Let’s go for a hike! In our house this phrase is often received with enthusiasm, but other times it’s met with a bit of resistance. While getting our family outside is a critical part of every day, whether through a hike, outdoor sports, or visit to the local playground, it doesn’t mean everyone is always all smiles at the onset.

Throughout the past few years, we’ve developed some tactics for enticing our little ones to grab their hiking boots instead of grabbing the iPad. One of those ways is by introducing nature photography as part of our adventures. 

Our kids love photos: taking them, looking at new ones, and even asking questions about old ones.  The ease of digital photography allows kids to get behind the camera and gives them instant results. We’ve found that when given the option to take photos on a hike or neighborhood walk the answer is always an enthusiastic “yes!” 

Introducing a camera in your outdoor adventures has many benefits. First, it allows for the child to connect with nature through their eyes, at their level, and capture it. Recently we visited Point Lobos State Nature Reserve in Carmel, CA and were fortunate enough to not only see California sea lions and otters from the trail, but also migrating grey whales. Our kids, especially our whale loving daughter, couldn’t believe it! She was thrilled she had a camera with her to capture a picture of the whales spouting, and even more so to capture a picture of herself knowing there were whales in the distant background.

Another benefit of bringing along a kid friendly camera is the child now has a task or purpose on your walk or hike. Did you notice those purple flowers? Can you take a picture of Mom by the creek? Make sure to take a photo from your favorite spot! With an important job of capturing memories and finding hidden nature treasures to capture in a photo, kids often feel less like they are wandering around the neighborhood or trail and more so searching for the next awesome photo. This keeps them engaged in the activity and in their surroundings.

Finally, it’s never a bad thing to mix in art with nature. While I am far from a professional photographer, we all know the feeling of capturing that one amazing photo where the light was just right. Children can do the same at all different levels. Who knows, you might inspire a real passion!

It’s important to note, the quality of the photograph is not the point, but it’s the action of taking photos, connecting with the outdoors, and the commitment to leave the trail as good if not better than how you found it. Kids love to have physical memories and photos are a great option when heading outdoors. Rather than pick a flower or take a rock home they can leave everything behind and capture it through their photos. 

There are many camera options out there. If you’re a brave parent (or one with a good phone case), allowing your kids to take photos with your phone is an easy option. We personally tend to shy away from the phone, however, due to the temptation of other apps. Good news is for iPhone users there is the “Guided Access” mode, which allows you to temporarily restrict access to only the camera app.  To activate guided access mode within an iPhone, go to Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access and then click enable (adjust settings as desired).  Within an app, triple click the right-side button and set the area of restricted viewing.  To end guided access, simply double click the right-side access and use Face ID or passcode to disable the feature.

Another great option is a digital camera for kids. Child toy brands such as VTech make different camera devices geared toward young kids. You can find additional affordable, small, child cameras on Amazon. Digital options are great because the number of photos is essentially unlimited. Even if you end up with several photos of their shoes, those can easily be deleted, and the good ones saved. Digital photos also let children learn about taking photos by instantly seeing the image they captured. Realizing they put their finger in front of the lens or had missed the top of someone’s head can be quickly remedied with another try. 

Finally, there are old school film options, a personal favorite of mine. One option is the new and trendy Fuji Instax.  While you’ll also need to buy film, being able to instantly see what you captured with a physical photo and take it home is exciting. Due to the limited number of photos per film package, I’d suggest this for ages 7 and up. However, the camera itself is super easy to use so even kids under 7 can use it too. 

Another film option with a little more mystery and a lower price tag is a disposable camera. A disposable camera provides kids a light weight, mechanical camera to capture photos, and the surprise of developing the photos later. The fun part of both the Instax and disposable camera option is the child is guaranteed printed photos. My kids love to put them in albums, hang them up in their rooms, or show their classmates and friends.

With a lot of different options out there, we suggest you add nature photography to your next outdoor adventure. You or your little one may capture that perfect photo, but if not, we bet your child will have taken the time to look at a plant, rock, or something a little closer with that camera ready to capture it.  

Our goal is always to get the kids outside and nature often does the rest. We hope this idea inspires you to opt for the outdoors. Have you had success with nature photography?  Please share with us below.

We hope to see you outside!