The Best Drone For Kids

Buying Guide

Are you searching for that awesome tech gift for the child in your life? The latest trend is drones for kids. Their own personal drone will surely get them super excited, and you will win the greatest gift giver award for the year. But before you go out and make that purchase, let’s take some time to research the best drones for kids.

If you aren’t familiar with drones, it is important to understand how they work before purchasing one for a child. A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is controlled by a remote handled by its user. Drones come in all sizes and with many different functions. Be sure to think of the child and their abilities in terms of hand-eye coordination.

Drones can easily be a great study for kids wanting to learn more about electronics and how they work. The easiest way to explain this is to teach them the parts. There are three main parts to a drone: the rotors, controller and power source. Each part contributes to the overall flying ability of the drone.

The rotor, another word for the propeller, is in place to give the drone its lifting abilities. Drones come with a wide variation of rotor sizes. If the rotors are smaller in size, the drone will be easier to maneuver. You can also buy drones with more than one rotor. The Holy Stone FPV RC Drone For Kids has four rotors, which earns it the name “quadcopter.” The advantage to multiple rotors is, again, easier maneuverability. Also, you can still carefully land the drone if one rotor stops working, as long as the others are intact.

Drones can be bought with all sorts of power sources. Some are made with rechargeable batteries. This is convenient in terms of cost-effectiveness. You won’t have to keep buying more batteries to keep it going. The alternative to rechargeable batteries is removable batteries. The Holy Stone FPV RC Drone For Kids is battery operated. Besides the never-ending cost, removable batteries add unwanted weight to a drone that will slow it down in the air. One of the things you don’t want in a drone is added weight that makes it more difficult to navigate.

In order to navigate, you’ll need that third part: the controller. Controllers have come so far since the first drone. Now you can purchase a drone with a controller that works through your smartphone over WiFi. Many also come with a simple handheld controller, which would be best for a child’s drone. Some are motion sensor-controlled, which means they are entirely controlled with your hand motions.

One important thing to keep in mind is the restrictions on drone usage. You’ll want to teach your child where they are allowed to fly their drone and how they are allowed to use it.

“You can find the drone laws in your area at knowbeforeyoufly.org,” says Molly Thornberg, a technology and parenting expert and the brains behind the Digital Mom Blog.

There are some federal restrictions on drones you should know about. The weight of the drone determines whether or not you have to register your drone with the government. Any drone over 0.55 pounds must be registered. Your reasons for flying a drone and usage of the drone may require you to register it with the federal government as well. One last thing to remember when using a drone: Keep it out of designated flight zones. Most of the time, you won’t have to register it if you’re just using a drone as a child’s play toy.

Now that you have an idea of what a drone is and how it operates, let’s look at some good buys for that little one in your life. For those that have no experience with drones, it is a good idea to start with an inexpensive and lightweight quadcopter (four rotors). These come in about 2-4 ounce weights. For safety’s sake, you can find a drone with rotor guards. They will keep small appendages from injury, as well as protect furniture that the drone hits (which you should probably expect if you are buying for a child).

Before upgrading to a more expensive drone, try setting goals for the child to achieve. This will help them command skills that are needed for the bigger and heavier drones. Teaching them how to land and take off safely is a great place to start, and then lead into hovering. Finally, have them work on keeping the navigation under control while the drone is in flight. Once these skills are mastered, then consider an upgrade.

If you are on a budget, you are in luck. There is such a wide variety of drones that you will most likely find one in a modest budget. The simpler drones made for kids will not break the bank, and you can rest assured they will still get a great gift. You also won’t feel a punch to the gut when it breaks.

Will the child be using this drone inside or outside? This is an important question to consider. If you are planning on it being an indoor drone, you’ll need a space that’s approximately 10 by 12 feet to practice flying it inside safely. A two-car garage or bonus room would be ideal for an indoor drone.

With all these things in mind, you can confidently determine the best drone for kids. Even the more economical drones are sturdy and built to last.

• It’s important to teach your kids that drones are not toys. They are a responsibility that will need replacement parts and maintenance.
• Safety is paramount when it comes to your kids and drones. “Blade guards prevent finger injuries and aid in protecting the drone in a crash,” says our parenting and technology expert Thornberg.
• Give your neighbors a warning that you are getting a drone just so they aren’t alarmed. Some people see them as spy cams that invade their privacy. Just be polite and do your due diligence to keep them away from neighboring properties.
• Be sure to check your drone with federal regulations. If a neighbor or passer-by sees it and reports it, you don’t want to be hit with fines.
• Practicing with your child will teach them best about the rules and regulations of using a drone. They can be a great teaching tool if you take advantage of that time with your child.
• Try to start your child off flying in calm weather conditions so they can practice without getting discouraged from wind or rain.
• Drones with cameras are not entirely necessary for kids, especially if your child just wants to learn how to fly one.