I am a proponent for learning photography the traditional way..with film.  It teaches you the true nature of the photographic decision making process, not to mention patience.  However, it's a digital world and it is getting harder and harder to process film locally and conveniently.  Digital photography is also a great teaching tool for kids.

Children by nature do not have a whole lot of patience(not that it can't be taught), and the ability to instantly critique an image makes the learning process that much faster.  I taught my daughter about aperture (selective focus or how much of your image is in focus) in about 5 minutes and it took us about 20 minutes to compare images taken at different exposures.  She totally understood it in about an hour.  It took me an entire semester in high school to learn basic photography concepts because we were using film and a darkroom. 

Digital photography also allows teachers and educators to quickly integrate imagery into any lesson that they are teaching. This is a powerful teaching tool as we all know that kids are visual learners.  The teachers at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington DC use digital cameras on a daily basis.  My children's' academic portfolios are chock full of images taken throughout the school year.  As we all know photographs help keep memories alive and when my children look at the images of their projects or field trips they remember the topic that they were covering and will tell me all about it, thus recalling the lesson and facts learned.

Buying a Camera for Your Child

If you are considering purchasing a camera that will be primarily used by your child I advise against buying a camera that is "made for kids".  Your child will quickly get bored of a "kid" camera, especially if you are using a "real" camera and they are toting around a Fisher Price model.  Camera's today are very intuitive and a basic review of the instruction manual will put you on the right path to taking a photo that is in focus.  As far as "break-ability", the first lesson to be taught about photography is equipment handling.  Make a big deal out of it and practice how you hold, store and pass a camera (to someone else).  A neck or wrist strap is a good investment, but most cameras come with these so encourage their use.

What to look when purchasing a camera for a child

There are several things to consider when purchasing a camera for your child:

1. Camera Size - A large camera may be too bulky for a child's' small hands.

2. LCD size (the screen on the back) - Kids like the larger LCD screens -  make sure that the camera also has a viewfinder (the little opening that you look through)

3. Zoom - You will want a camera with a decent zoom lens ..Kids love to take those close up shots of animals that they can't really get close to.  A zoom lens also allows them to stay put and take a shot that is farther away.

4. A dial that lets you choose how to shoot (sports, close-ups, party, low light, auto)...if you would like to use this camera as a building block to learning the art of photography you will want the dial to have the letters (M,S,P,A)

There are many brands and varieties of cameras out there on the market.  A decent camera can be purchased for $150.  Don't forget an extra memory card!