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The 10 Best Drones for Kids

Find the best kids' drones for the money. We've researched 50 new RC quadcopters and picked the top 10.

Drones for Kids

How to Buy a Great Kids Drone

For each drone below, we've included a quick summary of the most important specs you need to know before buying. This will make picking your drone much easier. Here's what they mean:

Best Drones for Kids

Controller Type

This shows you if the drone is controlled with a remote or your smartphone.

Drone Camera

Drone Camera

Shows if the drone includes photo and video capabilities and if it has HD resolution.

Flight Time

Flight Time

The number of minutes your drone can stay in the air after each recharge.

Recommended Age

Recommended Age

The minimum age the manufacturer recommends. Double check when buying.

Maximum Range

Maximum Range

The range of your drone is the distance it can fly before losing contact.

Weight

Weight

This is the fully assembled weight. Good to know for backpacking etc.

Size

Size

Some drones are mini and others really big. This shows you the size in inches.

Charge Time

Charge Time

How many minutes it takes to fully charge the drone. Tip: Always buy extra batteries.

Drones for Kids Buying Guide

1. SYMA X5C Explorers Quadcopter Drone

Drones for Kids
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

7 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

170 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

2 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

16 x 12 x 4"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

90 min.

The is SYMA X5C is a great budget drone for kids. It's easy to fly, has solid build quality, and is very affordable. If you're looking for beginner drones for kids with a camera, this is the one. It has a HD 720p photo and video camera, which records to an exchangeable micro SD card. Syma is deservedly one of the market leaders for quadcopters and has an excellent reputation for quality and service so you can buy with confidence. Propeller replacements are cheaply available, which means you don't have to worry every time the drone makes a hard landing. Syma actually makes all drone replacement part available for purchase and the included manual shows you how to break it down easily.

The Syma X5C is very stable and a lot of fun to fly, both indoors and outdoors. We like it's agility and bright LEDs. You won't be getting the premium features of a DJI Phantom, but this is still an excellent drone. If you're just looking to have fun with an all-around great quadcopter which is both high quality and cheap, you can't go wrong with this one. Tip: You can add a few extra minutes of flight time by removing the propeller guards and camera.

  • LED lighting system
  • Easy to fly for beginners
  • Cheap spare parts available
  • Reliable drone manufacturer
  • 6-axis gyro stabilization
  • Exchangable memory card
Check it out

2. DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter Drone

DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter Drone
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

2.7K HD

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

25 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

3,300 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

8 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

15 x 14 x 8"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

90 min.

DJI has created the perfect photo and video drone with the DJI Phantom 3. It's ready-to-fly right of out of the box, extremely smooth and stable to control, and shoots excellent 2.7K HD videos and photos (that's a 2704 x 1520 resolution at 30 fps). The videos we shot were very stable, thanks to the integrated three-axis camera gimbal. We also loved the automatic GPS flight assistant, which makes the drone return safely back to you at the press of a button. The DJI Phantom 3 can also automatically follow you or fly along pre-set waypoints so that you can focus on taking pro-level photos and videos. It's a high-end, polished experience that's really fun.

Another top feature is the live HD video feed that streams to any smartphone mounted to the drone's remote. It felt astonishing to see the world live and in high definition from above. If you want even more: Upgraded versions of the Phantom 3 are also available. The Phantom 3 4K (which adds 4K video) and the Phantom 3 Advanced (which extends the range to an astonishing 3.5 miles) are great choices. In summary, the DJI Phantom 3 is the all around best quadcopter drone currently available and offers lots of premium features. In fact, it's so good that your child can use it for a very long time, including as an adult. It's the best drone we have seen and we highly recommend it!

  • Automatic flight assistant
  • Premium 2.7K HD camera
  • Works w/ tablets and phones
  • Impressive 3,300 ft. range
  • Excellent app for live video
  • Build in GPS w/ return home
Check it out

3. Cheerson CX-10 Mini Quadcopter Drone

Drones for Kids
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

No

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

8 min.

Age Icon

Age:

8+

Range Icon

Range:

110 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

3 oz.

Size Icon

Size:

6 x 3 x 3"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

30 min.

This tiny technological marvel is only about the size of an Orea cookie, but it's packed with technology. It's the perfect choice for younger children and beginners. For its size, the Cheerson CX-10 offers very stable flying, plus the ability to perform mid-air flips (lots of fun). It's also very cheap. In fact it's so affordable that we recommend getting a few of them to fly group air-races around your home! The CX-10's remote control works well and is small enough for younger kids' hands. It features two analog sticks and a sensitivity adjuster to make flying easier. The drone's remote control sensitivity can be switched from beginner, to intermediate, and to advanced so that your child can pick just the right level for their skill level. This makes starting out much easier, a great feature.

When you get this tiny quadcopter everything is ready to go. Just pop in two 1.5V AAA batteries and you can take off. We recommend the Cheerson CX-10 Mini mostly for indoor use since wind will make flying it more challenging (remember, this drone only weighs about 3 ounces). Buy this drone if your child is just starting to fly drones and if you're looking for a very cheap and fun gift. It's small, fast and has a great price.

  • 3-level adjustable sensitivty
  • 6-axis gyro for easy flying
  • Incredibly small
  • Excellent for indoor flying
  • Very affordable
  • Perfect for beginners
Check it out

4. Holy Stone F181 RC Quadcopter Drone

Holy Stone F181 RC Quadcopter Drone
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

9 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

320 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

1.7 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

12 x 12 x 3"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

80 min.

Looking for an intermediate quadcopter with great value? The Holy Stone F181 RC drone is a great choice. It has premium features such as an HD camera, good range, and a button that re-aligns the drone with the remote when things get turned around. All of that is offered at a very affordable price. The F181 is perfect if you're looking for more features than the SYMA X5C but don't want to buy the DJI Phantom 3. The Holy Stone F181 also includes a "Headless Security System" which is a stabilization system that ensures the drone doesn't steer off course or loses control. It's a great addition, especially for beginners and urban flyers.

We also liked the propeller protection frames which prevented the blades from breaking when the drone crashed. Another fun feature is the ability to easily perform 360° flips in four directions (left, right, forward, backward) at the press of a button. The build in camera is very good for a beginner drone, offering 720p HD videos and photos so that your child can capture the world from above. In summary, the Holy Stone F181 RC drone is amazing for both beginners and intermediate flyers. It's value comes from pairing premium features with an affordable price.

  • Stabilization system
  • Propeller guard shields
  • 360° 4-way flip functionality
  • Good HD 720p camera
  • Premium features, low price
  • Very wind resistant
Check it out

5. Parrot Bebop 2 Quadcopter Drone

Parrot Bebop Quadcopter Drone
Range Icon

Controller:

Phone

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 1080p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

25 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

1000 ft.

Weight Icon

Weight:

1 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

15 x 13 x 3"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

90 min.

The Parrot Bebop 2 is a premium drone with lots of new tech. It combines lightweight and compact design with a robust, reinforced body. We loved the built-in HD camera which shoots crisp, 14 megapixel photos and 1080p HD videos through its wide-angle fish-eye lens.  Best of all, the Bebop 2 streams live views from the skies directly to your smarthpone or tablet! It's like flying through air with it and an amazing experience. 

The second great feature of the Bebop 2 quadcopter is the well designed control system that uses Parrot's free smartphone and tablet app. the app makes it easy to intuitively pilot your drone and move around the camera independently of the drone (including straight down). You can control the drone with your smartphone's or tablet's accelerator and touch controls - a very responsive setup. The flying interface is simple, modern, and excellent for beginners. The drone gets bonus points for a very long battery life and its safety propellers (which stop when touching anything). The Parrot Bebop 2 is truly an amazing piece of technology and the optimal choice if you're looking for a high-end drone that can be controlled via smartphones and tablets.

  • App controlled
  • Premium build quality
  • Independent HD camera
  • Propeller safety shut off
  • Very long flight time
  • Great for photos and videos
Check it out

6. UDI U818A HD+ RC Quadcopter Drone

UDI U818A HD+ RC Quadcopter Drone
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

9 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

300 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

0.35 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

13 x 13 x 3"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

100 min.

The UDI U818A comes ready to fly with a very stylish design that both looks great and protects its propellers. It includes a lot of features for its low price point, including "Headless Mode" which re-orients the drone if directions get mixed up, a return home button which helps recover the drone quickly, and a good 720p HD camera to document your flights. Note: Some drones, like the DJI Phantom 3, offer better video quality. We like the U818A's 6-axis gyro which adds stability, wind resistance, and better maneuverability for aerial stunts. The flight time and range of this drone were also very good and it was easy to use it both indoors and outdoors (although the latter is what this drone is really build for).

The quadcopter features a minimal, robust, and aerodynamic design that kids will love. The design also ensures that it's not too sensitive to minor crashes and bumps, a big plus. The U818A also features LEDs in two colors which make it easier to determine where the front and back are in low-visibility conditions. Like the Holy Stone F181, this drone also has a button that allows your kid to perform easy 360° flips. We really liked flying this quadcopter. It is a great choice if you're looking for a budget quadcopter that allows for lots of manual control and  maneuverability, while at the same time assisting the pilot with auto-stabilization. Simple, fun, and affordable.

  • Good 6-axis stabilization
  • Minimalist, robust design
  • Return home functionality
  • LEDs for night flying
  • HD 720p camera
  • 360° flip feature
Check it out

7. Holy Stone HS170 Mini Quadcopter Drone

Holy Stone HS170 Drone
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

No

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

8 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

160 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

14 oz.

Size Icon

Size:

5 x 5 x 1.5"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

70 min.

The Holy Stone HS170 Mini is one fierce little flyer! It measures only five by five inches but handles incredibly well, both indoors and outdoors. While it has fewer features than the SYMA X5C Explorers or the Holy Stone F181, it's also better suited for young kids and beginners. It doesn't have a camera, but if you're only looking for a fun budget quadcopter, it's definitely a great choice. When you open it for the first time you'll be surprised by how light and small this RC drone is. Turn it on and you'll notice that it features a powerful motor which allows for spectacular stunts and smooth flying.

We liked that the HS170 includes a setting to adjust the remote's responsiveness to three different levels. This makes it much easier to fly for children who are just starting out. Just pick the easiest setting and move up as your child practices. So do we recommend this quadcopter? The answer is: Absolutely!

  • Easy and stable to fly
  • Good propeller guards
  • Adjustable sensitivity
  • Small, light, and robust
  • Very affordable
  • Excellent for beginners
Check it out

8. AKASO K88 Quadcopter Drone

Drones for Kids
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

7 min.

Age Icon

Age:

8+

Range Icon

Range:

330 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

4 oz.

Size Icon

Size:

13 x 13 x 3"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

120 min.

The AKASO K88 is an amazing quadcopter, including for younger children. Customer report excellent performance. While it looks a lot like the UDI U818A reviewed above, it has a major difference: It's body is made from impact-absorbing foam which makes it tougher and more resistant to breaking. That's a huge plus, since broken parts are usually a constant concern for drone owners.

There's a lot more to like about this drone though. Like most drones that made it into our top list, the K88 has a 6-axis gyro which makes for more stable flying, especially in windy conditions. The built-in HD camera works well and records to an exchangeable MicroSD card. The included remote has a 360 degree flip function that allows your little pilot to perform wild, mid-air rolls at the push of a button. It also has bright LED lights along its entire frame which makes for much easier nighttime flying. Overall, this is a very well build, very affordable drone that offers extra protection from crashes. Its foam body and advanced stabilization system make it a frustration-free experience. The AKASO K88 drone is a great choice for beginners and for kids who love to fly stunts in which the drone may crash. It was a lot of fun to fly and we definitely recommend it!

  • Best choice for young kids
  • Comes with all accessories
  • Very crash resistant
  • LEDs for nighttime flying
  • Easy and fun to fly
  • Adjustable speed modes
Check it out

9. QCopter LED Drone Quadcopter

Toy Drones
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

15 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

Range Icon

Range:

100 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

8 ounces

Size Icon

Size:

6 x 4 x 2"

Charge Icon

Charge Time:

120 min.

If you're looking for a simple camera quadcopter for children that comes with a set of all required accessories and spare parts, we recommend the QCopter drone. It includes a lot of extras, like a second battery, replacement propellers, and additional blade guards. That's great because you won't have to buy all these items after the drone inevitably has its first hard landing. The set also comes in a cardboard gift case, which is a very nice touch.

We also liked this quadcopter because it handles very well, has an HD 720p camera, and LED lighting - all at an affordable price. In fact, this drone has a lot of features typically reserved for more expensive models. The QCopter offers 360° flips at the push of a button, return home functionality, and "hHeadless Mode" (re-aligning the drone automatically to your remote if it gets turned around). Another great feature are the bright LED lights which make it easy to spot (see the blue glow in our picture). Bright LEDs make it enjoyable to fly drones at dusk and at night. All in all, this is a fast, cheap, and well built children's drone that offers many hours of fun!

  • Spare parts included
  • Good HD camera
  • Great LED lighting for nights
  • Small and fast, fun to fly
  • Very affordable
  • High value for the price
Check it out

10. DBPOWER X600C FPV RC Hexacopter

drones for kids with camera
Range Icon

Controller:

Remote

Camera icon

Camera:

HD 720p

Flight Icon

Flight Time:

10 min.

Age Icon

Age:

14+

best toy drone

Range:

330 feet

Weight Icon

Weight:

2 lbs.

Size Icon

Size:

15 x 5 x 2.5"

children's drones

Charge Time:

120 min.

Get ready for this: The DBPOWER X600C is a first-person, VR-compatible, smartphone-connected hexacopter! Say what? All right, here is what that means, step by step: This impressive drone allows your child to experience flying using through their smartphone (easily mounted to the remote) and alternatively through a 3D virtual reality headset (see recommended accessories below). The 3D virtual reality feature is astonishing and truly feels like you're flying through the air! Also note that this is a hexacopter, meaning it has six (instead of four) propellers. This gives this drone a cool and futuristic look.

There is a LOT to like here: The X600C is packed with a lot of advanced features at an unbelievable price point for this level of technology. If your child likes cutting-edge tech and is looking for an ultra-modern experience that ties in with their smartphone and even VR glasses, this the perfect choice!

  • Allows for first person VR
  • Sleek hexacopter design
  • Smartphone controls
Check it out

Toy Drones For Kids - Flying 101

Now that you know the best drones for kids, here is some useful info on how to master flying them.

Manual VS. Auto modes: Many drones for kids offer the choice to assist your child while flying or give them full, manual control. Some quadcopters call this setting "control sensitivity" or a similar name. For beginners and young kids we recommend starting with auto mode to help them get a better feeling for how the drone reacts. Once they're comfortable, they can always switch to manual controls.

Wind makes a big difference: Every quadcopter pilot experiences this - you have mastered the drone's controls and are confident about how it flies. Then, suddenly, the drone starts moving unexpectedly and can even fly off course and into tall trees. The reason is, you guessed it, wind. Our tip is to start off flying the drone with little to no wind. Your child will develop an intuitive sense for how it should move. Then, on a windy day, practice close to the ground and at lower speeds. It's actually a really fun experience to master drone flying in windy conditions.

Use the GPS and return home functions: A lot of intermediate and advanced drones for kids reviewed above have built-in GPS system which allow your child to easily recover the drone. We recommend using them, especially at the beginning, when the battery suddenly starts running low and your want to switch it out. The quadcopter's GPS is also really helpful when your child wants to focus on taking cool photos and videos, instead of piloting the drone. The DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter reviewed above is the absolute best choice for that.

Build a fun obstacle course: Few things are more fun than setting up an amazing drone obstacle course in your backyard or somewhere in nature. Your child will enjoy designing it with you and then racing their quadcopter above and around obstacles. Some great ideas are flying the drone zig-zag around poles, under obstacles, really fast as high as possible and down again, and really slow and low under some kind of net. The possibilities are endless and it's the ultimate drones for kids weekend project. Have fun!

Teach kids how to repair their own drone: Here's a bonus tip. With cheap spare parts easily available, it's very simple for them to make basic repairs to their drone after the first, inevitable crash landing. It's a great learning experience and strengthens technical engineering skills for them to replace propellers, batteries, blade guards, motors and other parts. You can find great tutorials and videos online and repairs are much easier than you think.

Emergency shut off: Another valuable trick is to quickly shut off the drone's propellers when you realize it's about to crash-land or hot a tree. The hard landing will be unavoidable at this point, but you can still minimize damage to the drone's propellers, motors, and most importantly other people and objects by shutting off the spinning blades.

Extra batteries: Drones for kids are fun, really fun. The only thing that holds them back from enjoying it uninterrupted is their quadcopter's battery life. The easiest workaround is to buy a bunch of batteries, most of which are available extremely cheaply. Then, some batteries can re-charge while your child uses the full ones. This greatly improves flight time and enjoyment and we highly recommend the small investment.

Even More Drone Flying Tips

Still here? Awesome! To make sure you know everything for safe and fun flying, here are more advanced tips to make sure your child has an amazing time with his or her new quadcopter drone.

Register with the FAA We are not lawyers so this is not legal advice, but there is a new law that requires some drone owner to do a quick and easy registration with the FAA. Which drones are affected? All drones and quadcopters weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms). That includes any attachments and payloads such as cameras, mounts, and other accessories. The good news? Drone registration is easy and cheap. Currently, it is $5. You can register your drone in just a few minutes by clicking this link.

Read the Manual Yes, we totally get it, reading manuals is an outdated thing. A drone is one type of product where it makes sense, though. Your quadcopter is a fast-moving product with spinning rotors that can fly high but can also come crashing down. To help prevent the latter, the manual is your friend. We recommend a quick look and understanding all safety features (for example motor shut-off, return home functionality, and more) as well as how to operate your quadcopter.

Understand Restricted Areas Looking forward to a visit to a national park, Disneyland, or The White House? Awesome! You will have tons of fun, but please don’t bring your drone. A great example is a Virginia man who collected a heavy fine for flying his drone near the National Mall. The National Park Service also has a drone ban in place, so state parks, national parks, and monuments are a no-go zone for your new drone. We recommend double checking before flying and adding a good dose of common sense. Open field in nature? Probably ok. Presidential visit to your city? Nope. Here’s a great way to make this easy: Check out Know Before You Fly’s excellent map tool.

Learn About Your State’s Drone Laws Over 30 U.S. states now have drone laws in place that regulate a lot of different aspects of drone flying. States that have regulations may include your home state. Here are a few examples: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. It is smart to take a quick look at your local laws to prevent fines and other issues. We recommend checking out the NCSL’s drone law page as well as FindLaw’s state drone law overview. Please note: This is not legal advice, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any of this information, as laws frequently change.

Know the Rules Besides federal and state laws there are some common sense rules to keep in mind (some of which are actually laws as well). Here are a select few to keep in mind: Keep your drone within line of sight. No video or app is as good as your eyes at judging where your drone flies and lands. That means your quadcopter should never fly so far that you can no longer see it. Never fly higher than 400 feet above the ground. Not only will your drone likely lose contact with the remote and be lost forever, but you may also endanger an aircraft, and that is where the fun ends and serious fines and penalties start. Better to steer clear of that, no? Plan ahead. What do we mean? For example, it is smart to get a sense for how fast your drone’s battery drains and plan the way home beforehand. It is much more convenient to smoothly land at your feet rather than crash into a forest. Lastly, stay away from people. You never know entirely how your drone may behave. A sudden gust of wind, a loss of power, or human error are just some examples of what can happen. So don’t fly over crowds and even individual people.  

Get Insurance If your drone costs more than a few dollars, it is very smart to get drone insurance. You can find some very affordable coverage for your quadcopter right here. Just pick the one that matches the total purchase price. Boom, done! Extra peace of mind achieved. Have fun flying!

Last but not least: Click right here to see our brand new guide to fun and affordable drones for all ages.

IMPORTANT WARNING AND DISCLAIMER

The products listed here may contain small parts that are choking hazards for children! Toys can pose a hazard to babies and young children – they can choke, suffocate, or otherwise harm the child. Young children explore their world by putting things in their mouths, but children under three years of age do not have a well-developed coughing reflex and will choke easily on small items. All children, regardless of age, need close supervision with any toys to help prevent accidents from happening. Adult supervision is required at all times!

Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for age appropriateness as shown on the product's official packaging. Only buy toys that are right for your child’s age! Should the product's packaging or other product information (especially in regards to recommended age) deviate from the information presented here, DO NOT give the product to your child! All information presented here is for entertainment purposes only. We do not assume any liability for the information presented here. It is your responsibility to ensure that products are age appropriate and safe to use for your child. Please always be careful, safety comes first.

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