I take a lot of photos, of everything, be it blog related or my kids are being silly/cute/a pain in the butt, I take pictures. With me always taking pictures my kids have naturally taken an interest in photography, an interest that I love letting them explore. Teaching photography to them no matter their age seems natural, and a fun way to spend time together.
Have you ever let your child play with a camera and seen the photos they take? Some can surprise you.
Teaching Photography to Younger Kids
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Cameras for Kids
The first step is finding the right camera for your kids. You don’t have to give you kids a fancy camera. Basic ones for their age levels are best. This is the one my 5 year old is using because she is hard on stuff. I mean, hard, worse than my (boy) 3 year old. So she needs something to stand up to her. This camera is not going to give great pictures.
My 8 year old has this camera, which works great for her. This one is quite basic, but not a “kid” camera. She has learned a lot about positioning, focus and more with this one. Plus, while it is not a high priced camera, it is a brand you can trust, and is known for cameras.
Canon PowerShot Digital Camera
Let It Happen
Let them take photos of anything they want and learn from it. They’ll realize, or ask you why, their photos are blurry and discover how to correct themselves – slowing down to start.
Make a list of things that you all can photograph together, taking turns.
- a flower
- a rock
- a book
- a pet
Learning Books and/or Courses
There are a lot of books that you can check out. This is of course, the routine we have gone so far. I think my middle girl will be getting a new camera for Christmas at which point we might look into getting this project-based beginner photography course that is specifically for children aged 4-13. A fun course we can all do together in our homeschool.
National Geographic Kids Guide to Photography
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