Digital Cameras for Kids: How to Choose the Best
How do you choose the best digital cameras for kids? If you are looking for the perfect gift for your child, perhaps you would like to consider giving him his very own digital camera. Not only will this provide your child hours of interactive fun, it will also provide him the avenue to develop and nurture his artistic inclinations.
Sounds good enough for you? Well, if these reasons are enough for you to consider giving your kids their own digital cameras, the next thing that you should know is how to choose the best digital cameras for your little ones.
Choosing digital cameras for kids can be quite a challenge. There are some special considerations that you should take into account if you want to make sure you get the most suitable camera for your little one. To make sure you don’t fall into the trap of just picking the first ‘kid-friendly’ camera you happen to set your eyes on, you need to consider your child’s age and his interest in photography.
Digital Cameras for Kids: How to Choose the Best
Stage 1
The earliest stage generally includes younger kids, particularly toddlers and children in early elementary grades. These children merely want to imitate what their moms and dads do. They love turning the camera on and off, looking at the images on the LCD display and seeing what happens when they click on the shutter release button. If your child belongs to this group, you may want to give him a sturdy camera that will fit quite snugly in his little hands. You may also want to consider something that offers fully automated features and a large memory space so he can start experimenting with his shots.
Tip: You may want to consider giving an inexpensive camera for younger kids. Even a second-hand camera will do if you just want to introduce your child to the world of digital photography. Remember, you can always give him a nicer camera when he’s a little older and has developed more sense of responsibility.
Stage 2
This group generally includes children from early elementary to middle school. These children want a digital camera of their own to capture images of their favorite people, places, things and memories. They relish the feeling of being trusted with a camera of their own and love printing photos.
As such, you may want to consider giving children belonging to this group a camera that is sturdy enough to withstand being dropped and banged around a lot. A camera that is quite easy to use but gives them full control over some features (including zoom and flash) and features fun special effects (clip-arts, captions, frames) will be greatly appreciated. And since children this age are more aware of the quality of their photos, you should give them a digital camera with at least one megapixel or they will surely get disappointed with the images they are getting.
Tip: If your child is responsible enough and is showing serious interest in digital photography, you can consider giving him an entry level DSLR at this stage.
Stage 3
Kids from middle school and older comprise the last group. Children belonging to this group are starting to develop their sense of self-expression and creativity and love capturing images of their favorite people (friends mostly), places, things and memories.
To provide for the needs of kids belonging to this group, it can be a good idea to give them a digital camera that has more advanced, ‘adult-like’ features and expandable memory options. Children who are showing signs of interest in serious photography may want something that gives them more freedom to experiment with their shots.
Now that you know how to choose a digital camera that fits your child’s particular needs and capabilities, are you ready to hit the stores in search of that perfect gift? Believe me, your little one will surely appreciate it!
Good luck in finding the best digital cameras for kids,
Ray Baker
