Kids Digital Camera photo activities

A kids digital camera is a great gift to offer a child. It is a great way for children to learn and stimulate their creativity and their imagination. Besides that, it has immense sentimental value as it gives children the opportunity to create a nice childhood memoir -in addition to the one their parents create for them- as they are able to create a digital photo album with photos they take themselves. This way, they get to remember the world as they themselves saw it, through their own 'little' eyes!

In doing so, parents can have a vital and very active role in this fun adventure. The first thing they would need to do on their own is to pick a nice kids' digital camera based on various criteria they should consider. After doing so, the next step is to get the child acquainted to using the camera. This should be a relatively easy process as hopefully the parent has chosen a camera whose picture-taking procedure is as easy as 1-2-3. And finally the most fun step is to start taking pictures and getting the children involved in fun photo activities. Here, we'll focus on the photo activities as it's a great way for parents to connect on a deeper and more exciting level with their children.

Things are more easily remembered by children (and by adults) when emotion is attached to the activity. So if there is plenty of fun, excitement and joy involved in these activities, kids will definitely cherish and saviour the special moments with their parents but also the digital learning experience as it will provide them with a final outcome that will bring back memories of their childhood years.

One thing parents should keep in mind as they partake in this 'digital journey' with their children is to all have fun, fun, fun! Then, brainstorming photo activities with their children is a creative and mind-stimulating event! Parents should start guiding their children through these activities one at a time. Here are some great photo activities to indulge in:

• Family photos - Learning things should always start off with the easier steps. So after the child has learned how to look through a camera, focus on the photo target and press the button, then the child should be encouraged to start taking pictures of family members. Loving moments of mommy sending kisses to her child, a grandparent holding a newspaper and smiling at the grandchild, daddy preparing a barbeque, siblings playing in the bedroom. Little everyday moments which will always be cherished!

• Pet photos- Our little furry friends always have a special place in our hearts. And when kids are being raised with their pets, they are definitely connected to them as they have spent so much time playing with them, feeding them, petting them and just 'being' with them. Children should be encouraged to 'capture' specific moments of the pet that they consider special and memorable.

• Special events- Children should start 'categorizing' things before taking photos. For example, every time there is a birthday party, a Halloween party or a special celebration, the little photographers can create independent digital photo albums remembering each event for what it was and what beautiful moments it gave them and their family altogether.

• Calendars- After the child has taken many photos, he/she can choose twelve special photos that really meant a lot to him/her. Then, with the help of mom or dad, a nice personal yearly calendar can be created that will also be a nice visual aid for the child to be inspired to experience more beautiful moments in the upcoming year.

• Collages- An important part of digital photography is also printing out the pictures. It is easy to get carried away by storing them on the computer and forgetting to print some out, but that kind of defeats the whole purpose. So, after a lot of the nice, clear, colourful, emotion-filled pictures have been printed, the child can then pick quite a few to put up on the collage and then up on the wall of his/her bedroom, again as a visual aid reminding the child of the wonderful family, friends and pets the child is blessed with.

• Effect project- There should be one project that should focus only on effects. Playing around with lighting, distance, angles(whether really close-up, or from the ground up or from far away) , diversity of objects as photo targets, zooming in and out, black and white effect and variety of natural lighting -ie there is different lighting during a sunset than there is during a sunrise or on a sunny day versus a rainy day- is a great way for the child to use creativity, imagination, and thought-provoking ideas to come up with great project outcomes, and in the meanwhile learning a great deal about photography!!!  

• Greeting cards and postcards- This is a great way to also keep in touch with family and friends during holidays but also throughout the year. Creating a nice personalized card with a nice note from the child is a very touching gesture especially for grandparents who may happen to live further away and don't get to see their grandchildren often.

• Slide shows- After the child has taken many great photos, they can be put together in a slide show (either chronologically or by theme) and after adding music to it, it can be a great excuse to invite friends over and share the special moments.

• Invitations or Announcements- Creating cards that are invitations to events or announcements of special achievements such as doing well in school or sports and adding a photo from the event is also another excuse for connection, communication and creativity.

• A-week-a-year scrapbook- Every year for one week the child could carry the camera around and take photos depicting his/her life at that time. Pictures should include other family members, friends, their room, their classroom, their teacher, their best friend, their worse friend, their kids gym, their pet, their favourite outdoor activity, their favourite toy, their favourite food and whatever else they think is special in their life. Each year, things will change and this is a good reference point to see how things slowly but gradually change in life!

• A puzzle- After picking a fun photo the child has taken, the parent prints it out and then the child glues it on to a harder paper surface. Then, using another puzzle as a point of reference, the child is to cut out the photo in small puzzle shapes. Now they have created a puzzle showing one of their own personal moments!

• A t-shirt, a canvas or a pillow-case- Adding photos to t-shirts has been a concept that's been around for a while. Now it's time for the kids to actually do it -with the help of their parents. The picture needs to be printed on special paper that is used to then put on t-shirts (usually by ironing it on). That is a fun experience on its own. The same concept can be applied on a pillow case and also on a canvas that can then be put up on the wall of the sitting room or bedroom.

• A family tree digital project- For as many ancestors as pictures are available the child can learn about his/her family tree by designing a tree with branches and putting a photo for each person on the family tree. Of course, every time a new family member is born, he/she is added to the family tree which means this is an ongoing project!!

So, this can go on and on. All that's needed is a child, a kids digital camera, a parents guiding presence and participation and the desire for creativity, discovery, exploration, fun and mind-stimulating activities! Considering that all these 'requirements' are innate in kids, it would be safe to say, you're ready! Have fun!