Introduce your kids to digital photography

Find a kid-friendly camera for your child, perhaps on that’s small enough for tiny hands to easily hold, or has fully automatic settings.

Before you begin shooting, cover these photo fundamentals to help develop the skills of your budding photographer:

• How to hold the camera. Remind them not to block the lens with their fingers!
• Using the display. Help them look at the display to “find” the things they want to take photos of.
• Zooming in. Explain the importance of getting up close to capture details.
• For older kids (at least eight years old), explain basic lighting concepts. Discuss essentials such as when to use the camera flash.

And finally, don’t forget a kid-friendly camera. Find a camera that’s small enough for tiny hands to easily hold, or has fully automatic settings. See the entire lineup of affordable, easy-to-use digital cameras.

Your scavenger hunt could even be themed around angles—have your child shoot from different points of view.

Start your child off with a fun, easy photo scavenger hunt and watch their enthusiasm grow! Consider these ideas and themes for your checklist:

• Get descriptive. Use adjectives for some list items. For instance, “soft” could be a puppy or a dandelion. Or they may interpret “tall” as a building or a friend on the basketball team.
• Go crazy with color. A few things they “hunt” for could simply be colors!
• Shoot from different angles. Have your child shoot from multiple angles—you may be surprised with the creative viewpoints they find!

When the scavenger hunt is over, print the pictures and create a photo collage as a special keepsake that documents all the fun they had that day.

Get inspired! Watch Olivia go on a photo scavenger hunt with her dad and use an HP photo printer to turn her snapshots in art pieces and learning tools.

Make 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" prints of your child’s photos and use as flashcards to help them study!

When printing your child’s snapshots to make flashcards, use HP Photo Value Packs to save money on ink and paper.

Once your child is familiar with their camera, start using photography to help them bring learning into everyday activities. Try going on photo hunts and each time have your child focus on a single subject. Here are a few to choose from:

• Shapes: Triangles, squares, circles—go out for a walk and have your child take pictures of all the different shapes he or she sees.
• Colors: What is red? A stop sign? A fire engine?
• ABCs: Have your child snap a series, from apple to zipper!
• Beloved people: Grandma, grandpa, a best friend at school. Your child will enjoy taking pictures of everyone special in their world.

Learning is fun! Make 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" prints of your child’s photos and use as flashcards to help them study the things they took pictures of, such as colors, shapes, or the ABCs. Using something that they created will make the learning process more memorable and fun.

All you need for printing your 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" flashcards is an HP Photosmart printer, such as the HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One , and HP ink and photo paper.

For convenience and savings, try HP Photo Value Packs, which bundle the right amount of photo paper and photo printing ink in a single package.

From English to science, digital photography can play a creative or functional role in an older child’s school reports and projects.

Once your child enters the upper elementary grades, and on through middle and high school, count on lots of reports and projects to complete. Here’s how a digital camera can assist:

• Science: Capture each phase of a science experiment for step-by-step documentation.
• History: Photograph historic sites in the community to use in reports.
• English and language arts: Today’s book reports have turned into PowerPoint presentations. Photos add visual depth and interest to these efforts.

Learn about printer features for a successful school year and see how an HP printer, such as the HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One , can also help your child when it comes to reports, class projects, and more.

Have your child scan their photos so they can incorporate them into a variety of creative projects and crafts.

Incorporate scanning with your child’s photography to put creative new twists on projects and crafts.

• Get inspired. Join Oggie as he gathers objects from the woods (such as pinecones, feathers, and twigs) to scan and create photo fun.
• Combine scans of 3-D objects with your child’s images to create unique photo collages. They can collect objects anywhere—even buttons, fabric, or toys from around the house. Learn more about scanning 3-D objects.
• For superior color accuracy and high-definition scans, try the HP Scanjet G4050 Photo Scanner. For scanning, plus printing, copying, and (on some models) faxing, try an HP Photosmart All-in-One, like the HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One.

You can find the Monkey Fun monthly calendar on the HP Creative Studio, along with many other photo projects for kids.

Digital photography can help kids learn in a variety of ways—but it can also simply offer the opportunity to be creative and have fun!

• Put together a photo album: Get started by choosing a theme. For example, try photographing your pets. Once you have your snapshots printed, discover a variety of free, printable photo album templates at the HP Creative Studio.
• Create personalized photo calendars: Kids will love adding their own photos to the Monkey Fun monthly calendar or Doodle yearly calendar.

Use the touchscreen featured on the HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One to preview and print your photos.

Access family-friendly HP Print Apps with the large touchscreens featured on most HP Photosmart All-in-Ones.¹

Printing your child’s photos helps them understand the complete photography process, from click to print. Plus, it documents the special memories they made while learning a new hobby.

With large touchscreens and simple, PC-free functions, HP Photosmart All-in-Ones are a great choice for a printer that the whole family can use.

• Kids can easily view, edit, and print their photos using the large touchscreens featured on most HP Photosmart All-in-Ones.
• You can also use the large touchscreen to upload photos directly to Snapfish—no PC needed!¹
• Small hands can use the touchscreen featured on the HP Photosmart 7510 e-All-in-One to access and print a variety of kid-friendly Web content, including coloring pages, crafts, and more—without having to turn on the computer.¹

Learn more about HP Print Apps.