The best kids' cameras you can buy

Why you'll love it: You can beat it, freeze it, and dunk it, and the Olympus Tough TG-5 will come out unscathed.

The TG-5 is a rugged point-and-shoot camera that can dive down to 50 feet of water, work in temperatures down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, drop from a height of 7 feet, and stay intact under 220 pounds of pressure.

The camera is designed for adventure and travel photographers who want something compact and lightweight versus a larger DSLR. It has image stabilization, which is great for the 4x optical zoom lens. The lens also has a f/2.0 aperture, which means it can take in more light, and more light equals better picture quality.

The TG-5, therefore, is ideal for kids who may be a bit careless with their gear, but all those rugged attributes open up a new world of shooting opportunities — at least, places where smartphones can’t go.

Jim Fisher of PC Mag awarded the camera an Editors’ Choice award, adding that autofocus is quick. Digital Trends’ Hillary Grigonis recommends the TG-5, saying images are “sharp and punchy.” Ken McMahon of Cameralabs says “there isn’t a better rugged camera around.”

Having used Tough-series cameras since the original, I can say no camera maker is putting out rugged models that are as strong as those from Olympus.

Pros: Extremely rugged, fast lens, RAW support for post-editing

Cons: LCD resolution is weak

Buy the Olympus Tough TG-5 on Amazon for $399 (originally $449.99)

Why your kids will love it: The Polaroid Mint Instant Digital Camera not only prints photos for immediate gratification and sharing, but the prints' sticky-back paper makes for fun decorating.

Instant photography, a medium once popular with baby boomers, is seeing a renaissance with millennials and younger kids. Our favorite instant camera is made by the company that invented instant photography, Polaroid.

The Mint Instant screams “we are for kids.” It comes in five colors and has a small, stylish, and pocket-friendly design. It uses a technology called Zink, which applies heat to activate “ink” already embedded in the Zink paper. Once printed, you can peel off the back of the photo and stick it anywhere your heart desires.

Despite its old-world approach, the Mint is a digital camera. You can save photos onto MicroSD cards, which you can later transfer to a computer for editing and sharing on social media.

I also love Fujifilm’s instant cameras, called Instax, but for the price, which also applies to the film, the Mint has a lower cost of ownership. Kids wouldn’t care about the price, but parents will appreciate the savings.

I was never a fan of Zink, but technology improvements in both camera and paper, which I saw at the 2019 CES show, changed my tune — it’s gotten much better. Caitlin McGarry at Tom’s Guide says the Mint “brings fun back to instant photo prints.”

Pros: Affordable, instant photos that double as stickers, compact and lightweight

Cons: No wireless or companion smartphone app, no LCD, short battery life

Buy the Polaroid Mint Instant on Amazon for $99.99

Why your kids will love it: The Ricoh Theta V captures everything that is around you — how cool is that?

Kids value memorable experiences, and they love recording them, too, especially when they are in the picture. The best way to capture the photographer and everything around the subject is with a 360-degree camera, and there’s no better product than the Ricoh Theta V.

Although it’s still a nascent technology that isn’t popular with mainstream consumers, for niche users a 360-degree offers creative benefits. Imagine not having to worry about framing a shot. Instead, just press the button and everything gets captured.

Of all 360-degree cameras, the Theta V is the most refined. It’s incredibly easy to use, and the image quality of stills and videos is very good. It even captures spatial audio, which contributes to a more immersive video experience when replayed.

Brendan Nystedt, formerly at Wired, agrees with my impressions that it is easy to use and captures great image quality. The Theta V is definitely not for everyone, but in the hands of a creative kid, he or she could produce amazing content.

Pros: Great photo and video quality, simple to operate, surround sound, 4K video

Cons: Small onboard storage, pricey for a niche gadget, protruded lenses can be easily scratched

Buy the Ricoh Theta V on Amazon for $345.99 (originally $379.95)

Why your kids will love it: For the budding Annie Leibovitz or Ansel Adams in your household, the Canon EOS Rebel T6 is an affordable way to get started.

If your child is pursuing photography as a serious hobby and is looking for a new camera, the EOS Rebel T6 from Canon is a great starting point. Canon’s DSLRs have always been strong performing cameras that produce great image quality. While the T6 won’t have Canon’s best tech, it has the right features designed for new photographers to grow their experience.

The camera has several automatic modes for quick-and-easy shooting, but for kids who want to learn about the more advanced manual and semi-manual modes and settings, the T6 has a guidance feature that provides brief descriptions of what they are. This helps kids master the camera more efficiently, and once the camera becomes familiar, the experience can be applied to any camera — even more professional-grade models.

Phil Hall of TechRadar praises the T6 for value and ease of use. Jim Fisher at PCMag says it’s a gateway into Canon’s lens system, which is considered one of the best. While most reviewers fault the camera for using older technology, for the price and what it offers for new users, it’s a very good product to start on.

I have used the T6 with a high-quality lens on numerous occasions and achieved results on par with more advanced Canon DSLRs.

Pros: Guidance system, easy to use, bright display, Wi-Fi/NFC

Cons: Not the latest tech, included lens is cheap

Buy the Canon EOS Rebel T6 on Amazon for $399 (originally $549.99)