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. However, 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.
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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? That will affect what kind of camera you buy.
Our guide is divided up into four sections. First, we've got a couple of toddler-appropriate cameras (opens in new tab) that are great for preschool little ones. Next, we round up our favorite instant cameras (opens in new tab) that enable kids to instantly print their images.
Next, a few family favorites (opens in new tab) are well for holidays and days out; these include some tough cameras that are waterproof and can take a few knocks. Lastly, we pick some more sophisticated cameras for students (opens in new tab).
The best camera for kids in 2023
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Pre-school
We've included just a couple of cameras in this section. This is because although there are a lot of cameras for very young children on the market, they are not very sophisticated and could be outgrown very quickly.
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 backup 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. So the best camera for kids? Yes, but only if they're very young.
Read our full VTech KidiZoom Duo 5.0 full review (opens in new tab) for more details
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 optional microSD card (opens in new tab), 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!
Instant fun
Instant cameras have made a comeback! They're perfect for kids of all ages – even young ones because they're big, chunky, and simple to use. And for that endless succession of kids' parties that seems to last for about a decade, they offer some instant picture-swapping fun to keep the party vibe going.
They also mean you don't have to spend half a day printing photos on your inkjet printer – the camera does all the work.
In addition, instant cameras are a fantastic way to help occupy younger kids with a tactile and fun project. Why check out our full guide to the best instant cameras (opens in new tab), or pick up an Instax photo album (opens in new tab) and have a fun afternoon sorting through your child's prints together – after all, it's never too early to get them used to a comprehensive file sorting system!
One of the easiest Instax cameras to use, this recent version of the trusty Mini series is a great choice for kids. Its Auto Exposure mode produces great results in a range of lighting conditions, and though it can be a bit temperamental sometimes, you'll likely be most pleased with the images it spits out.
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 we do mean every image; 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.
Read our full Instax Mini 11 review (opens in new tab) for more details
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.
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.
Read our full Polaroid Go review (opens in new tab) for more details
Perhaps the perfect camera for younger shooters, the Instax Mini Hello Kitty is essentially an Instax Mini 9 (opens in new tab) housed in a chunkier body shaped like the head of the titular Sanrio character.
It is significantly bigger than a standard Mini, which on the one hand is great as it means little hands have a chunkier body to hold onto. However, this won't fit into a pocket and will probably need a bag to carry it.
It's an absolutely adorable design and just begs to be picked up and used, which will undoubtedly make it irresistible to kids. While it has a selfie mirror, you need to clip on the included close-up lens, which is a bit of added faff (and is just begging to be lost). The Instax Mini 11 (opens in new tab) (below) is a slightly better camera, but we know which one the kids will gravitate towards – especially when this also contains an exclusive Hello Kitty strap and stickers!
Read our full Instax Mini Hello Kitty review (opens in new tab) for more details
Kodak's Mini Shot 3 is a tidy little digital instant camera (opens in new tab) that's great for anyone who doesn't want anything too complicated. It houses a proper little printer that uses Kodak's 4PASS all-in-one cartridges to spit out little square prints, 3 inches by 3 inches.
The colors pop a good deal better than some other instant cameras. The camera overall is pretty cheap, and running it isn't too expensive, either, making it a good option if you want to shoot instant on a budget.
It also produces 10MP digital photos that you can save via Bluetooth on the app (and you do have to do it this way; there's no internal storage). A cheap option that's good fun for anyone – and thanks to having a digital camera, can be a lot cheaper to run than normal instant cameras.
Family favorites
Whether you're looking for a gift for a hard-to-please teen or a camera simple enough for the whole family to use, a low-cost point and shoot camera fits the bill perfectly. Or, if you think you need something tougher, many underwater compact cameras are also shockproof and freezeproof, which covers three household hazards at least.
Tough cameras are a great choice for kids because, well, they're tough. They don't mind being dropped in a pond, thrown against a wall, coated in mushy peas or whatever else a child might think up. Case in point, the Fujifilm FinePix XP140, which also earns points for being less expensive than other tough cameras on the market.
It's waterproof down to 25m, shockproof against drops of 1.8m, freezeproof, and dustproof. Perfect for days on the beach or any kind of holiday you can think of. It also takes pretty decent pictures, making it a good choice for a slightly older kid with a burgeoning interest in photography. Granted, the 4K at 15p is extremely ropey and not worth bothering with, but most kids probably don't care.
If you're after a starter camera for your kids that won't cost a fortune, Canon's long-established ELPH and IXUS ranges are a sensible place to look. The ELPH 180 (known as the IXUS 185 outside North America) is a beginner's model that delivers 20MP via its 1/2.3in sensor. But the 8x optical zoom should offer enough for young photographers who want to shoot a range of subjects.
Light sensitivity is limited to ISO 100-ISO 1600 (with auto mode delivering a max of ISO 800), but at this price, it's hard to pick faults and it'll likely prove sufficient as a first 'proper' camera for many young snappers.
For more ambitious youngsters, the menu options yield some digital filters they'll enjoy experimenting with. And while there's no full HD video recording, the 720p capture is perfectly reasonable for the price. It's available in black, red or silver.
Read more: The best point-and-shoot cameras (opens in new tab)
This is a no-frills family compact, that looks the part, even though can be bought at a really low price. Time has left the specification of this camera by – as proven by its low-resolution 720P video shooting.
But with a 20 megapixel sensor and an stabilized 5x optical zoom it is more than capable of producing pictures that most smartphone cameras will not get in as close to. There are some neat extra touches too – such as Smile Shutter Technology which takes a picture when your subject is looking suitably happy.
In its eye-catching red finish, the Olympus Tough TG-6 looks brilliant even when it's just sat on your beach towel – and it makes sure that it's easy to find when you drop it in the snow or in a pool of water which it can survive down to 15m / 50ft! It's also available in a sleek black if your kids prefer the high-tech Batman look.
As well as being waterproof, the camera can survive drops of 2.1m / 7ft, as well as being crushed by anything up to 100kg / 220lbs (and it's also freezeproof to -10°C / 14°F, should it somehow get left in the fridge or freezer!).
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.
Read our full Olympus Tough TG-6 review (opens in new tab) for more details
A GoPro camera is a terrific thing to bring along on a family holiday, able as it is to capture all your adventures in crisp detail as well as stand up to the rough and tumble adventure that is life with kids. The 2019-vintage GoPro Hero8 Black is a perfect choice, more affordable than the more recent models in the Hero range, 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; 30fps burst shooting is nothing to sneeze at (and you do get 4K video at 60fps)!
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 them ideal for older children tackling new adventures and outdoor pursuits.
Read our full GoPro Hero 8 Black review (opens in new tab)for more details or Best GoPro cameras (opens in new tab)
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 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 we wouldn’t recommend it as a project for kids younger than mid-teens.
The Konstruktor F also comes with stickers, allowing 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.
Read our full Lomography Konstruktor F review (opens in new tab) for more details
Students
If your kids have reached the age where photography has become part of their coursework, you need a more serious camera. Even here, though, you won't want to spend a fortune on a camera that might get forgotten about in a year, or crushed under a pile of rucksacks in the back of the school bus. For this section, we've picked two DSLRs, and a bargain mirrorless camera...
See also
Best cameras for film
(opens in new tab)Best student cameras for school and college photography courses (opens in new tab)
Best camera for film students (opens in new tab)
The Nikon D3500 has a brilliant ‘Guide’ shooting mode that acts as a fully interactive tutorial on photography, delivered via the rear LCD screen. It explains how, when and why to use different camera settings for best effect, simply and efficiently. But D3500 can also be used in fully manual mode, so it's ideal for photography students learning how camera settings work and why.
It's not as sophisticated as the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 / EOS 200D, but it's not as expensive, either, and there is a huge range of Nikon lenses you can use with it.
The overall image quality and performance is very good, and the 5fps burst rate is sporty for an entry-level DSLR. If you like the look of it, we advise getting this camera bundled with the Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens (opens in new tab)– other kit lenses are available which might bring down the price, but this is the best one to go for as it offers vibration reduction to cut down on shaky shots.
Read our full Nikon D3500 review (opens in new tab) for more details
OK, so you may not initially think of a DSLR when considering a camera for the kids, but this option from Canon certainly ticks three key boxes in being small, light, and easy to use for school-age children and students.
A great all-round choice is the EOS Rebel SL3/EOS 250D (opens in new tab) which boasts great autofocus and 4K video. It also features some grown-up specs, namely a 24.2MP sensor and a 3in 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 smaller hands while the menus are nice and clear. The picture quality is very good too, with accurate white balance and well-saturated colors. It's not the cheapest Canon DSLR but it's our favorite for size, features, and long-term usefulness and the best camera for kids starting in college.
Read our full Canon EOS Rebel SL3/EOS 250D review (opens in new tab) for more details
The Fujifilm X-T200 is light and compact but looks and feels like an old-school 35mm SLR film camera. Best of all, the X-T200 has a big new 3.5-inch vari-angle touchscreen with twice the resolution of most rivals and a 1:6 aspect ratio perfectly suited to video. It also has an electronic viewfinder and can shoot 4K video as well as 24-megapixel stills.
Its 15-45mm kit lens is electrically powered and is a bit of an acquired taste, but it's really compact and offers a much wider angle of view than most kit lenses, making it ideal for interior shots and big landmarks. We loved the X-T200 when if first came out, and we still do, though the global pandemic seems to have caused stock shortages that are making the X-T200 harder to find right now.
Recommended kit lens: Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ (opens in new tab)
Read our full Fujifilm X-T200 review (opens in new tab) for more details
How we test cameras
We test DSLR and mirrorless cameras in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests measure resolution, dynamic range and signal to noise ratio. Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range. For compact cameras and instant cameras, we use real-world results and handling alone in compiling our guides.
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