The best cameras for kids – because it’s fun to collect memories!

best cameras for kids

by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

There's no denying that children see the world completely differently to adults, so getting them one of the best cameras for kids is a lovely way to really see what your child sees, and will be more functional and robust than the best children's toy camera.

The best cameras for kids are ones that will allow them to take real, great-quality photos - just like you do - and have lots of fun features so they can get creative. They offer hands-on physical fun and creativity that you just don't get from a smartphone or even a tablet made for kids. These cameras for kids are designed to be robust for play but still work like the real thing, and with great results!

Whether your kids love taking photos of their favourite things or you want to encourage them to capture special moments in their lives, there's a huge array of cameras available to buy that are easy for little ones to use and that can help their development. The best cameras for kids often have a printer function, large screen or even games to keep your little one entertained and engaged.

Best Black Friday deals on cameras for kids:

The Black Friday sales are now officially over, but there are still some live deals to enjoy this week if you're hoping to make some savings on a camera for kids - and we've rounded up a few last minute deals for you below...

Keep scrolling for our full buyer's guide and more information.

12% off: Hangrui Kids Camera – WAS £32.99, NOW £28.99
Save 18%: YunLone Kids Digital Camera – WAS £45, NOW £36.99
15% off: Gofunly Kids Camera – WAS £32.99, NOW £28.04

The best cameras for kids at a glance 2024:

Letting your child use their own camera is great for helping them feel trusted. It can also help develop their creativity and their story-telling skills encouraging imaginative play. They will be able to take photos and show them to you, explaining what they've taken and why.

A camera also makes a wonderful sibling gift, and can really help your older child feel involved with their new baby sibling, capturing all their favourite moments when they arrive home.

The best cameras for kids in 2024:

12% off

Best robust cameras for kids

best camera for kids hangrui kids cameraAmazon
Price: £28.99 (was £32.99)

With a cute shockproof protective silicone case, this Hangrui Kids Camera is perfect for toddlers as it's durable with effective anti-fall protection. It comes with six different photo filter options as well as 28 funny frames. It's the perfect option for your youngest kids who can have fun taking photos like mum and dad without you worrying about them damaging the camera!

People who bought this camera liked the quality and said it's easy to use and very child-friendly with straightforward controls that are easy for little fingers to navigate. They say it's durable and long-lasting too. One reviewer who bought it for their three-year-old to bring on a family trip, said they wanted her to be able to join in when they were taking photos. they said, "So far so good, she loves it! It's actually smaller than I thought but that's not bad thing, perfect size for her little hands. It seems really durable, she's already dropped it but the silicone case seems very robust."

Another buyer said, "This camera comes with a memory card which has great storage and even has a memory card adapter so saving the pictures on the computer was easy. The battery was great and has lasted ages, we were away for a week and even with constant use the battery has lasted and has still only lost one bar a week later."

Pros

  • Built-on shockproof silicone case
  • Built in classic children's games
  • Good battery life
  • Comes with memory card and adapter to save pics to computer

Cons

  • Smaller than thought (ideal for young children but not older)
Suitable for:3 to 12 years
Dimensions:9 x 5 x 7cm
LCD screen:2inch
Type:Digital
Weight:280g
  • 1 x USB charging cable
  • 8 x digital zoom
  • 3 x puzzle games
  • Time lapse options
  • Front and rear lense

Best digital cameras for kids

More suited towards children aged four and up, the Digital Camera for Beginners is a lightweight, easy-to-use camera with simple settings. It has face detection and takes high-quality images that your child will love looking back on. It's perfect for them to use at home or on days out, and we like that it will grow with them over the years, as it has some features that older children will love figuring out how to use.

One customer who bought this for their nephew said, "I was pleasantly surprised that it’s simple to use as well and lightweight. It would be definitely recommended as a first camera or if you are travelling and don't want to lug around an expensive heavy camera."

Buyers also thought the battery life was good and appreciated its compact size, saying that it fits in pockets or small bags easily. One reviewer said, "I really liked the compact size it was easy to carry around when I was on holiday. Easy for my son to use and simple to operate. Great picture quality and value for money. Good choice for a camera to use for holiday snaps. Child friendly." We'd recommend keeping it away from water though as it's not water-resistant.

One customer points out: "It has no flash, rather it has a permanent light that you can activate. I think this actually works perfectly for kids (but not ideal as a camera for adults)." they thought that you could get something better if you pay a bit more, but acknowledge that as a kid's toy is was good value for money.

Pros

  • Comes with micro SD card
  • Built in brightening
  • Face detection for easy point and shoot

Cons

  • Not water resistant
  • No flash, just a permanent light you can activate
Suitable for:4 to 15 years
Dimensions:11.5 x 9 x 8.2cm
LCD screen:N/A
Type:Digital
Weight:32kg
  • ‎2 x rechargeable li-ion battery
  • 1 x 32G micro SD card
  • 1 x USB cable
  • 1 x lanyard
  • 1 x camera bag
  • Anti-shake
  • Face detection
  • Self timer

18% off

Best cameras for kids with accessories

best camera for kids lone kids cameraAmazon
Price: £36.99 (was £45)

With 30 frame styles and seven filters to choose from, the YunLone Kids Camera is easy to use and comes with all the accessories your child will need. It comes in a shockproof silicone case too, to withstand being accidentally dropped. We like that this one has definitely been designed to withstand some knocks and bumps!

One reviewer said: "This camera is awesome for little fingers, my daughter loves it, it's really easy to use and change from photo to video, and from front camera to selfie camera. There is a large selection of screen images to use within the photos as frames which she loves. It's really good that it comes with the SD card, the memory stick and the neck lanyard, my daughter loves walking around with it around her neck, and there is an easy-to-use clasp to detach the camera when needed."

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Comes with a memory card

Cons

  • Younger children will need to be supervised with the lanyard
Suitable for:3 to 10 years
Dimensions:9.5 x 6 x 4.7cm
LCD screen:2.4 inch
Type:Digital
Weight:32g
  • 1x 32 GB Micro SD Card
  • 1x card reader
  • 1x USB cable
  • 1 x lanyard
  • 1x cartoon stickers
  • 4x zoom
  • Timelapse options

Best cameras for kids with display

With accessories to decorate the instant print photos and string and pegs to hang them on display, the HiMont Kids Camera Instant Print comes in three funky designs that children will love. They can play games and have the option of taking digital photos too.

Buyers seem to like this camera, with one reviewer saying, "This is a great camera for kids! It's easy to use and takes great photos and videos. The instant print feature is a lot of fun, and the kids love being able to see their photos right away. The camera also comes with a lot of accessories, including colour pens and photo clips, which are perfect for decorating their photos. Overall, this is a great gift for kids who love photography."

We think this would make a great gift for young budding photographers as the instant prints and creative accessories encourage engagement for longer. One customer points out that, "This instant print camera works really fast, you only wait about 3 to 5 seconds to shoot and the print is instant. It is black and white just like advertised with front and back camera that has a good quality image, better than expected at this price. The installation of the paper was straightforward, and the instructions were easy to follow."

Pros

  • Six built in colour features
  • Stickers and pens to decorate instant prints
  • Privacy safe with no Wifi/Bluetooth required
  • Quick printing

Cons

  • Prints in black and white
Suitable for:3 to 14 years
Dimensions:21.1 x 14.4 x 5.6cm
LCD screen2.4inch
Type:Film and digital
Weight:32g
  • 3 x print paper roll
  • 1 x 32GB memory card
  • 1 x USB charging cable
  • 5 x coloured pens
  • 3 x cartoon stickers
  • 10 x photo clips
  • 1 x neck lanyard

29% off

Best cameras for kids with built-in games

best camera for kids kidizoom studioAmazon
Price: £49.99 (was £69.99)

This VTech KidiZoom Studio camera is great for children. Not only is it an easy-to-use camera for capturing memories, but your child can record videos, create different scenes with the green screen and play games. We like that it even comes with a tripod so they can take their own pictures!

Buyers love that it's easy to use and fun for kids with a user-friendly menu and games - not to mention being great value for money, with good picture quality for the price. One reviewer who bought this for their Grandson's 5th birthday describes it as an excellent camera, saying it "appears very easy to use, have not been able to study it as my grandson has been using it continuously!! He's delighted with it, so I am too!!"

Another customer pointed out that it "Needs a larger memory card otherwise you are forever deleting pictures, but doesn’t spoil the overall experience." Others have said the battery life could be better too. But overall people like that it is really sturdy, with one reviewer stating; "Withstands my toddler throwing it about the house. Menu easy to navigate. Image could look sharper on the camera screen but doesn’t bother my son."

We think this is a great choice for little ones, especially with the tripod and handlebar making it easier for little hands to manage, and also with the extra games and ability to record.

Pros

  • Can record and take pictures
  • Six game modes
  • Convertible tripod and handle bar

Cons

  • SD card not included
  • Battery life could be better
Suitable for:5 to 12 years
Dimensions:3.7 x 9.1 x 6.1cm
LCD screen:2.4 inch
Type:Digital
Weight:
  • Studio camera
  • HD video recorder
  • Convertible mini tripod
  • Wrist strap
  • Six games to play
  • 1 x green screen

Best Polaroid cameras for kids

The Polaroid Now Instant Camera is ideal for children because it's an easy point-and-shoot camera that gives instant results. It has built-in autofocus and captures moments as your child see's them. We like that these come in a range of colours and that they have a flash.

Buyers seem to think that the camera is fun and easy to use. One reviewer points out that "photos develop after a couple of minutes but seem to mature fully over a longer period", so this is something to think about when considering age suitability, as younger kids might be impatient. They also say the quality isn't as good as photos taken on your phone, but really liked that you have a physeical photo to hold and pass along.

One thing to note is that the camera is quite bulky so young kids might get tired of holding it if you take this on holiday, and it'll be more awkward to carry in a bag, taking up space. However, shoppers say it fits nicely in the hand and they feel the quality is good and that the camera won't break.

Pros

  • Instant print
  • Beautiful old style photos
  • Fun colours to choose from
  • Has a flash

Cons

  • Quite bulky
  • Have to wait for photos to fully develop
Suitable for:5+ years
Dimensions:11.2 x 9.4 x 15cm
Type:Film
Weight:500g
  • Built in autofocus
  • Instant print
  • Double exposure

29% off

Best kids camera with built-in printer

kids cameras photo creatorAmazon
Price: £49.99 (was £69.99 )

A really fun digital camera that includes a built-in thermal printer so your little one can print their photos instantly with no drying time required! There's also a 4GB micro-SD card included for lots of storage to store videos and photos. Plus, we like that you can add filters to photos, or customise them with the included coloured markers and stickers.

Reviewer, Jane, said: "Totally brilliant. Rolls of paper last ages, easy to use, forward and selfie camera lens, loads of frames, can take short videos (although we can't figure out how to play them back). Prints instantly, can reprint the same photos again, plus saves the memory card. Image quality is nothing like you would get on your phone, but is okay for what I was expecting. Has been lovely to take pictures with family members over Christmas and they have all got their own little shots to keep and pop on the fridge. Loved that the memory card was included and camera was charged and ready to go from unboxing."

Pros

  • Prints instantly - no drying time
  • Paper rolls last a long time
  • Plenty of storage for photos
  • Can take short videos too
  • Fun customisation with coloured markers and stickers

Cons

  • Image quality not brilliant
Suitable for: 8 years +
Dimensions:24.1 x 6.1 x 20.1 cm
Battery:Rechargeable
  • Built in thermal printer
  • Includes 4GB micro-SD card
  • 20+ filters
  • Includes markers and stickers to customise design
  • Selfie lens and timer
  • Rechargeable

11% off

Best kids camera for special effects

kids cameras vtech print camAmazon
Price: £71.50 (was £79.99)

A great camera for kids it includes a built-in thermal printer so you can take a photo and print it instantly. We like that it also includes photo effects, stamps and borders, 3 games, panoramic prints and comic strip maker - all of which are great for encouraging imagination and creativity.  

Commercial Content Writer for Mother & Baby and mum of two, Laura tired and tested this camera and says: "My seven-year-old enjoys using this camera, especially as she can print the pictures. She particularly likes the comic strip maker and the line drawing effect. It took a little while for her to grasp the features and learn how to use them, but with a bit of practice it was simple and she can use it herself. It is a fun camera for taking digital photos and printing them."

Pros

  • Lots of special effects
  • Can make your own comic strips
  • Excellent for taking videos

Cons

  • Printed photos not very clear
  • Might take a while to grasp all the features
Suitable for: 5 - 10 years
Dimensions: 4.8 x 13.4 x 9.2 cm
BatteryRechargeablel
  • Built-in thermal printer
  • Includes photo effects, stamps and borders
  • 3 games and comic strip maker
  • Panoramic prints
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Selfie lens for photos and videos

33% off

Best first cameras for kids

best camera for kids kidizoom duoAmazon
Price: £39.99 (was £59.99)

The VTech KidiZoom Duo Camera is ideal for a first camera for children. It takes high-quality photos and videos, which can even be edited with funny effects or filters. It also has games they can play! you may have to change the batteries frequently though so make sure you have plenty in if the kids will be using it all the time!

Buyers like that it's easy for little ones to navigate and learn how to use straight away. One customer said, "Bought this camera for my granddaughter’s birthday, she loved it, took 90 pictures in the first hour of opening it.All the kids around her also loved it, kids just love technology, well worth it"

Another reviewer said: "This camera is brilliant. Really easy to use for our 3yr old. Battery life is pretty good on it, has loads of different filters on to take cool and wacky photos with. Easily connects to a laptop. Lightweight and has a really cool camera case that you can purchase separately. Clear instructions"

Pros

  • Child-friendly design
  • Helps enhance creativity
  • Video and still photo features

Cons

  • You have to frequently replace the batteries
Suitable for:3 to 9 years
Dimensions:4 x 11.4 x 8.5cm
LCD screen2.4inch
Type:Digital
Weight:200g
  • Great for photos and videos
  • Can add funny effects and filters
  • Games for children to play
  • Good battery life
  • Easily connects to laptop

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Best kids camera for close up images

Best kids cameras my first camera 3My First
Price: £58 (was £79)
Alternative retailers
Walmart$39.90View offer
Best Buy$69.99View offer

This camera might be designed for kids but it works like any standard digital camera. Your little one will be able to produce fantastic quality photos, even close-up images using the macro lens. Your child will have lots of fun with the selfie lens and also preloaded frames. Plus, it is extremely durable and comes with a shockproof pouch made of high-tensile strength polymers which resist drops, knocks, and bumps. It also supports a microSD card up to 32GB so your little one will be able to take lots of photos and videos.

Laura Healy, Commercial Content Writer at Mother & Baby tried, tested and has reviewed this camera, and says: "My four year old loves this camera! It is the perfect size for her little hands and it is incredibly lightweight. She loves going out to the garden with it to take pictures of bugs and with this camera, because it is so simple to use but has great picture quality, she actually takes some great photos. I think we have all been snapped since she started using it and she loves that she can turn it on herself and surprise us by taking our picture when we are not expecting it. To add some of the fun effects or frames, or to swap to Macro mode takes a little bit of support, but she is starting to work it out herself and my seven year old worked it out straight away and is able to help her. The battery life is great and although my girls have been very careful with it and not dropped it (yet!) it feels robust and I think it could definitely withstand a few bumps. It is a great camera for little ones, I definitely recommend it."

Pros

  • Great for close up photos
  • Durable and shockproof

Cons

  • Charging a bit slow
Suitable for: 4 - 13 years
Dimensions: 86 x 63 x 55mm
SD Card: up to 32GB
Type: Digital
  • Durable with shockproof case
  • Macro lens for close up shots
  • Selfie lens
  • Preloaded frames
  • Rechargeable

Save £15

Best value kids camera

kids cameras Groov-eRobert Dyas
Price: £14.99 (was £29.99)

www.robertdyas.co.uk

A great camera for kids, it has 28 different photo frames, 11 special special effects and 6 colour filters. It is also USB Rechargeable with a large capacity battery which will allow image or video capture for 2-4 hours. Plus, it includes 5 games to keep your little one entertained and the simple buttons are easily accessible for children to use.

One reviewer commented: "Grandson loved this kids' digital camera. It's packed full of features (frames and filters) which you wouldn't expect from such a small inexpensive device."

Pros

  • Great value
  • Good size for little hands

Cons

  • Not toddler proof
Suitable for: Not stated
Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 5cm
Type: Digital
  • USB rechargeable
  • Large capacity battery
  • 28 different photo frames
  • 10 special effects & 6 colour filters
  • 5 games
  • Simple controls and buttons

What should I look for in a camera for kids?

Age suitability

You want to ensure that the camera you are buying is suitable for your child's age. There's no point buying one with complicated features that your child will struggle with. Cameras make great educational toys, as well as encouraging creativity and imagination, but the benefits could be lost if they are not age-appropriate and cause confusion. Also check that what you are buying isn't a toy camera that older children will get frustrated with too.

Is it functional?

One thing to double-check before buying a camera for your child is that the camera is functional. Some cameras for kids do all the functions of a normal camera but don't actually save the pictures. This might be fine for younger children, but annoying for children who want to see their photos.

What extras are required?

Will you need to buy a memory card? Do you need a protective case to keep it safe from accidental drops? When buying a camera, consider what the camera comes with and what you will need to buy for it.

It's good to check the memory card the camera comes with. If it's a smaller memory, you might want to buy a card with bigger memory for it. Children can get quite snap-happy and might easily fill a small memory card quickly and become fed up if they can't carry on taking photos or videos.

If you are looking to buy a Polaroid camera, think about how much film you will need to buy and check reviews to see how long it could last to ensure you buy enough.

Is my child too young for a camera?

It all comes down to the type of camera you are planning to buy and the age of your child.

If your child is under three years, a camera with features such as games or different shooting modes might be too complicated for them to use. Consider how tech-savvy they are too. If they are a whizz with their kids tablet then they will most likely enjoy a camera and be able to use it.

You can buy a camera toy for children three years or younger to get used to the concept before buying them their own little camera.

Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products, cute outfits and Black Friday bargains.

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