How to Choose a Drone for a 10 Year Old?+Top 6 Suggestions

Kids love having the latest and coolest gadgets – from monster trucks, smartphones, racing toy cars, and now drones. 

As a parent, you need to be careful with drones since they can be complex and risky if not handled carefully.

When choosing a drone for a 10-year-old, make sure it’s easy to fly, safe, and appropriate for their age. Manufacturers will indicate the appropriate age a kid should attain to handle their drones. You should also supervise your 10-year old as per the drone regulations.

Finding such a drone shouldn’t be that hard. I have reviewed some of the best drones for a 10-year old based on my experiences, and customer reviews.

How to Buy and Choose a Drone?

What type of drone are we looking for a 10-year-old?

Kids who are at least 10 years old need a beginner drone with shorter ranges and easy-to-follow guidelines. And a durable one.

At this age, a kid may not have any technical skills as an adult, so getting a complex drone would be a bad idea.

What will your kid learn from flying a drone?

Drones are a great way to get your child to appreciate the outdoors. They may be used to video games and other indoor games, but drones combine tech and nature.

Flying drones can be a great hobby for them as it will keep them active. They can catch some amazing camera shots and share with their friends.

Once they start liking it, it can motivate them to try different locations, and they can learn a lot about the environment.

Drones are also great learning tools. They use physics concepts to generate a lift, maintain their balance in the air, and even drag.

Drones are also useful in STEM learning. You can teach your kids basic coding concepts by allowing them to program a drone.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Drone for 10-year-old:

Altitude Hold:

A drone for kids should automatically hold its altitude, either through GPS or through sensors. This will make it easier for them to fly, and it will also prevent any accidents that may occur.

Automatic Return to Home:

The return-to-home feature allows a drone to fly back to the “station” it flew from in case of any issues. This could low battery levels or connection interferences.

In most cases, the return-to-home feature is usually a button that a kid can click to call the drone back home.

Here is a small explanation about Return to Home function. This is DJI Inspire but it is same for every drone-

Several batteries:

Most kid’s drones come with a limited flight time – 10 to 15 minutes. To ensure your kid enjoys more time outdoors, get a drone that comes with at least two batteries.

If the additional batteries aren’t provided, ensure they are available from third-party companies.

Supervision:

In most regions, a kid should be at least 14 years old to fly a drone independently. So, ensure you’ll be around to supervise your 10-year old kid when flying the drone.

You can limit how they use the drone and decide the best action to take if the drone crashes. If you’re experienced in flying drones, you can teach them the best practices.

Are Drones Safe for kids?

Whether a drone is safe for the child depends on the child’s age, the drone type, and the circumstances in which your child is flying the drone.

Drones are made of very small moving parts. And since very young kids are fond of putting such things into their mouths, you shouldn’t allow them to use drones.

As I mentioned earlier, you should supervise your child’s drone usage. Besides keeping the drone out of the reach of younger children, make sure they fly in authorized areas and observe the laws stipulated in that region.

Several toy drones out there may not need a remote and are easier to fly both outdoors and indoors. So make sure you get your kids the drones appropriate for their age.

Maybe when they grow older, they can choose a career in the drone industry, and they’ll get to fly the professional drones.

Parents Guide- What Age Can Children Fly Drones?

Here are the top 5 Drones for A 10-Year-Old:

Before we go into the details, below is a summary;

Here Are the Best Drones Under $100.

Altair Falcon – Best for 10+:

Altair is an up and coming drone manufacturer based in the United States. They’ve manufactured some of the best drones for kids, and the Falcon is one of my favorites.

What I loved most about this drone is the Autonomous Hover & Positioning System that helps keep the drone in the air as your child figures out the controls. And it helps maintain a stable flight, making the drone easier to fly.

Altair Falcon also offers a longer flight time since it comes with 2 batteries, each with a 10 minutes flight time. I also loved the Live Video Camera that captures 720p videos and great still images at a 120 degrees angle.

It doesn’t come with an SD card, but you can get one at a low cheap. Ensure you get a 32 GB (or smaller) class 10 SD card.

Altair Falcon comes assembled, and USB cables and extra propellers are included. Just charge the batteries, and you’ll be good to go.

You also don’t have to worry about the controller since it’s small enough to fit in the kid’s hands. And your kid can mount a smartphone to fly the drone in FPV mode.

What about durability? Altair made this drone with high-quality plastic to ensure it withstands harsh outdoor conditions.

You also get propeller-guards, but you can also remove them for a better experience.

I also loved the 3 skill levels. You can switch to the expert level when flying it or to the easier levels when your kid is flying the drone.

Customer service is another reason I recommend this company. They respond as fast they can to any queries. And their website has several instructional videos and tutorials to help you and your kid learn.

Key Features:

• Age – Best for kids aged between 10+.
• 10-minute flight time
• It comes with two batteries
• Automatic Hovering and positioning System
• 720 p HD live camera.
• Weight – 147g
• No GPS features.
• 3 flight skill levels

Pros:

• It’s easy to fly
• Altitude hold
• High-quality live videos and still images.

Cons:

• The return-to-home may be glitchy since it’s not GPS-enabled.
• Using the recording and video options is quite changing.
• .It’s light and can’t withstand strong winds.

Holy Stone HS210:

If you’re looking for just a toy drone for a 10-year-old or younger, then the Holy Stone HS210 is a good fit.

I know most of the drones I’ve reviewed are beginner/hobbyist drones that can also take videos and photos. But the HS210 lacks a camera and any of the advanced features. And this is understandable considering it costs less than $50.

So what does it offer?

For starters, it comes with a powerful and easy-to-use transmitter. You get a 50-meter range, which is perfect for flying the drone indoors.

Surprisingly, some toy drones are usually challenging to figure out. But with the HS210, that’s not the case.

The battery lasts for just 7 minutes. But the manufacturer compensates for this by providing 3 batteries. So you get a 21-minute flight time at half the cost of some of the Altair drones I’ve reviewed.

Batteries take up to 60 minutes to charge, allowing the pilot to interchange the batteries and fly continuously. Switching the batteries may be challenging at first, but it gets easier eventually.

On the controller, there’s a button for one-touch takeoff and landing. I also loved the auto-hovering (altitude hold) mode that allows you to test the other features.

To make sure you don’t lose direction, this drone also features a headless mode that handles the orientation.

And to make sure the flights aren’t boring, a pilot can perform a 3D flip. I also loved the low-battery alarm where the controller beeps and the lights on the drone flash continuously. The drone will also automatically land if the battery level is too low.

HS 210 may not have an auto-return home feature, but it has an emergency landing button, which comes in handy when there’s connection interference or unfavorable weather conditions.

Key Features:

• Age – 8 to 12 years.
• 7 minutes flight time.
• 3 batteries are included in the package.
• Extra propellers and a screwdriver are included in the package.

Pros:

• It’s easy to fly.
• Durable and great value for money.
• Advanced features such as altitude hold and headless mode.
• The 3D flip is fun.

Cons:

• It lacks a camera.

Altair #AA108:

If you’re not looking for anything fancy, you’ll love this Altair’s #AA108 model. With 3 skill levels, kids and beginner adults can fly this drone without feeling overwhelmed.

You get a fully assembled drone (including the propellers). All you have to do is plug in the batteries and fly.

And since each battery lasts up to 10 minutes, the manufacturer includes two batteries for a double-flight time. You can also purchase more batteries if they want to spend hours outdoors.

You can control this drone through an app that’s readily available on App stores. Just download it, connect it to your drone, and that’s it.

On the app, you can land the drone with the touch of a button. But if your kids are used to playing video games, they may prefer to control it with the controller.

New pilots will also benefit from the Altitude hold and Headless mode. As mentioned earlier, these features help stabilize and hold the drone in the air, making it easier to fly.

With this drone, flying isn’t the only activity your kids will enjoy since this drone also has a 720p camera, and it also supports FPV mode.

I also mentioned that Altair Aerial has one of the best customer services. This is because some of the customer interactions are handled by the founders. And that’s a policy that major drone companies can’t beat.

Key Features:

• Age – 10+
• 10 minutes flight time
• 2 rechargeable batteries.
• 720p and FPV capabilities.
• Altitude hold
• Headless mode.
• 3 skill levels

Pros:

• Very easy to fly.
• Very affordable.
• Easy to set up.
• Excellent customer service.

Cons:

• Easily blown away by the wind.

Asani Hand-Operated UFO Mini-Drone:

Featuring a UFO-like design, this is the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for a 10-year old.

The outer structure encloses the propeller blades, protecting your child from injuries. Even a 4-year-old can play with this UFO toy without getting hurt.

Besides protecting your little one’s hands, the barrier is also a shock absorber since it protects the drone from impact. And it protects the propellers from any damage.

Unlike most drones that are controlled through an app or a controller, this drone is hand-operated.

There’s a small controller that you’ll use to launch it into the air, but after that, it’s all hands. You can also just throw it into the air, and it will start flying.

Thanks to the 4 sensors, the drone will move in a different direction when they sense the hands.

Your kids can keep playing with it both indoors and outdoors for at least 8 minutes, which is how long the battery lasts. However, due to its lightweight, it’s best suited for indoor usage.

If you were frustrated by your kids losing toy drones all the time, you can relax since this drone doesn’t fly that high.

Asani drones also won’t damage bulbs, the ceiling, or other expensive items in your house when it crashes into them.

Unfortunately, the battery is inbuilt in the drone. Once the battery dies, you have to wait for the drone to charge before using it again.

Since it’s a cheap drone (roughly $20), why not purchase like two or three? This way, your kid can have more play.

Key Features:

• Age – 4 to 14
• 8 minutes flight time.
• USB rechargeable drone.
• Hand operated.
• 4 sensors.
• Weight – 2.46 ounces.
• Flashing lights.
• 1-button takeoff.
• The drone automatically switches off upon impact to protect the motors.
• Lifetime warranty.

Pros:

• It’s a fun and safe drone for kids.
• Easy to operate.
• Very affordable.
• Made of durable materials.

Cons:

• You can’t consider extra batteries since the battery is inbuilt.

Power Your Fun Mini Drone:

Power Your Fun is another excellent mini drone for 10-years olds who have never used a drone before. For starters, it allows you to fly it in three ways.

You can opt to use the controller, which gives the “feeling” of a more advanced drone.

On this controller, there are the joysticks and the 1-click takeoff button. You can also choose to use the “droplets” remote or control the drone with hand gestures.

Like the Asani drone, it has sensors that make the drone fly in the opposite direction when it senses your hand. Whichever mode you choose, this drone has everything a kid would want.

Your kid will also love the flashing green and blue LED lights that will light up the room.

They will also love the low, medium, and high speeds. Especially the high speeds for kids who love racing cars. Besides sprinting, this drone can even flip.

Your kids can witch off the lights and watch the glowing lights move as the drone does 3D flips. That would be fun, right?

I also loved that it has a headless mode for orientation and altitude hold, which makes flying it even easier. And it will also not crash into your furniture or walls, thanks to the 360 degrees sensors.

I wasn’t surprised by the battery life on this drone since it’s about 10 minutes. But that’s understandable considering it’s an inexpensive drone.

Unlike the Asani drone, the battery is removable when charging. And the manufacturer includes 2 batteries to extend the flight time to at least 20 minutes.

There’s also no assembly required. Anyone can fly it right out of the box.

Key Features:

• Age – 8 to 11 Years.
• Altitude hold
• Headless mode.
• 3 methods of control – controller, gestures, and a remote.
• 10 minutes flight time.
• 2 batteries are included in the package.
• Weight – 1 pound.

Pros:

• It’s easy to fly.
• Great value of money.
• Longer flight time.
• Excellent customer service.

Cons:

• It’s flimsy and breaks easily.
• Some batteries only lasted 7 minutes or less.

Ryze Tello – Best for learning (10+ years):

Ryze Tello is an excellent drone for teenagers who want to try their hands on coding. FYI, Ryze Tello is a subsidiary of DJI, and as we all know, DJI products are renowned for being of a higher quality and durability.

If your kids are into STEM learning, they have a lot to learn with this drone. That’s because it’s compatible with Scratch, a beginner-friendly programming language that was designed for kids between 8 and 16 years of age.

You can also get the Ryze Tello Edu, which is also compatible with Python, a more advanced programming language.

And if they’re not into STEM learning, they can enjoy taking aerial pictures and videos thanks to the 5MP still image-quality and 720p love videos.

Better yet, since gimbals are quite expensive for such a drone, DJI equipped the Tello with Electronic Image Stabilization, which is an effective and cheaper option.

Like most drones in this price range, it has no GPS. Instead, it holds the altitude using sensors and altimeters. These features allow your kid to fly it indoors.

To make it a fun drone to fly both indoors and outdoors, this drone has the following flight modes;

• Flip – You can make this drone do some air somersaults in 8 different directions. And since kids love technical gadgets that can do fun tricks, I don’t see why they won’t flip this drone all day.

• Throw and go – Ryze Tello is an easy-to-fly drone thanks to the Throw-and-go feature that allows you to throw it into the air for it to take off.

• Circle – When flipping gets boring, you can make this drone orbit around you, taking videos or still shots.

• 360 degrees turn – With this feature, your kids can record videos at a 360 degrees angle.

Unlike the Altair Falcon, Ryze Tello has no controller. Instead, you control it through an app, which is quite easy.

You also get an introductory tour the first time you’re using the app. And since it comes when assembled, your kid can fly this drone right out of the box.

Key Features:

• Age – 10+
• 13 minutes flight time
• Several flight modes
• No GPS.
• 5MP still images and 720P videos.
• It stabilizes through sensors and altimeters.

Pros:

• An excellent learning tool.
• Fun to fly thanks to the flight modes.
• Very affordable.
• Electronic stabilization helps take better videos and images.

Cons:

• It lacks a return-to-home feature.
• There may be a lag in controlling the drone due to background apps on the smartphone.

Ryze Tello AKA DJI Tello: My First Review

Conclusion:

I have not limited my review to toy drones. Some of the drone types I’ve mentioned can handle some basic photography and videography work.

But they’re all for just having fun and teaching your 10-old how to fly a drone. It also creates a great bonding opportunity.

Remember, all kids younger than 14 years should be supervised when using drones. Altair #AA108 and Altair Falcon drones are great for learning how to fly and even taking some photos.

DJI Ryze Tello is perfect for kids who want to learn to code. And the Asani and Power Your Fun drones are toy drones for young kids to play around with.

Happy Flying!

What Age Can Children Fly Drones? Parents guide

Summary

Article Name

How to Choose a Drone for a 10 Year Old?+Top 6 Suggestions

Description

We tried to pick the 6 best drones for 10 year old or below. And there is a brief guide for parents which will help them to choose the best drone for you.

Author

Nick Cast

Publisher Name

Remoteflyer

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