Drones have become very popular over the last few years. Flying drones is not only fun but also educational. Nowadays, parents are conscious about their children getting engaged in something other than a TV screen or computer monitor. If you want to know about the best drones for kids, you need to consider safety and age-appropriateness.
To choose the best drone for your child, you don’t have to be a drone expert. We have picked the brands that have performed well, new models to the market with impressive new features, and drones with tons of online reviews. In our article, you’ll find everything you need to know about drones for kids.
What Parents Need to Know Before Buying Drones for Kids?
A lot of parents are a little cautious about buying a drone for their kids. There are many things to consider. Here we have given some simple and helpful tips and suggestions to help you find a suitable drone for your kid.
Age of your Child
Most Drone manufacturers suggest you must be 14+ to fly a drone. The appropriate age for kids to fly or have a drone depends on the child, the parents’ comfort level, and what type of drone he will have. But in general, kids over the age of 4 can fly a drone with supervision. The right age for a child to fly a drone is about 8 for toy drones and 13 for larger drones.
Rules to Follow
Drones have different abilities and price points. When your kid is flying a drone, make them aware of the rules. Tell your kid not to fly above 400 feet and avoid surrounding obstacles. Don’t let them fly their drone near emergency response efforts. Teach your children about airspace restrictions and requirements before buying them a drone.
Safety First
Before buying your kids a drone, you must think that how safe are they? You must teach your kids to learn about drone safety, the rules to follow, where to and not to fly, and care and control of their new drone. A drone can easily take out an eye or cut someone badly if your children are not careful. So teach safety first, and your kids will enjoy flying the drone.
How to Choose the Right Drone for Your Kids?
We recommend looking for the following features before purchasing a drone for your kid. As you consider the products, here are some parts that kid-friendly drones must-have.
Affordability
With many great affordable options, you don’t need to break the bank to buy your child’s first drone. Most drones for your kids are less than $60. You’ll be surprised to know the functionality you get at that price point.
Durability
Being a newbie, your child may crash his or her new drone a lot. So its body must be designed to avoid most obstacles. A kid-friendly drone is suitable for indoor use and able to detect the barriers.
Headless Mode
This kid-friendly feature makes it easier for kids to focus on the drone’s orientation. It doesn’t matter which direction the drone is facing; pressing “right” on the controller will make the drone go right.
Propeller Protection
Guards over rotors and propellers protect your kid’s small hands and fingers. They also cover your walls and furniture while flying indoors. Some drones have removable guards that can be removed when your kid becomes confident.
Altitude Hold
This feature of a drone helps prevent runaway drones that never return.
Single Button Takeoff and Landing
This allows your kid to skip past the challenging part of flying—takeoff and landing.
How Much Does a Kids Drone Cost?
Before purchasing a drone, first, ask yourself what you need out of your flying machine. Don’t think that a higher price tag makes for a better drone. It may do, but only within a specific drone type. We will help you to ensure you buy the right drone type for your needs.
We always recommend you buy a very low-cost drone as your kid’s first drone. You can buy a $20 – $30 toy aircraft as their first drone. If your child wants to progress his general piloting skills or start to get into the drone racing sport, we recommend a drone in the $100 – $250. These drones will be capable of racing drones. If your child is an aerial photography enthusiast and wants to take good photos from the sky, then drones in the $250 – $500 price will provide a decent smartphone-caliber camera experience. Also, you may read our best drone for beginners’ review article.
Best Drones for Kids
Here we have listed the best drones for kids with affordability and durability in mind. Pick the right one for your kid.
RED5 Motion Controlled Drone – Best Toy Drone
Features
- Age: 18+ months (4 and up)
- Use: Indoor
- Battery: 6 min
- Weight: 123g
- Price: $40
The drone is easy to operate and easy to understand. The flight is effortless. All you need to hold the controller between your fingers, and the drone responds to your movements. However, the drone needs to connect the device to the USB charger if your kids might need a few more months of life experience.
Pros:
- Easy to grasp
- Automatic hover
Cons:
- Prop guards are less protective
Potensic A20 – Best for 8+ Years Old Kid
Features:
- Age: 8+
- Use: Indoor or on very still day
- Type: Altitude hold
- Flight time: 8 min (x2)
- Weight: 189g
- Price: $23.79
This is a mini drone with a kid-friendly controller which is compact, robust, and unique. The in-built pressure sensor can fly without the operator’s help and fly using the pilot-friendly headless mode. The drone can move around a room using a single control stick, which is more comfortable than many video games!
Pros:
- Compact & Robust guards
- Pocket-friendly
- The headless mode of flying makes it easier for learners
- Easy to control
- Reliable and durable construction
Cons:
- Some models have no camera mode
- Lacks automatic return to home function
- Cannot withstand extreme windy conditions
Holyton HT02 Mini Drone – Best Indore Drone for Kids
Features:
- Age: 8+
- Use: Indoor
- Type: Altitude hold
- Flight time: 8 min (x3)
- Weight: 19g
- Price: $23.99
This drone is easy to carry and use for beginners and kids. It comes with propeller guards, which protect the drone and any obstacle that comes to crash into it. The drone has three batteries, and it lasts about 30 minutes combined. Also, the batteries don’t take so long to be fully charged. The drone has two chargers so that you can charge two batteries at once. It is super easy to carry.
Pros:
- Easy to learn
- Can do a 360-degree circle
- Safety cage
- Mini and portable
Cons:
- It has no camera
- Low range
Holy Stone HS330 – Safe Drone for Kids
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Use: Indoor (or on very still day)
- Type: Altitude hold
- Flight time: 7 min (x3)
- Weight: 25g+
- Price: $29.99
The drone comes with a jet white coating on the body with bright blue on the sides. Guards protect the propellers, and it gives the drone a resilience advantage over its competitors. It is lightweight yet pretty impressive to look at.For an entry-level drone, the flight time is pretty impressive.
Pros:
- Long flight time
- Easy to use
- Safe for kids
- Robust
- Affordable
Cons:
- Limited flight time
- Short remote control
- Indoor uses only
Hubsan X4 H107D+ : FPV Camera Toy Drone for Kids
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Use: Indoor and Outdoor
- Flight time: 7 mins
- Weight: 58g
- Price: $83.99
The Hubsan X4 is incredibly stable and easy to fly. It can bounce off walls quickly, pretty much everything but metal poles. It is less of a toy and more of a hobby quad. The motors of the drone are small yet powerful. As the drone’s propellers are razor-sharp, you need to train your kid before he flies the drone.
Pros:
- Responsive
- The screen is bright and clear
- Controls are intuitive
- Comfortable to hold and well balanced.
- Suitable for LOS and night flying.
Cons:
- You need to purchase prop guard separately
- Too small to fly outside
Ryze Tello – Best Drone for 12+ Kids
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Use: Indoor & Outdoor
- Weight: 80g
- Flight Time: 13 mins
- Price: $99
The Ryze Tello is a small advanced drone with some fantastic features. The drone is primarily aimed at kids. Tello is not only fun to fly, but it helps your kid learn to code. Because the Tello app supports Scratch, a coding software that your child can use to fly the drone, create games, competitions, and so on.
Pros:
- Compact Size
- Scratch compatibility
- Compatible controller
- Quality components, including camera
- Prop guards
- Up to 100m range
Cons:
- Control pad costs extra
- No object avoidance
Snaptain SP500 – Cheap Camera Drone For Kids
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Use: Indoor or Outdoor
- Type: GPS camera drone
- Weight: 220g
- Flight time: 15 mins x2
- Price: $129.99
This drone has some fantastic features like GPS satellite positioning hover, altitude hold, headless mode, one button take off/landing, and emergency stop. It is foldable, features a 1080p camera with an SD card slot so you can store photos and video on the drone and save space on your phone.
Pros:
- Easy for all ages
- Durable build
- Long battery life
- Beginner modes
- Colorful and lightweight design
Cons:
- Imperfect video
DJI Mavic Mini – Best Camera Drone for Kids
Features:
- Age: 13+
- Use: Indoor or Outdoor
- Type: GPS Camera Drone with Gimbal
- Weight: 249g
- Flight time: 28min
- Price: $399
The drone can capture automated flights for orbiting video selfies. This is a significant step-up in price, but nowadays, many kids want a DJI drone. However, this is an amazing drone with some great features.
Pros:
- Low cost of entry.
- Excellent battery life.
- Automated cinematic camera movements.
- Find My Drone feature.
- Doesn’t need federal registration.
Cons:
- No 4Kor 60fps 2.7K video
- No object tracking
- Micro USB charging, not USB-C
EACHINE E010 Mini Drone – Best Mini Drone for Kids
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Size: 9.5X9.5X5CM
- Flight time: about 5 minutes
- Charging time: 30 ~ 50 minutes
- Flying distance: 30 meters
- Price: $23
Some consider this inexpensive, no-frills drone, but this is the best option on the market for kids. The tiny remote controller and its simple buttons and commands can easily fit into your kid’s small hands. It won’t intimidate novice pilots. The one-key return helps this drone find its way back “home” if it goes far away. The 3D rolling special effects will give your kids so much joy.
Pros:
- Low price
- Durable
- 3D flip
- High low-speed mode
- Affordable
Cons:
- The drone can’t lift up
- The camera quality is not so good
DROCON Cyclone X708W
Features:
- Age: 14+
- Weight: 1.6 pounds
- Wireless: Wi-Fi
- Remote Control: No
- Price: $59.99
The Cyclone is an easy-to-fly, slick design, affordable, and comes equipped with a 720p HD camera and real-time FPV transmission capabilities. It has features like one-key return and only two-speed modes. So it is an excellent choice for your kid.
Pros:
- Easy to control
- Quick and fast
- A button to bring the drone back to you
- Solid and robust
- Affordable price
Cons:
- The flight time is short
- Charging the battery takes 60 minutes
- No Micro SD card slot
AKASO A31 Drone
Features:
- Age: 14+
- HD Camera & FPV Real-time Transmission
- Simple Take Off / Landing + Altitude Hold
- Stunts and Auto-Return
- Headless mode & Trimming
- Easy to use
The drone is similar to the DROCON Cyclone but smaller in stature. It provides another kid-friendly option with a 120-degree wide-angle 1080pHD camera, one-button takeoff and landing, emergency landing feature, and three-speed modes.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble and control
- Good camera at the cost
- HD Camera & FPV Real-time Transmission
- Stunts and Auto-Return
- Headless mode & Trimming
Cons:
- Short flight time
- Limited control and Wi-Fi range
- No additional battery included
- Cheap plastic feel
Safety Guidelines: Things to Keep in Mind
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is working to regulate drones and optimize them for the safety of pilots and the general public. Here are some most important rules to know and be aware of as a parent when your kid is flying a drone for fun
- You must register your kid’s drone with the FAA on the FAA Drone Zone website if needed.
- One must fly his drone within a visual sight
- Let your kid know about the community-based safety guidelines.
- Never let your kid fly a drone under 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization
- Never fly near other aircrafts
- Never fly near emergency response efforts
While drones are becoming popular day by day, safety is the question on most parent’s minds, especially when it is kids flying drones. Drones are relatively safe as long as you follow the FAA’s regulations, your local city and state laws, and your drone’s instruction manual.
Conclusion
By now, you know that flying drones has become the most common outdoor activity for children. Flying a trendy toy drone can keep your children entertained for hours as long as helping children learn about aviation, robotics, programming, mechanics, photography, and electronics while having a whole lot of fun! The marketplace is filled with cheap drones, so it is difficult to choose which drone to purchase for your youngster. Hopefully, now you can select the best drones for kids to begin with or be in a position to generate a better-informed choice.
FAQs
1. What age is appropriate for a kid’s drone?
Answer: Drone manufacturers print the appropriate age to fly their drones on the box. Many experts say that kids must be at least 14 years of age to fly their drones. However, as a parent, it is up to you to buy your child a drone. If you think your child is mature enough to fly a drone, you can buy them.
2. Are drones safe for kids?
Answer: Kids and teenagers surprisingly can pick up the skills to fly much faster than adults can. They can quickly grasp the little tricks; the mussel memory maneuvers much quicker than adults do. Depending on your child’s age, it is safe to learn to fly the drone, maintaining the rules. Nowadays, drones are cheaper, lighter, have more flight time, and flight modes will help your kids fly their drones. But the practice is essential for safety reasons.
3. Do I need to register a kid’s drone?
Answer: If your drone’s weight is more than 8.8 ounces (250g), you’ll need to register for an FAA identification number. Drones under 250 grams can be flown without the need to register it with the FAA.