Does your 4-5 y.o. have his/her own camera?

[acupuncturemomma]

DD has been invited to a birthday party for which the theme is "photographer's party". She is instructed to bring a camera. Sounds fun,...BUT...she does not own a camera and we generally do not let her use our family camera since we would be SOL if it got broken! We thought about getting her a camera at x-mas, but it never happened.

Just curious, do most kids this age have their own camera?

[Drummer's Wife]

yes, but it's a vtech kidzoom camera - so no chance of it breaking (and it has been passed down from older siblings who have real cameras now).

What about a disposable camera for the party?  Might not be as fun as a digital camera with a screen, but then your DD could partake in snapping pics. 

[MJB]

My 5 yr. old does not have a camera. He uses mine more than any of the rest of us, though. I'd let him take it to a party. If I didn't trust him with it, I'd send a disposable camera or buy a cheap one. 

[woodchick]

DH is a photographer.  He bought our DD1 a low end, yet name brand digital camera for Christmas (She'll be 5 in May). She can work all the features just fine and it takes decent photos.

Her having her own camera is vital for our family's harmony.

[dbsam]

At age three my children rec'd kid cameras from their grandmother that were pretty much indestructible but they were frustrating to use.

At age five they rec'd very low end digital cameras, also from their grandmother (I believe she purchased them at Target for approx $50-$60).  They still use them (6.5yo now) and really enjoy taking photos.  These cameras do not have a rechargeable battery and they go through tons of batteries.  For a little more $ I wish we w/h purchased a little better quality, but we were concerned about them accidentally breaking them.  So far, they have taken really good care of the cameras and ask to use my camera less frequently.

If your were planning on getting her a camera anyway, I think she is a good age.  If not, as pp's mentioned, I would send her with a disposable camera. 

[acupuncturemomma]

Thanks for the replies, and for the suggestion of a disposable camera--I hadn't thought of that option! DD's grandma had talked about getting her a camera for Valentine's Day (yes, she loves to spoil her grandkids) but she got busy and it never happened.

Woodchick, do you mind sharing what brand/model camera your DD has?

Or, if anyone has recommendations for other brands/models?

We gave DD our old point-and-shoot, but it stopped working :(

She broke a friend's camera, hence our reluctance to let her use our family camera.

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by acupuncturemomma 

Thanks for the replies, and for the suggestion of a disposable camera--I hadn't thought of that option! DD's grandma had talked about getting her a camera for Valentine's Day (yes, she loves to spoil her grandkids) but she got busy and it never happened.

Woodchick, do you mind sharing what brand/model camera your DD has?

I would have last night, but darned if I could remember what kind it was! And DH was all the way downstairs!

DD has this Vivitar Camera.  It's not what I'd choose for myself, but for our 4yo photographer it has worked well.
 

[4evermom]

Do the party people really expect all the kids do show up with real cameras???  Are you sure they aren't thinking toy ones to use as props?  I did let my own ds use our camera and he was quite good with it but I wouldn't have let him loose at a party with sole custody of it.

[GardenStream]

Yes, my son has a digital camera. It's this one, an Olympus FE-46 and he got it for his 4th birthday. We tried one specifically marketed for kids, but he didn't like it. It lacked the zoom feature and the large display on the back. It has a nice leather case and I sewed a strap onto it so he can carry it over his neck.

Our 2 year old has our old Canon SD-780. They both use them once or twice a day and neither of them has broken or damaged theirs. It's amazing really because my kids aren't exactly gentle with most things.

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by woodchick 

DD has this Vivitar Camera.  It's not what I'd choose for myself, but for our 4yo photographer it has worked well.
 

My children also have Vivitars - model #8690. 
 

[pianojazzgirl]

My kids (6.5 and 3.5) do not have a camera.  We do let our 6yo use our Canon point-and-shoot on occasion, but I wouldn't let her take it to a b-day party (I wouldn't trust that she'd keep it from getting lost or broken).

I was going to suggest the disposable camera idea, but I see a pp has beaten me to it!

[Alyantavid]

My 4.5 year old does not have his own camera but he uses mine frequently.  He's always very careful so I'm not worried.  I did hand down my old camera when I got a new to my then 7 year old. 

For a party, I'd probably get a disposable.

[ShadowMoon]

DS is 4 and has his own camera. It's just a small, cheap digital camera his aunt bought him after seeing how much fun he had with hers at Christmas. We love pictures and photography around here so it was a useful gift.

[staceychev]

Mine got one as her big sister present when DD2 was born. She was 4-1/2 at the time. It's a relatively inexpensive digital from Target in hot pink. She knows that she has to be careful of it--so far, so good.