Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print review: A perfect stocking filler for budding photographers

The Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print is a playful and compact camera aimed at children aged 3–12. Unlike a standard kids’ digital camera, this one brings something exciting to the table: instant prints.

Gofunly, the brand behind it, has a focus on fostering creativity in young photographers by combining simple digital functions with tactile, screen-free fun. Their mission is to create cameras that are easy for children to use, safe, and engaging; and this model sits at the budget end of the instant camera market, priced affordably for parents who want to encourage photography without committing to more expensive devices.

I took this camera on a local park and duck pond trip with my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter. She’s a budding little photographer, and I was curious to see how she’d respond to the combination of digital shooting and instant printing.

Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print: Specifications

Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print: Price and Availability

The recommended retail price is $39.99 / £45.98, though it’s often on sale for less. For the features it offers: instant printing, creative tools, and a digital camera, the price is fair. That said, like all budget kids’ cameras, image quality is basic, so expectations should be modest. It’s very much at the 'toy camera' end of the spectrum, but that’s exactly what it’s designed for!

Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print: Design & Handling

Out of the box, the camera immediately felt easy to handle. It’s small, lightweight, and fits comfortably into tiny hands. My daughter loved the pink edition, though other colors are available. The included lanyard was perfect for wearing around her neck, keeping the camera secure during our trip.

Unlike the silicone-covered cameras featured in Gofunly’s line, this model is made from hard plastic. It doesn’t have shock-absorbing protection, and it isn’t water resistant, but it feels solid and well put together.

The USB-C port for charging and microSD slot are easy to access via the bottom of the camera, and the built-in thermal printer is cleverly integrated into the design; it only requires sliding the rear of the camera to open it up.

The lens is a fixed focus lens that claims to have a 10x optical zoom; however, I would take this with a pinch of salt as the image quality deteriorates the further the zoom. The lens is also stated to be macro suitable for close-up photography, such as plants and bugs. Again, another pinch of salt is needed here.

The menu system is simple to navigate with the use of large tactile buttons on the rear interface, with clear menu icons for camera mode, video mode, playback, settings, and creative tools. Switching between digital capture and instant printing is easy with a dedicated print button.

I did notice there’s no playback button, much like the Gofunly Kids Camera, so reviewing photos requires a few extra menu taps, but it wasn’t a problem for me to help my daughter with this. The emphasis is clearly on taking photos and printing them instantly, which is where this camera really shines.

Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print: Performance

Using the camera, it’s obvious that ease of use is a priority. My daughter took to it immediately, even with the shutter capture button located on the front of the camera instead of being on top.

She could switch modes, press the shutter, and even print her shots all by herself. The instant-print feature was the highlight. Seeing a photo appear on thermal paper seconds after taking it felt magical to her, and she loved holding the physical result in her hands. We spent a long time at the park photographing the scenery, printing each frame as she went.

It was extremely refreshing to capture images and print them instantly, before they had a chance to get lost in the sea of digital hard drives. The instant print meant that we could collect them as we went and, upon returning home, place them in a scrapbook for a tactile memento of our trip. This is the main reason why I believe that we will continue to use this camera time and time again.

The camera encourages creativity in other ways, too. The included colored pens enabled my daughter to decorate some prints, and the coloring illustrations included on the camera provided a fun coloring activity. This felt far more engaging than the generic games included on some other kids’ cameras.

Image quality on the digital screen is soft, and 12MP photos lack sharpness, but for this age group, that’s not really the point. The prints are more than adequate for their size and for keeping in scrapbooks or handing out to friends and family. The 10x zoom is fun to experiment with for small details, and the timer and burst modes work well for group or action shots.

Battery life lasted several hours, and the included 32GB microSD card is generous, providing plenty of storage for digital images. Replacement paper rolls are easy to source, too and have lasted a reasonable amount of time.

The Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print also claims to take 1080p video. This isn't the 1080p you're probably thinking of, as the footage is pixelated and choppy, more akin to the very first digital cameras or, dare I say, VHS home videos.

Of course, you will have to take my word for this, as I'm sure you will notice there are no video samples here. Extracting the videos to upload them to this review seemed impossible, or at least too difficult for a professional photographer to figure out! The videos I shot with it seem to only be available to view through the camera's playback menus.

Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print: Verdict

The Gofunly Kids Camera Instant Print stands out in the budget kids’ camera market because of its instant-print feature. It transforms photography from a screen-based activity into a hands-on creative experience that young children genuinely enjoy.

While the digital image quality is limited and it lacks shock protection or water resistance, it performs exactly as intended: giving toddlers and young children the joy of capturing and creating their own memories.

For parents looking for a creative, fun, and tactile introduction to photography, this is a great option. It’s not about perfect photos; it’s rather about fostering curiosity, independence, and creativity. My daughter loved every moment of using it, from taking shots to printing and coloring them, which is ultimately what matters most.

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