Give them Old Cameras and Magic will Happen

If you read the title of this post, you’re probably wondering what I mean. Or maybe you have already discovered the magic your old digital camera holds for your children.

Photo courtesy of KCR of Oxford Dogs

I recently scoured the garage sale sites online and got a hold of some older model digital cameras, the kind with a cracked display screen that still work, or ones that are grossly outdated and don’t have the nine zillion megapixels of the newer models.

I gave them to my kids.  WHAT???  Seriously, each of the 3 of them got their own camera and it cost me way less than a hundred dollars total.

Photo courtesy of Eli Bosch – taken at Grotto Canyon. Eli joked that these were “ancient fossils.”

When we go on adventures now, the kids can take as many pictures as they like, of whatever they want.  Not only do they enjoy the experience of this, but they can also bring their photos back and use screen time on the computer for good instead of for killing aliens or building their boom beach base.  They can learn the art of photo and video editing!  There are plenty of free programs online that allow for this kind of editing, and give the kids the chance to create slide shows, videos and beautifully edited photos, taking their creative abilities to the next level!  Not only this, but they will be learning valuable computer skills.


Photo courtesy of Eli Bosch – Mom at Grotto Canyon The advantage to giving your kids cameras – you may actually appear in some of the photos!

My mind is always blown looking at the things they see as amazing and worth photographing. Their eyes see things ours don’t always. Their videos are always amusing and ridiculous as well.

Give them the opportunity to do the things we do, and they may just surprise you!