10 or More Ways to Take Great Pictures of Your Kids

Kids playing with old cameras.

Have you ever tried taking pictures of your kids and not gotten any cooperation out of them?  Or they give you that fake smile, or even end up crying out of frustration. Or you are the one that ends up crying out of frustration!



I’ve got a few tips on getting kids to cooperate when you are trying to take pictures of them. 
Many parents have their kids home now everyday with the Covid-19 quarantine, so it’s a great time to try to document your days with them, and also try to get some nice pictures. 

One way to get them to sit still for some pictures, is to give them something to do.  Do you have something interesting that they can play with?  I have an old typewriter and some old junk cameras that kids just love to play with.  That keeps them busy and you might just get a natural smile out of them!

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Dressing up as a princess.

​Another fun thing is to get the dress up clothes out. Little girls especially like to play princess or try on mom’s shoes, hats, jewelry and dresses.  

Boy’s enjoy trying to look like a clown or a superhero. 

Do you have any old costumes laying around for them to play with?  Going through things in the attic would make some great memories. ​

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Fun playing with glasses.

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 I tend to keep all the old glasses we grow out of, even if it’s just in case we need parts.  Kid’s would love to try on old glasses.  Keep a mirror nearby, so they can see what they look like. 

​You can even just take a picture of their image in the mirror!  ​Playing games is also very fun for kids.  Playing hopscotch,  interacting with each other, playing board games, cooking something simple, pretending to have a                                                  tea party or picnic.  

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Girl running through a field.

Taking a walk in the woods or running through a field is a great way to get their minds off the camera and just have fun!  They have to concentrate on something other than the camera!  Interacting with a pet can make some nice images.  Kids love their puppies and kittens, bunnies or ponies!

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Little girl holding her puppy.

Peeking through a fall leaf makes a fun picture!

Here, we took a walk in the woods and looked at all the different leaves.  We found a large one, so I tore a hole in it and peeked through.  Then handed it to the child and she peeked back!  

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Little girl blowing on a dried large dandelion seed pod.

Make sure you have your camera ready for these fleeting  moments!
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Making  seed pods fly as far as they can, is such a fun game.

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Boys having fun jumping as high as they can.

​It can be fun for them to do things like having a race with another sibling, jumping as high as they can or have them make the scariest face they can.  There always seems to be a genuine smile or outright laugh right after a scary face. 

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Toddler playing with a toy pearl necklace.

If your child is very young, say 2 or 3 years old, you may be able to keep them in one spot by giving them something to do, like giving them a pan and wooden spoon and making a drum.  

Also, for that age, peek-a-boo can be fun and captivating!  Another thing that works is to put something in their pocket and have them try to guess what it is.  Give them clues and then let them take it out of their pocket.  You'll get that natural smile when they finally get to see what it is.

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Little boy drawing a picture in the sand.

Little girl playing with sand.

Sand is always so much fun for kids.  Just put them in their sandbox and take pictures of them with their colorful toys or photograph them running the sand through their fingers.

Drawing pictures in the sand with a stick gets them busy making you a masterpiece to photograph.  They are so proud to show you how much talent they have!

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Blowing bubbles.

​Bubbles are another thing that kids just love to do.  Whether it's making their own bubbles or running a bubble machine and having them run around popping them, it makes taking their picture so much fun.  

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Little boy with a red foam ball on his nose.

Once you get the kids having a good time, they just start finding their own fun ideas for you to photograph.  If you act goofy with them, they will play along!

​Getting siblings to play games together can be fun.  Big sister giving little sister a piggy back ride can bring on natural smiles!  

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Big sister giving little sister a piggy back ride.

The thing with taking kid's pictures is to make it fun.  They don’t like to be posed.  They will not cooperate if you try to force them to sit quietly and smile for the camera.  So spend some quality time with your kids, play some games and just keep clicking! 

​In  my next article, I will give help on how to find good light so you can get great pictures inside or out.  If you would like me to alert you to my next article, just fill out the form below.

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