Give Your Kids a Camera

Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. This year, he’s back with a new column that focuses on traveling with kids.

Lots of parents, myself included, are concerned about what affects all the electronics–and the digital age in general– are having on our children. Even though I’ve had success limiting their time playing video games, my sons seem to have discovered a newfound interest in computers, and it probably won’t be long until their curiosity with cell phones turns into full-blown obsession.

There is a new technology, however, that I fully encourage my boys to use as often as their little hearts desire: a digital camera. Fortunately, this didn’t require a whole lot of coercing when we traveled around the world last year. In fact, they were so into shooting that when Tyler accidentally broke his camera about halfway through the trip, we may as well have gone home if we didn’t get him a new one right then and there.

So for your next trip together as a family, go ahead and try to leave all the kids’ electronic devices at home (unless, of course, you have a long flight or car ride on the itinerary, in which case you may want to reconsider), but make sure they pack the digital camera. And if they don’t have one, you may seriously want to think about heading to an electronics store. Even if you already own one yourself, I wouldn’t recommend sharing it with your child/children, since 1) they won’t be nearly as engaged if they have to keep asking you for it, and 2) one of you is going to be upset that they missed “the shot” while the other blissfully fired away at the whales that breached out of the water just 100 feet from your boat.

The good news for budget-minded parents is that these purchases don’t need to be expensive. In fact, I would argue that kids actually prefer the less expensive, more compact models. The Lumix DMC-ZS1 that we bought to replace the permanently damaged Fuji E900 was only $250, and included every feature Tyler wanted, especially the 12x optical zoom and the special effects and macro settings. There are certainly less expensive and pricier options to choose from, and you can contact me with any questions you might have. Stefan used a Nikon D40 that I had before upgrading to the more ‘professional’ D300. It’s an easy to use digital SLR, which he loved, but unless you have a son or daughter who’s interested in the finer techniques used for more challenging photography, (which very well might happen as they get more into it), a simple point-and-shoot is really all you need. What’s more, their compact size make them convenient to carry and won’t intimidate them with all the dials and options of more advanced models. Most importantly, the quality of the images you get these days from even the simplest of cameras is pretty impressive, so there’s no need to break the bank for awesome looking pictures.

But ultimately, it’s about allowing your children to have some fun. One of the biggest considerations for parents planning a family trip is if their kids will enjoy it and have a good time. Sure, it’s ultimately about spending quality time together and experiencing new things, but since most kids are fascinated with electronics to begin with, digital photography will keep them entertained no matter where you go. Whether it’s taking funny pictures of some of the people they meet or creating abstract photos of famous tourist attractions (see Tyler’s interpretation of the Grand Palace in Bangkok), they’ll naturally get more curious and interested in their new surroundings, and have an appreciation for the places you go and the things you do…and all this while learning a new life-skill and nurturing artistic expression in the process. Now just make sure not to forget the charger and spare batteries!

Tune in again next week when Rainer shares some photo tips for children he picked up from some of his friends at National Geographic. You can follow Rainer on Twitter @JenssTravel.

Photos: Above, Rainer Jenss; Below, Tyler Jenss