I remember the first time I ever took a photo… It was on a Polaroid 600 Instant Camera.
As a kid, this was incredible, it was almost like magic! Fast forward to the present and I still look back at this as being a pivotal point in me now being a photographer.
So if you too want to share the love and magic of taking photos with your kids. I have rounded up 3 of the best polaroid cameras for kids that are super simple to use while not breaking the bank!
But before I get stuck in, I will be the bearer of bad news. Those vintage style Polaroid cameras we grew up on as kids, have unfortunately been discontinued. Unsurprisingly, Polaroids sales dropped significantly with the introduction of digital cameras and smartphones. You can still pick up the older units, but they are very expensive and finding film is almost impossible. 🙁
However not all hope is lost!! There are some well known camera brands that have continued the tradition of instant camera photography. Best of all is that these brands still hold true a lot of the Polaroid charm we came to love.
So here are my favourite picks!
Top 3 Best Polaroid Cameras For Kids
1. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 (Best For Usability, Price, Simplicity & Photos)
First up on my list is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 camera which I and my kids have come to absolutely adore! My 5 and 10 year old were able to pick this camera up and start capturing photos in an instant. That is all thanks to the incredibly simple design with one button capture and an auto shooting mode.
Me and my kids don’t seem to be the only one who loves this camera as it currently has over 1,900 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.5. Not bad!
When we tested the film for this Instax Mini 9, it held true to its Polaroid origins and kept that grungy/washed out look that has become so nostalgic amongst Polaroid camera fans. My kids absolutely adored collecting the photos and pinning them up on their walls which I don’t think will be coming down anytime soon. This was the film that we used.
While this camera is incredibly straight forward to use, there is also the ability to change the shooting style via the lens ring. Simply turning this will change the settings from indoors, outdoors, low light and automatic.
2. Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Classic
Next up on my list of the best Polaroid cameras for kids is the mighty and almost indestructable Fujifilm Instax 90 Classic. While the above Instax Mini 9 was a pleasure to use, I found its design lacked that Polaroid style look. This is where this unit makes up for that. But for my kids, they didn’t really care how it looked, as long as it took photos!
When it comes to instant cameras nowadays, its fair to say that Fujifilm has taken the crown from Polaroid. While the cameras might not look exactly the same. Fuji has kept what we loved so much about the original cameras and that is the style of photos that it created.
For me, I found this Fujifilm Instax 90 Classic gave more the most accurate “Polaroid” style looking images when compared back to my own older photos. I think this is down to the wider format of images and the ability to control more of the settings. But for kids, this is one that is sure to please, but may need some assistance from the adults.
3. Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 Instant Camera
Moving onto the last camera on my list is the quite large Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. When compared to the original Polaroid 600 series of cameras, this model takes similar sized images which is were great for hanging up.
Overall I was very happy with this model, It was much loved by us adults as well. I actually found myself using this more often that they did. Sorry kids!
Also this camera did come in really handy for their birthday parties and when their were many friends and family present. While this Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is the most expensive in the list, it really was a treat to use! This is the compatible film for this model.
If you wold like to learn more about polaroid and instant cameras, you can check out my article on the best Polaroid cameras for weddings. Also if you have found another instant camera that you love, please let me know as I’m always looking out for new models! Thanks for reading :).
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