8 Best Cameras for Kids, From Toddlers to Teens

Best for: Kids ages 4 to 6 who want to keep snapping

What to know: With its 32 GB memory card, included, your kid can store approximately 20,000 photos. While snapping they can choose from over 20 filters, frames, and stickers to add a fun touch to each photo.

Lab notes: Like with other kid cameras, don't expect the best photo quality. But it would be difficult to find a camera cuter than Mikayo the Bear. Not only does it come in the most adorable case to help protect it from drops (we dropped it in the Lab and didn't notice any damage), its small, compact size makes it easy for little fingers and hands to grasp.

This is also small enough to easily take on vacation, in your kid's backpack. Just note that the lens doesn't fold up.

"Video recordings, time delay pics, filter options, and more are just a couple of button clicks away," said GH test engineer Alec Scherma. He liked that the case is removable, should you want to use the camera without it.

Tester notes: Testers found the camera extremely intuitive and easy to use, and loved being able to review photos taken on the 2-inch screen. Kids don't have to wait until images are uploaded on a computer to see what they've snapped.

This is the bear version, but there's also a red fox.

Best for: Kids ages 4+ who want instant photos they can draw all over

What to know: This past winner from the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards can instantly print and store digital photos. Black and white images print on paper scrolls that can each fit approximately 70 photos. Then, kids can decorate the images.

Lab notes: It comes with four scrolls, so your kid can print 280 pictures right out of the box. The images are low quality and because the paper scrolls are tight, the images come out bent. Kids don't seem to care.

You can buy more photo paper, but as of this reporting, the extra pack is not Paw Patrol themed (it matches the brand's camera for older kids, also on this list).

It's also a digital camera that can record video, and you can connect it to a laptop to download the content. Add a micro SD card if you want to use those digital features.

Tester notes: Kids can decorate pictures with the included Paw Patrol stickers and markers. “My 4-year-old loved the Paw Patrol theme,” a mom told us.

There are also dozens of Paw Patrol frames and filters for their shots. “My 6-year-old loved that he could add Paw Patrol characters to his photos,” another parent said. “He also liked how easy it was to use. We gave him a different digital camera for his last birthday, but I think that was a bit too much for him. This really hit the sweet spot.”

Best for: Teens and tweens ready for a first "real" digital camera

What to know: The quality of the Pixpro is more real and less kiddie. This camera can capture still images and videos, and features a zoom lens.

The screen on the back is big at 2.7 inches wide, making it easy for kids to see each image they capture and decide if it's a keeper. Plus, the photo quality at 16 MP is best among all the cameras featured on this list.

Lab notes: Kodak's camera is slim, lightweight, and portable. The small size is ideal for kids with some dexterity who can hold it, which is why we recommend it for children aged 8 and above. Younger kids might like something with more grip.

Tester notes: A 9-year-old told us, "It's easy to see your photos after you take them. I can get a clear shot even when I'm walking. Some cameras you have to push a lot of buttons to get to something on the screen, but with this one, I just have to push one button."

Best for: Tweens and teens looking to be silly and creative with instant photos

What to know: This camera is essentially the same model as the Paw Patrol option on this list—same manufacturer, same technology—but minus the preschool-friendly extras and more tween-appropriate filters and frames, like palm trees and hearts, plus stickers and markers for silly decoration.

Your tween should be able to print about 280 black and white images on the four included paper scrolls. When you buy more photo paper, you also get more stickers.

Lab notes: The camera charges with a USB cord. This can be a digital camera and a video camera too, though we just tried the instant feature. Install a micro SD card, sold separately, to use digital and video features.

Tester notes: "I love that they give you a bunch of stickers [and a ton of paper]!" said a tester. "Pictures do come out bendy, but they are pretty clear, and this is a cheaper alternative to a Polaroid," another said.

Best for: Teaching kids to snap now, see what they got later

What to know: Two parents founded Camp Snap because they wanted their sons to be able to go to summer camp with a camera and return with some fun images for memories. But camps don’t allow screens, so they set out to invent a screen-free digital choice.

It has a flash and it counts pictures as your kid takes them, up to 2,000 images. Your child will see what pictures they got later, when they hook the camera up to a laptop or computer and download. But despite being digital, the Camp Snap 2 has a super vintage feel.

Lab notes: “This is a very simple camera. It’s a point and click," Scherma said. New to the version 2 model: a physical button on the back that lets kids cycle through six color filters to try.

Tester notes: “I like how it makes a sound when you take a picture, and the battery seems to last a while,” a tester told us. “I’ve used this going out with friends and going on trips because it’s extremely portable and lightweight, and you really only need to bring a tiny charger. Any skill level could use this camera.”

Best for: Teens who can be gentle, and creative, with this original instant camera

What to know: Be sure to buy Polaroid film, but note that it’s expensive, more than $2 per print.

Lab notes: I had a Polaroid as a kid, and I’ve been thrilled to let my kids use a Polaroid now. It makes that signature snap-and-print sound, and watching each print develop is as thrilling as ever. There's also a robust Polaroid community your kids can leverage for advice as they learn the ropes of photography.

Holding the one-pound camera, peering through the lens, and clicking the button all at the same time is also easier for tweens and teens versus little kids. I’d give a Polaroid to an artsy teen who is looking for that specific look, rather than a child who wants to take a ton of pictures all the time.

Tester notes: I handed this to my young adult, who had a blast taking photos and watching them develop. And Poloroids make great room decorations, or gifts for friends!