Camera for nearly 6yo. Is it worth it?

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

She loves taking photos, my phone is full of photos that she's taken (mostly random but the odd really good one). She has a Peppa Pig children's camera but it's really crappy and she wants a proper camera. Is it something that is going to end up without any batteries and neglected?

We got DS one last Christmas - he has used it, possibly not as much as he might have done - but he likes the fact that its an 'adult' camera but is also water resistance and theoretically shatter proof...

Have you thought of the kiddies camera (Google ), not sure if I am allowed to link on this site, the cameras are especially made for children, you can get pink or blue ones, my grandchildren have them and have had them for a few years now and they've survived bumps bangs and drops down the stairs!! ( the cameras not the kids lol)

We got DD a 'proper' camera at that age for similar reasons and it has been used a LOT.
She is now nearly 11 and has asked for another one for Christmas as hers has had nearly 5 years good use and is a bit knackered. We have said that this time it might have to be for Christmas and birthday as I doubt we could get such a bargain one this time (spent £30 on a Kodak 'reconditioned' one from their website. Think it was just an older model and it was far better than my 2yr old £250 one )

If you can get a bargain then definitely go for it. DD still gets loads of enjoyment out of taking the photos, uses them for homework, enters competitions, makes scrapbooks, does stuff on the computer with them, etc, etc.

On a slight tangent, I've just seen this

I was originally thinking of this. Her birthday is just after Christmas so would be her birthday present.

DS had the vTech one for ages as he was an avid photographer. A couple years ago (at about your DDs age) he had a "proper" grown up camera from my parents (a good deal with club card points, money off and a trade in IIRC that bought the actual camera down to about £40) It was instilled on him that he must take care of it, always wear the wrist strap, put it back in its case after etc. Given his age he was fairly good at it and it has survived well up to now. He does go through phases of using it but it has certainly been on every day out, holiday, big event etc with us.
The only thing is that it doesn't switch off as quickly as the kiddies one and we had to invest in a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger :o

We bought DD a waterproof shockproof Olympus. It has been really good and she hasn't lost it!

5 year old DS has a second hand but decent 'grown up' camera that gets good use. The trick is to keep it charged and to hand. DS has a spare battery which is kept charged (he loves looking at his photos and videos on the preview screen, which really drains the battery) and I leave it somewhere visible when we have guests etc. Mostly he likes to photograph his toys, his sister and the chickens though

We bought dd a camera last year when she was six. It kind of became our family camera and we are all gutted it seems to have gone missing towards the end of the summer, so we have lost all our holiday pictures . It did get a lot of use though, dd loved snapping away. I think it was a fiji one.

Sounds like it might be worth doing then. Part of the reason is that my brother has given me his dslr and she keeps wanting to use it. If she had her own proper camera she'd (hopefully!) leave it alone.