The Best Drones for Kids
Not just for the biggest kids anymore, drones are taking over the world of kids' toys, too. With options ranging from the simplest, most child-friendly drones to more complex ones, drones are a great option for kiddos interested in exploring drone flying. Additionally, they are excellent toys for introducing a youngster to photography, videography, and geography, and they're perfect if you're trying to help develop a love of the environment in your child. Drones show a unique perspective that can't really be found in any other way. And if you're looking for a toy that'll really create some positive one-on-one time with your growing youngster, drones are definitely a great option. After all, there's nothing more bonding than mutually exploring a toy that excites both of you equally.
What to Look For
In our research, we found that the best drones for kids are durable, reliable, and easy to use. For example, Holy Stone’s foldable drone provides kids with lightning-fast performance and impressive hovering abilities. If you want something more out of this world, consider Force1’s UFO mini drone. It looks brilliantly bright when the sun goes down. Read on to learn more about our top choices. We bet that your little one will love any of these beauties.
Holy Stone HS190 Foldable
Droning on and on
Holy Stone’s HS190 gets our thumbs-up due to the fact that it offers the perfect blend of functionality, durability, and affordability. It offers quality that’s unmatched when it comes to a drone that’s appropriate for your child. With stabilizing features such as altitude hold, one key take-off and landing, and multiple speeds, this is a drone that’s ideal for learning how to fly one. It’s also insanely lightweight and foldable, making it easy for small hands to hold and ideal for taking with you to scout out new and exciting locations to fly and explore.
Pros:
- Equipped with LED lights so you can see it in low-visibility settings
- Excellent responsiveness to remote commands
- Great value for the cost
Cons:
- The instruction manual’s directions are hard to comprehend
Force1 UFO Mini Drone for Kids
An awesome little stunt drone for beginners, this mini has two speeds, an easy-to-use remote control, and a super portable design. The remote itself is compact and easy to grip, even for small hands. It’s a really fun drone to fly at night, too, as the LED lights work to light this thing right up. With 360-degree flip performance and 18 minutes of fly time, you’ll get some pretty fun, unique footage. Don’t worry about tiny fingers getting in here, either. Thanks to its propeller guards, this is an extremely safe and durable drone.
Pros:
- Great stunt drone for both indoor and outdoor use
- Altitude hold and a headless feature mode for easy, beginner-friendly flying
- Surprisingly durable
Cons:
- The range from the remote is not the greatest; fly too far away, and it’ll immediately disconnect from the remote
Deerc D20 Mini Drone
Say, cheese
If you want to blow your kid’s mind, get them the D20 from Deerc. Designed to take HD pictures and record live videos at 720P resolution, this beauty can show your little one the lay of the land from up above. If they’ve never seen what home looks like from an aerial view, there’s no better way to inspire a sense of awe than with a drone like this. And best of all, it’s really easy to use.
Pros:
- Low-power alarm so you never have to worry about running out of juice mid-flight
- Comes with two rechargeable batteries
- Considering the included features, this is a good cost value
- Voice controls function surprisingly well
Cons:
- Proprietary app isn’t the smoothest
Force1 Scoot Hand-Operated Drones for Kids
Always pulling stunts
This hands-free mini drone is an absolute blast as far as kid-friendly drone options go. With motion sensors to avoid objects, it feels a bit like an extra-terrestrial flying unit. And don’t worry if it accidentally bumps into something because it has a webbed shell that totally protects it. Curious how it works to fly this guy? All you have to do is gently nudge it into the air. It’ll fly with no aid from a remote control. Rather, it moves with motion sensors, so all you have to do is move your hand on the side or under the drone.
Pros:
- Easy hand-operation for beginners and kids
- The webbed shell fully protect little hands
Cons:
- Although the charge time is quick, the battery life is pretty short
Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone
First flighty
We get why this Holy Stone mini drone is so popular: it’s reliable, it can execute some pretty cool tricks, and it has a long flying time of up to 21 minutes. On top of that, it’s so dang easy to fly. With an auto-hovering function, you can also fully control the drone with a remote. If neither you nor your kid has flown a drone before, by all accounts, this is one of the best options to learn to do so. It’s seriously fun to learn on, fly, and gain experience.
Pros:
- Obstacle avoidance mode works quite well
- Controller has a button that’ll make the drone instantly perform a 360-degree flip
- Thanks to the one-button take-off, it couldn’t be easier to get a flight going
Cons:
- If the batteries aren’t fully charged, they may not last very long
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between drones meant for kids and drones meant for adults?
Drones meant for kids are typically more a toy. They’re meant to explore an early interest in flying a drone, but they won’t necessarily deliver top-of-the-line footage or flying abilities. Drones for kids are also typically lighter in weight, have extra finger protection, and are often a bit more durable to make up for a possible increase in bumps and jolts as your little one gets the hang of flying. Although all drones have fun and unique features, we also found that kids’ drones tend to have more flashy lights and designs, making them fun to fly and look at.
What should I look for in a drone meant for kids?
When it comes to drones designed for kids, there are three must-have characteristics: durability, functionality, and ease of use. You want to have a drone that is steady, has built-in or included safety features (propeller guards, for example), and delivers quality footage. And for complete beginners, you might want to start with one that isn’t too pricey. You never know what could happen when learning how to fly a drone.
And as a side note, finding a drone with a quick charging time can be nice. As drones don’t typically have long flight times, spending hours charging it is a big drag.
What age range is appropriate for a kiddo’s first drone?
Depending on your youngster’s interests and your own parenting style, a drone is an awesome gift to give your child starting around age eight. While they might require some supervision, kids are typically fascinated with drones — and understandably so. Plus, the footage they can collect can help to get them interested in geography, physics, engineering, the environment, and photography. You will, of course, want to go over the proper protocol for flying a drone before using one.
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