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.
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 that are great for preschool little ones. Next, we round up our favorite instant cameras that enable kids to instantly print their images.
Next, a few family favorites 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.
Best camera for kids: our top picks
Best camera for young kids
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 grips on either side.
Best camera for sharing
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.
Best waterproof camera for kids
Olympus has a long reputation in the tough camera market, and this model will not jus take the knocks, but can be used underwater at depths of up to 15m. With a decent zoom and 4K video shooting, this is great for use for pool or beach holidays.
The best camera for kids in 2023
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Best cameras for toddlers
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 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, 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!
Best instant cameras for kids
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, or pick up an Instax photo album 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 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 for more details
Kodak's Mini Shot 3 is a tidy little digital instant camera 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.
Cameras for all the family
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.
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 for more details
If you're after a camera with decent built-in zoom capabilities look no further than the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS with a focal range equivalent to 24 - 960mm. It has a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch sensor and an LCD screen that can be flipped to face the front making it perfect for selfies.
For anyone looking to shoot video too, it can film in 4K and as a max continuous burst shooting mode of 10fps. The image quality and autofocus performance on this camera is pretty good and overall it's an excellent camera for the price.
Read our full Canon PowerShot SX740 HS for more details
If you want a point-and-shoot camera that also delivers a visible jump-up in picture quality from a camera phone, you need one with a larger sensor. This Panasonic LX15, which goes by the name of the LX10 in some territories, has a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor that will do the job perfectly.
It's true that there is no built-in EVF, which might put some people off, and the smooth finish to the body might make it look rather stylish but it doesn't make for the firmest handgrip.
But we found the responsive touchscreen terrific, the dual control rings provide a very pleasing user experience, and the 24-72mm has one of the widest aperture settings around, courtesy of its f/1.4 to f/2.8 aperture range.
Overall, this neat little snapper has a near-perfect balance of features, performance, and pricing. It's small enough to put it in a pocket, and easy for children to use.
Read our full Panasonic Lumix LX10 Review for more details or Panasonic Lumix LX 15 review
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 for more details or Best GoPro cameras
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 for more details
Best cameras for teenagers
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. We have a dedicated guide on the best student cameras aimed at those studying in high school or university but we have selected a couple that will help your kid progress from more basic models.
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 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 for more details
Canon's R100 is the new beginner model for the RF system of mirrorless cameras - offering an affordable body that can be used to learn all the basics of photography with some of the latest technology. With its 24-megapixel APS-C, this is the natural successor to the Rebel series of DSLRs that millions of young photographers have learnt with. There is no touchscreen LCD, but you do get an electronic viewfinder - and the ability to upload your image direct to your phone using the free app. Lenses for the Canon R100 and its RF-S mount are now becoming more plentiful - with some affordable options - helping to strengthen this as a great camera for young students of photography.
See our full Canon R100 review
How we test cameras
We test camera resolution, dynamic range, and noise under scientifically controlled conditions using two key testing tools: Imatest Master and DxO Analyzer. All DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are subjected to these tests and, in some instances, high-end compact cameras.
We use these real-world testing and lab results to inform our comments in buying guides.
1. Resolution (ISO-12233): We use a resolution chart based on ISO-12233 from Applied Image inc to indicate the limit of the camera’s vertical resolution at the centre of the frame. The higher the value, the better the detail resolution.
2. Dynamic range (DxO Analyzer): This is a measure of a camera’s ability to capture detail in the highlights and shadows. We use DxO’s transmissive chart, which enables us to test a dynamic range of 13.3 stops.
3. Noise (DxO Analyzer): We use the dynamic range transmissive chart to analyze the signal-to-noise ratio for RAW and JPG files at every sensitivity setting using DxO Analyzer. A higher value means the signal is cleaner.
