Middle schoolers, teens, and freshmen on their way to college should check out the rugged Olympus Tough TG-6. It’s tough, rated to withstand drops from up to 7 feet, and can survive at depths of up to 50 feet underwater, all of which make it perfect to snap candids on the lake at summer camp. A high-magnification macro shooting mode encourages creativity, as does support for slow-motion video. The camera is a bit pricey though, so it’s a better choice for responsible kids who can be trusted not to lose it.

If your kid is more into video than stills, an action camera like the GoPro Hero8 Black is a good choice for making videos of their bike or skateboarding adventures. It offers strong stabilization, so it will work well as a vlogging camera too. It’s tough enough to withstand drops, records sharp 4K video, and can go as deep as 33 feet underwater. The Hero8 isn’t the latest model (that would be the Hero11), so you can get it for around $270, a big drop from its $400 debut price.

The Fuji Instax Mini 11 is a perfect first instant camera. It’s affordable (though you have to feed it film, at roughly $0.70 per image) and has big rounded edges that make it comfortable to hold. Everything is automatic—the only thing your kids need to learn is how to pull the lens out to focus close enough for selfies.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO is a pocketable compact that snaps shots digitally (meaning you can take as many photos as you want) and features a built-in printer that uses Instax Mini film. It’s a great way to get your tween started with photography, and, unlike pure analog options like the Instax Mini 11, you can keep making photos even when you’re out of film.

An interchangeable lens camera is a good choice if you’re buying for an older middle school or high school student interested in photography. It opens up more creative possibilities, including manual control and the option to use macro, telephoto, and other specialized lenses.

The Panasonic Lumix G7 is a strong starter option. It has both an articulating LCD and eye-level viewfinder, works with Micro Four Thirds lenses, and fits easily into smaller hands. It’s a strong value option for students enrolled in photography classes and it’s compact enough to be a carry-anywhere camera for aspiring photojournalists working for the school paper or snapping candid shots for the yearbook. Young filmmakers can also look to the G7 for video. It supports 4K recording with a stabilized image sensor.

Looking for a project to do with your school-age child? The Lomo Konstruktor is both a learning tool and a camera. It’s an all-plastic 35mm SLR that comes to you in pieces. After removing all of its parts from plastic trees, it’s up to you to build it. It’s not a pricey investment, and even if you never run a roll of film through it, the process teaches budding engineers what makes a camera work.

The Pentax K1000 is the classic student camera. The 35mm SLR had its heyday, but if your teen goes to a school that teaches photography the old-fashioned way, the K1000 is the best example of an all-manual, all-analog 35mm camera. Track one down, load up a roll of Tri-X(Opens in a new window), and take in the aroma of those lovely darkroom chemicals. (Photo: antalaron(Opens in a new window)/Flickr)