if you have it in a purse or pack pack, and so far has held up well with use by my 8 year old.”