Building Skills: 5 Photography Activities for Kids

#gno information! • #gno featured • family fun • activities

by Jen Tilley on June 8th, 2024 | No Comments »

I fell in love with photography at an early age but I didn't start practicing and digging deep into photography until I was in college. I often think about where I would be in my photography had I learned about the different aspects of photography when I was a child. What would my photos look like? What was my perspective as a child? How did I look at the world?

Do you know who caught onto this? Camera companies. What I love is that camera companies are now making durable cameras geared toward children. Covered in protective and durable material, these cameras allow children the freedom to capture the world as they see it all while learning. Snapping photos is fun no matter what your age. However, you can turn photography into a learning experience so that kids have fun while becoming educated at the same time. For more photography tips you might want to read more at the link.

5 Photography Activities for Kids

Here are five activities that will make photography fun and educational for kids.

Learn Colors and ABCs

Have your child walk around the house or great outdoors and photograph different colors. You can assign a different color per outing/week/month/etc. Your child can also learn ABCs through photography by photographing objects that start with each letter of the alphabet.

Capture a Story

Encourage your child to take a photo of an object or scene, print the photo, attach the print to a piece of paper, and have your child write a story based on what was photographed. This activity will enhance creative thinking and writing skills.

Create a Happiness Journal

Have your child photograph one item a day/week that makes him or her happy. Print the photos and attach them to the pages of a journal. Your child will have a book full of images that will be great to look through as your child gets older. You'll be able to not only document memories but also view how your child's photographic eye changes throughout the years.

Teach Skills

When it comes to photography, there are so many items to consider—composition, lighting, rule of thirds, aperture, shutter speed ... just to name a few. Each month, so as not to be too overwhelming, have your child pick an area of photography, focus on it, and master it.

Become Familiar With Characteristics

Everyone loves a good pet photo, right? Pets are quirky and full of character. Have your child capture your pet's personality through photos. You can also have your child photograph a pet's characteristics and learn about fur, eyes, noses, paws, feathers, or fins. Plus, trying to get an animal to sit, behave, etc. will be great in learning patience.

What photography activities do you love to do with your kids?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable.