And why I feel good shopping for play essentials at Peeka & Co.
My five-year-old daughter loves taking pictures, and I love seeing the world through her eyes. She’s captured some gorgeous sunsets on my phone’s camera, and I often find snaps showing interesting perspectives and selfies (so many selfies) saved in my camera roll. But I don’t love that I’m always wondering where my phone is and whether she’s finally managed to smash its screen.
Where to buy kids’ cameras
It was time to gift my budding photographer her own camera, so I checked out Peeka & Co. in search of the best kids’ camera. Founded in 2022, Peeka & Co. is a values-driven brand for modern parenting. Their website features hundreds of carefully curated essentials and sustainably made products that inspire healthy play. Supporting brands that align with my values is important to me as a mom. I want to know I’m buying quality, ethically produced products, and it’s nice to find a site that makes that information readily available.
Shopping on the Peeka & Co. website was a breeze. You can shop by category, brand, age and even core values, such as BIPOC-owned, clean ingredients, made in North America and expert-recommended. It’s so easy to find what you’re looking for (and discover new must-have items along the way).
What to look for in a camera for kids
When shopping for a kids’ camera, I had three main features in mind: it had to be durable, ethically produced and reasonably priced. Kidamento kids’ cameras checked all those boxes, and I also love that the brand is BIPOC- and mom-owned. No wonder it was voted No. 1 kids’ camera on reviewed.com.
I received the Kidamento Kids Digital Camera (Model K) featuring Zippy the Sloth and the Kids Print Camera (Model P) featuring Koko the Panda. Designed for children aged three and up, Kidamento cameras are user-friendly, adorable and definitely durable. My daughter was enthralled with Zippy the Sloth, and once I attached the lanyard, she immediately put the camera around her neck, removed the lens cap and started snapping pictures of everything in our living room.
I’m impressed with the quality of the camera and the photos she’s taken. Her composition is great; having her own kid-friendly camera is the perfect way for her to practise her photography skills. Of course, the camera is also easy to use. My daughter had the touch screen figured out in a matter of minutes and loves having the option to add filters and stickers to photos. There’s also a selfie mode, and if my phone’s camera roll is any indication, I know it’ll get a lot of use from my daughter. I’m happy she’s so excited about an educational toy that’s helping boost her creativity and visual-spatial skills, and I can tell she’s building self-confidence as well. She’s proud to show me the photos she’s taken: a plant leaf, her dolls lined up, a portrait of her dad and me.
I’ve started bringing the Kidamento camera with me when I pick my daughter up from school. I figured it would be an easy way to encourage outdoor time, and I was right. Our 10-minute walk home took twice as long because my daughter stopped and took a photo of nearly every leaf, twig and insect we passed. After school is sometimes a struggle for us as a family; my daughter is often tired from the day and hungry, and just wants to get home. Turning our walk home into a photography scavenger hunt helped us avoid the usual afternoon meltdown.
I love watching my daughter explore the environment around her, and I can tell she’s developing a real appreciation for nature. She’s certainly reminded me about the importance of taking time to enjoy the little things in life.