As a parent, you may want to spoil your kid with toys. However, buying a digital camera for kids under 7 years old may not be the best idea.
When I was a child, I remember my dad coming home with a dedicated camera as a gift on my fifth birthday. I hate to say this but it was frustrating. I didn’t have fun as I would like nor did I perform magic capturing pictures as my dad expected.
Later on, I came to love photography and realized that maybe I was too young to operate a kid’s digital camera.
In this article, we look into reasons why introducing kids into photography at a tender age may not go as you expect.
Reasons why you should not buy a camera for kids under 7 years
Before putting your money where your mouth is, it is only fair to be aware of the downsides of purchasing a digital camera for kids under 7 years.
Poor picture quality
Most of the cameras for kids have a resolution below 2MP. This is because the device is made with cheap materials.
The lens used in children’s cameras is made of plastic contrary to most digital cameras. This will end up producing poor-quality images which may not impress your kids at all. You may also never want to preserve these pictures to save your child embarrassment when they are older.
Delicate
Let’s forget about how cheap the materials used in the camera for kids under 7 years can be, do you know how reckless they are?
All these combined, the camera you bought with your hard-earned money will not last for long. Okay, maybe there is a solution for this; buy a silicon skin or half case.
This will not guarantee you total safety but a few dollars will surely be used.
Expensive
If you buy something that does not bring value to you then that is expensive. It may not be costly to buy a camera for kids but if they are not really into photography, then that is wasted cash.
Other expenses may include batteries and printing or storage material. This will come in plenty especially because the child is taking random pictures. At the end of the day, most of these pictures will not be used anywhere; just like mine.
Complicated features
Operating a digital camera is not a walk in the park not only for kids but also for grown-ups. A few may be lucky to maneuver the features but to most, taking a picture may feel like rocket science. It is, therefore, appropriate to enlighten the kids on the basic operations one step at a time. You should also not expect too much from the young photographer.
There are better alternatives
Most mobile phones have better camera resolution compared to most kids’ cameras. The same gadgets can be used for playing games which will aid in developing the child’s brain. Not to forget, mobile phones are quite affordable.
Conclusion on why you should not buy a camera for kids under 7 years
I am not a parenting expert and the views on this post are based on personal experience. That being said, you should observe your kids well to know when they are ready to be introduced to digital cameras.
I love photography wholeheartedly and I also want my kids to embrace it. However, I will use the available gadgets (smartphones) to get my child warmed up for more complex cameras.
After lightly introducing your child to photography, you can go ahead and buy some of the best cameras for kids available in the market. This will not only boost their confidence but also expand their creativity levels.
