The Best Cameras for Kids in 2023

You don’t have to be a grown-up to pursue photography or make a movie. Giving your child a camera can open their eyes to the world and give you insight into what it looks like from their perspective.

But you don’t want to spend a ton of money on a camera for a young kid who might break or lose it, nor do you want to give a teenager something that’s oversimplified and doesn’t give them room to learn and grow as an artist.

We’ve highlighted several good choices here, including tough cameras that can withstand drops, a DIY construction project, and analog options to teach kids what things were like before the world went digital.

Prints Sticker Photos

Canon Ivy Cliq2

$79.99

at Amazon

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The Canon IVY Cliq2 is a good starter camera for your youngster. It doesn’t cost too much, offers one-button operation, and can make on-demand prints using ink-free Zink thermal paper. A sticker backing means your child can use the prints to decorate a Trapper Keeper or laptop—just be careful not to gift it to kids who are young enough to put stickers on random household items. It’s available in a black, gray, pink, or turquoise finish.

Durable Enough for Tweens and Teens

Olympus Tough TG-6

4.0

$499.99

at Amazon

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Middle schoolers, teens, and freshmen on their way to college should check out the rugged Olympus Tough TG-6. It’s tough, rated to withstand drops from up to 7 feet, and can survive at depths of up to 50 feet underwater, all of which make it perfect to snap candids on the lake at summer camp. A high-magnification macro shooting mode encourages creativity, as does support for slow-motion video. The camera is a bit pricey though, so it’s a better choice for responsible kids who can be trusted not to lose it.

Olympus Tough TG-6 Review

Mounts to Your Bike or Skateboard

GoPro Hero8 Black

4.5

$264.15

at Amazon

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If your kid is more into video than stills, an action camera like the GoPro Hero8 Black is a good choice for making videos of their bike or skateboarding adventures. It offers strong stabilization, so it will work well as a vlogging camera too. It’s tough enough to withstand drops, records sharp 4K video, and can go as deep as 33 feet underwater. The Hero8 isn’t the latest model (that would be the Hero11), so you can get it for around $270, a big drop from its $400 debut price.

GoPro Hero8 Black Review

Provides One-Touch Instant Prints

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11

4.0

$79.99

at Amazon

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The Fuji Instax Mini 11 is a perfect first instant camera. It’s affordable (though you have to feed it film, at roughly $0.70 per image) and has big rounded edges that make it comfortable to hold. Everything is automatic—the only thing your kids need to learn is how to pull the lens out to focus close enough for selfies.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Review

Captures Digital Images and Prints On-Demand

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo

3.5

$248.99

at Amazon

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The Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO is a pocketable compact that snaps shots digitally (meaning you can take as many photos as you want) and features a built-in printer that uses Instax Mini film. It’s a great way to get your tween started with photography, and, unlike pure analog options like the Instax Mini 11, you can keep making photos even when you’re out of film.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Review

Introduces Interchangeable Lenses

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7

4.0

$547.99

at Amazon

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An interchangeable lens camera is a good choice if you’re buying for an older middle school or high school student interested in photography. It opens up more creative possibilities, including manual control and the option to use macro, telephoto, and other specialized lenses.

The Panasonic Lumix G7 is a strong starter option. It has both an articulating LCD and eye-level viewfinder, works with Micro Four Thirds lenses, and fits easily into smaller hands. It’s a strong value option for students enrolled in photography classes and it’s compact enough to be a carry-anywhere camera for aspiring photojournalists working for the school paper or snapping candid shots for the yearbook. Young filmmakers can also look to the G7 for video. It supports 4K recording with a stabilized image sensor.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Review

A DIY Film Project for STEM Students

Lomography Konstruktor

3.0

$39.90

at B&H Photo Video

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Looking for a project to do with your school-age child? The Lomo Konstruktor is both a learning tool and a camera. It’s an all-plastic 35mm SLR that comes to you in pieces. After removing all of its parts from plastic trees, it’s up to you to build it. It’s not a pricey investment, and even if you never run a roll of film through it, the process teaches budding engineers what makes a camera work.

Lomography Konstruktor Review

A 35mm SLR That Teaches Darkroom Skills

Pentax K1000

$240.20

at Amazon

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The Pentax K1000 is the classic student camera. The 35mm SLR had its heyday, but if your teen goes to a school that teaches photography the old-fashioned way, the K1000 is the best example of an all-manual, all-analog 35mm camera. Track one down, load up a roll of Tri-X(Opens in a new window), and take in the aroma of those lovely darkroom chemicals. (Photo: antalaron(Opens in a new window)/Flickr)

Fujifilm X-H2
(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Easy Tips for New Photographers

You can take several approaches to teaching your young one to use a camera. Allowing them to experiment is a good start, but also consider a more structured environment, such as a photo class. And make sure to check out our story on photo tips for beginners.