Kids can be quite a pain nowadays depending on how old they are. No matter what, the job of constantly entertaining your kids can be incredibly difficult. They never seem to quiet down and the ideas they find fun will eventually grow to be very boring.
Thankfully, there are ways to keep them entertained and as an added bonus, you can also educate them too—buy a 3D printer for kids. Not only is this entertaining and educational, but they’ll love you even more for buying such a cool gadget.
Top Recommendation:
Out of the few 3D printers for kids, the one I recommend the most is the Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer. There’s a few things I like to keep in mind when I buy these types of 3D printers. The Monoprice Select Mini 3D meets all of my criteria and that’s why this is my number one recommendation.
You’ll be happy to hear that I chose this because it was light weight, the controls were easy, the design was simple and clean, and more. Lastly, what sold me the most was that the print results were incredibly high quality. Definitely couldn’t have asked for something better.
How To Choose A Best 3D Printer For Kids:
There are many 3D printers out there in the market and what’s going to help you pick the best one is knowing what to look for when you’re out searching for the best 3d printer for kids. Arming yourself with knowledge is going to help you lower your chances of a disappointing purchase.
When I first started looking for a kid friendly 3d printer, I made a lot of mistakes that costed me a lot of money. On my journey to finding the best 3d printer, I learned a few important things that you should look out for. I’ve put together the following guide on things to consider and other information that will help you make an informed decision.
Important Factor #1: Design
Design is very important when deciding on which kids 3d printer to purchase. Remember that you’re buying a 3d printer for your children, so picking the 3d printer with a simple design will be important to keep them interested. Buying something that’s simple in design will appeal to their kid senses while buying something that’s complicated or unattractive will only push them away from finding 3d printing any fun.
Important Factor #2: Weight
Another factor to consider is the weight of the 3d printer. This is important because this will be an impacting factor into your child’s safety. It’s likely that the 3d printer will be moved around a lot so of course, to protect both your child and 3d printer, it only makes sense to try to buy something that’s lightweight.
If you buy something that’s heavy, they might seriously hurt themselves when trying to move the printer.
Important Factor #3: Controls
Something else that’s important to consider are the controls. Ask yourself if the controls on the 3d printer is easy to use or if it’s too hard to understand and follow for even a child. Keep in mind that this 3d printer is for your child, and not for you.
Buying something that has controls that are easily used will make the experience much better and fun for your child. 3d printing is supposed to be fun so definitely make sure it stays that way and avoid over complicating things.
Important Factor #4: Print Quality
We can’t forget that the print quality is also incredibly important. When deciding which 3d printer to buy, make sure that you’ll be satisfied with the end results. There’s no point in buying a poor quality 3d printer to print something that’s going to come out to be poor quality and fall apart.
The most important thing is your child’s experience. Buying something that prints quality projects will motivate your child to come back and print more things. Having them come back to use the printer more and more is the key important thing.
Important Factor #5: Build Quality
Lastly, the final factor that you should keep in mind is the build quality of the 3d printer for kids. Are the materials used to construct the 3d printer made out of quality materials? Does the kids 3d printer feel and look cheap?
The last thing you want is your machine malfunctioning so making sure that it’s made out of quality materials is very important.
Best 3D Printer For Kids 2018
1. HICTOP Prusa 13 3D
One of the best 3d printer for kids is the HICTOP Prusa 13 3D. At first glance, you’ll notice that one of the features that stands out is the design. It comes in a Black color with a modern, futuristic, and cool design that’s guaranteed to spark the interest of any child. It weights under 20 pounds and seems like a great learning and playing tool for any child.
One feature that I do want to point out is that although this is considered one of the best 3d printers under 500, it is indeed 100% upgradeable. Just in case in the future you want to add new things to this kid friendly 3d printer to make it more fun and educational, you’ll have that option.
Features
- Maximum Print Size: 10.6” x 8.3” x 7.4”
- Quality Parts: All parts used to construct this are upgraded to a higher quality standard
- Control Board: ATMega2560 with integrated RAMPS 1.4 onboard
- Lightweight
- Cool black color
- High print quality
- Can be very lightweight
- Sometimes noisy
2. New Matter MOD-t Desktop 3D Printer
Considered another one of the great 3d printers under 500, the New Matter MOD-T Desktop 3D printer will surely impress any child. With an aquarium-like design and simple base to show anyone how the machine prints, you’ll feel like this simplistic printer was made for adults! The standard colors for this printer is white on the outside while the inside contains hints of black and red.
This printer made it to our list not because it wasn’t one of the 3d printers under 100, but because the product was built by people that wanted to maximize the child experience. Remember that while having fun is important, learning is equally as important too. Therefore, buying something from someone whose goal was to impress the child is surely something you can count on with your money.
Features
- Design: Simple and kid friendly
- Quick Printing: 3D print anything under 20 minutes
- High Quality Results: Print things that luxurious quality
- Easy to use and Wi-Fi enabled
- Incredibly quiet and safe for any household
- Controls are easy to use
- Print quality can be mediocre
- Price can be high
3. FlashForge 3D Printer
Next up on our beautiful list is the FlashForge 3D Printer. Just to start off, the FlashForge is a proud addition to all kids’ 3d printer collection. As equally loved by kids and parents alike, the FlashForge 3D printer offers more than just power features: Great tech support, excellence in every inch of its build, and more.
The bestselling feature of this 3d printer for kids is the controls. At the top of the 3d printer is a panel with 8 colored, touch-screen buttons, allowing for easy use by kids and adults. With its simple, fun design and easy to use controls, 3d printing with the FlashForge is a piece of cake.
Features
- Easy Control Screen: Allows for easy operation
- Wi-Fi Connectivity: Receive 3d print instructions to the machine through wireless connection
- Quality Build: Gives it a sturdy hold to make sure prints come out perfect
- Fun and kid friendly design
- Amazing customer support
- Easy to upgrade
- Not suitable for advanced projects
- Installation can be difficult
4. Dremel DigiLab 3D20 3D Printer
Definitely not considered one of the 3d printers under 100, the Dremel DigiLab still makes it a strong contender among other 3d printers kids like. At first glance, you’ll notice that the Dremel DigiLab looks literally like a lab! This will surely impress your child as they print things and feel like mad scientists.
One notable feature is that given its amazing design, assembly is incredibly easy. Given its easy assembly, you can put your money into the fact that it’s also very easy to use, and that is correct. With only 2 buttons to select from to print your next great project, any kid will be able to use this with no issues.
Features
- Lightweight: Under 20 pounds
- Build Volume: 9.0” x 5.9” x 5.5”
- Build Platform: Acrylic
- Lightweight
- Amazing design to look like a lab
- Small build
- Very expensive
- Cannot print large projects
5. XYZprinting da Vinci Jr.
If you want your child to own a 3d printer kids will love, then consider the XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. This 3d printer will have your kid feeling like he’s Da Vinci themselves. Armed with free 3d resources and an eco-friendly build, the XYZprinting da Vinci Jr. is not only easy to use with many resources, but it’s also helpful for the environment.
You’ll have your child feeling like an artist and an environmental hero. You’ll be able to print smart and print safe with the da Vinci Jr. Set up is a breeze and maintenance is hassle-free!
Features
- Dimensions: 7.8” x 7.8” x 7.8”
- Resolution: High quality at 100 – 400 microns
- Luxury Calibration System: Ensures perfect and quality printing everytime
- Small and easy to move around
- Slightly more affordable than other printers
- Easy setup
- Print quality may suffer depending on design
- May jam easily
6. HICTOP Auto Leveling Desktop 3D Printer
Although this may not be a 3d printer kids will love, the HICTOP Auto Leveling Desktop 3D printer is still considered a strong competitor among other 3d printers for kids that don’t care too much about design. Its auto leveling feature helps the user print more precise projects, therefore making it a higher quality product and saves time from reprinting.
The HICTOP Auto Leveling Desktop 3D printer also has multiple print options and is able to print at higher temperatures, therefore expanding the types of projects you can print. While it’s not at easy to set up, your child will be able to print more complex projects that will challenge their minds.
Features
- Unique Function: Has the auto leveling feature
- High Quality Parts: This gives the 3d printer a robust build
- Industry Tested Parts: Individually tested parts to ensure industry quality standard
- Can print more harder projects
- A little cheaper than other 3d printers
- Life-time after sales service
- Design not as kid friendly
- Setup can be difficult
7. JGAURORA 3d Printer Desktop
Coming last into our list, the JGAURORA 3d Printer Desktop should be not overlooked. The 3d printer has a strong metal frame with a large LCD display for children that have trouble seeing. It’s able to print larger projects with better precision and can print at fast speeds.
If you want to buy something that your kid will enjoy and also challenge them, then the JGAURORA 3d printer is something to consider. This is more for kids that want to print the more complex projects. With its quality build and technology, it can do that with no issues.
Features
- Precision Printing: Giving you an accurate print every time
- Upgraded Power Supply: Makes less noise and gives more stability
- Larger Size: Gives room for bigger projects
- Printing is quiet
- Customer service is amazing
- High quality materials
- 3d printer is heavy
- It’s very expensive
Final Verdict:
While there are many best 3D printer for kids, picking the best one can be very difficult. After doing all our research and going through many painful experiences with 3d printers that weren’t so great, we can definitely say our top choice is still the Monoprice Select Mini 3D Printer.
Its price, build, and quality will not disappoint and it is a beautiful addition to any home. It has all the features that a 3d printer should have and is also very much kid friendly too.
