This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.
What do you do when sent Fisher Price Kid Tough digital camera to test drive? Head off to the local zoo for a day of photo journalism.
Immy hard at work in the bird aviary.
Immy loves taking photos. And whenever she gets her hands on a camera she takes a lot! The question then becomes, what to do with them all? One suggestion is to add a spot of literacy and make a book together recording your child’s adventures.
After printing out a selection of her photos, Immy dictates her recollections of our adventures at the zoo which I write down.
The pages are laminated, hole punched and held together with pipe cleaner loops. Perfect for revisiting our adventures over and over again.
The learning potential for children of this type of book making activity includes;
- Developing the ability to recall past events
- Developing the ability to organise their thoughts to share their recollections
- The opportunity to talk about places, events, people, feelings and emotions
- Reinforcement of vocabulary particular to the experience being recorded
- Direct observation that writing is recorded to communicate a message and that this message remains the same each time it is read
Young children often enjoy looking at photographs or listening to stories that involve themselves in some way and this is a fabulous way to involve both. Here are a few other photo book theme ideas that you might like to try;
- A Day in the Life of …
- A Visit to …
- About My Family
- Around My Home
- My Favourite Things
- A Shape, Colour, Nature or Alphabet Hunt
The Fisher Price Kid Tough Camera is certainly child friendly in terms of its sturdiness and durability. It is easy to use – to take photographs, to zoom in and out and to view photographs that have been taken, with nice big buttons and easy to recognise symbols. I liked that it did not have a whole lot of other functions like fancy frames or games that I have seen on other cameras marketed to young children.
Unfortunately, the downside of being drop proof is that the LCD screen is small and this makes it difficult for young children to line up the subject of their photograph accurately. Although the camera does include a manual viewfinder, Immy has never seen me use one of these, she is used to looking at the LCD. The photo quality is adequate for children (adults need to set their expectations aside somewhat), though the biggest problem I have with the quality is Immy staying still long enough for the photo to actually record! Also, although the Fisher Price information states that the camera can be used indoors and out, I do not think that it performs well in the lower light conditions indoors.
Childhood 101′s disclosure statement regarding sponsored post scan be found here.
Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
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