3D Printing is a fast-budding industry that has started to gain global recognition. 3D is the next big thing to happen across all societal spheres, including at home and in school. 3D printing, also called additive printing, started as a means of producing prototypes and was only utilized by big countries and developmental labs, has become a household name for businesses and individuals across various niches.
The possibilities of what you can create with a 3D printer are endless. Examples of incredible things you can design and print with a 3D printer include children's toys, ornaments, jewelry, a remote spring mount, video game characters, arts, and a refrigerator note toggle. In addition, 3D printing serves as a means of learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Teachers have adopted 3D printers to teach their kids various STEM concepts, such as the free, printable programmable eggbot, designing a space rover, etc.
In addition to teaching kids about STEM through 3D printers, kids can now set up a small 3D printer business. 3D printers are delicate and need to be handled with great care, which is why certain printers are not compatible with kids. This article highlights the best and cheap 3D printers for kids, as well as the factors to consider when picking a 3D printer for kids.
Overview of Affordable 3D Printer for Kids
The cheapest kinds of 3D printers are the ones specially designed for kids and other beginners who are starting a 3D printing business. Finding a 3D printer that is easy to use, affordable, and safe for kids can be much of a herculean task. This is because 3D printers are quite complex to navigate for beginners, especially kids. However, there are certain 3D printers that are safe for kids to use and are barely pricey.
The Forge Adventurer 3D Printer, for instance, is equipped with an enclosed design for extra safety for kids. It is highly affordable and easy to set up. Younger kids aged 8 and above can conveniently operate the Forge Adventurer, with a little guidance from parents of course. Other 3D printers like the Forge Adventurer are not just affordable, but simple to use as well.
A standard professional 3D printer can cost up to $20,000 but is only recommended for large industries. Kids can purchase a small 3D printer within the range of $300-$500. So, with less than $1000, you can fully equip your kids with all the materials they need to start a small 3D printer business.
All About 3D Printers for Kids to Use
3D printers can be complex and difficult to navigate, but there are simpler 3D printer designs that are safer and easy for anyone, including younger kids, to use. There are so many ways to explore with a 3D printer. From printing miniatures, toys, jewelry, and cosplay items, to architecture models, apparel, phone cases, eyewear frames, etc, 3D printing is incredible! Really, there is no limit to what you can achieve- your only limitation is your imagination.
If you are starting a 3D printing business, here is a list of incredible things you can do with your 3D printer.
- Offer a specialized 3D printing
- Print customized items and put them out for sale on global e-commerce platforms, like Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and Fiverr.
- Rent your 3D printer for special events in your community.
- Design and print your favorite toys and miniatures. You can sell these to your friends and family.
Best Tips for Picking 3D Printer for Kids
Selecting the best 3D printer for kids requires patience and extensive research. To pick the best 3D printer for your kid, you need to consider certain factors like size, frames, coverings, print bed, etc. Below is a detailed list of the best tips for choosing a 3D printer for kids.
Size
Sizes are usually measured in inches or mm, and the bigger the size, the bigger the ability of the 3D printer to print larger objects. You should also analyze the long-term use of the printer before picking.
Print Bed
For exposed beds, you should consider picking a cold print bed, instead of a heated one. A glass print bed gives the smoothest surface, and a magnetic print bed is simple to operate. Your child’s safety should be paramount when choosing a print bed.
Frames
Metal frames are more durable, but if you are looking to cut costs, then you should totally consider plastic frames.
Covering
Although uncovered print areas have a larger printing area combined with flexibility, fully enclosed/covered print areas are safer and cool.
Other tips include printing quality, PLA filament, filament sensors, and power loss recovery, among others.
Roundup of the Best 3D Printer for Kids
3D printers for kids are easy to use, however, there are other factors that differentiate the best from others. Here are the 9 best 3D printers for kids.
Flashforge Finder 3D Printer
This is currently the best 3D printer for kids and adults who are starting a 3D printing business. The Flashforge Finder has a high printing quality, and it is safe to use. Younger users can easily use it as the 3D printer uses a cold printing deck, making it safe enough. It also contains all the features embedded in a regular 3D printer. Also, the printer makes a very little sound, so you can use it anywhere, anytime!
- Slide-in build plate allows printed objects to be easily removed
- 3.5-Inch full color touchscreen with intuitive icons makes for easy operation
- Sturdy, plastic alloy construction ensures stable prints
Dremel Digilab 3d20
The Dremel Digilab 3D20 maintains its position as one of the largest 3D printers for beginners. It is exclusively compatible with PLA filament, which stands it out as user-friendly and safe for kids to use. Also, the 3D printer has a fully enclosed design and has been pre-assembled to make it ready for printing right after unboxing.
In addition, it has a great print quality, but larger prints take longer to print.
- Countless hours of high quality printing with the most reliable low-cost 3D printer
- Quickly and easily make your 1st print out of the box with completely pre-assembled printer, included 0.5 kilogram spool of filament and clear setup instructions. Maximum build depth (inches): 9
- Far superior safety compared to competition with fully enclosed design, non-heated build plate, PLA-only printing and 3rd party UL safety approval
Toybox 3D Printer
With an affordable PLA filament (printer food), the Toybox 3D printer is easy and safe for anyone, especially younger users, to operate. Also, your kids do not have to rack their brains on the next toy to create, as they are offered full access to Toybox’s toy library and archive upon purchase.
- KID FRIENDLY: Built to be used by children, Toybox can be controlled with simple one-touch functions. No adult assistance needed, no need to adjust removable print bed, easy filament loading and novel print bed design that doesn't require a knife to remove prints like most 3D printers
- UNLIMITED CATALOG OF TOYS: Thousands of awesome toys are available at your fingertips in our Toybox catalog. New toys added weekly and seasonally
- CREATOR SPACE AND EASY IMPORT: Upload designs to create your own toys or draw them and bring them to life through our user-friendly apps and tools. Your creations are stored on the cloud for easy access
Flashforge Adventurer 3
Built as an upgrade from its previous version, the Flashforge Adventurer 3 3D printer is an easy-to-set printer with great printing quality. It is fully enclosed to guarantee user safety, and it is preassembled.
The printer is perfect for beginners to print smaller objects. You can also pause and resume printing at any time. In addition, it has an incredible printing quality, making it one of the best high-quality printers for kids and teens.
- 【Effortless Operation】– Adventurer 3 does not require manual bed leveling as it comes pre-calibrated. It is equipped with a removable bed, making it easier to take off printed objects and reducing the risk of damage. Additionally, it facilitates convenient cleaning and maintenance.
- 【Quick Detachable Nozzle and Multiple Options】– Easily swap nozzles with a button press. Prints exhibit fine details, smooth surfaces, and high precision, perfect for STEM education, prototyping, and artistic creations. Choose from various nozzle sizes and temperatures to meet specific requirements and handle high-temperature materials.
- 【Fully Enclosed Design】–It features a fully enclosed housing that provides better temperature control, enhancing material stability and print accuracy. It also offers improved safety by preventing accidental contact with the hot end. Furthermore, the enclosure effectively isolates noise and odors generated during the printing process, creating a safe and comfortable printing environment.
Artillery 3D Printer
With a little less than $500, you can purchase this noise-filtered 3D printer. It is classified as one of the cheapest quiet 3D printers for kids. It is also preassembled, which makes it easy to operate. The Artillery 3D printer comes with a filament sensor that can automatically pause the printing process once the ink is about to finish, and you can resume printing after refilling.
- FAST AND PRECISE: The print speed can reach up to 150 mm/s, and with the Direct Drive Extruder, SW-X1 makes high quality print, especially for flexible filament. When it arrives on your doorstep, the Sidewinder X1 comes 95% pre-assembled, which makes installation easy as can be.
- RUNAWAY PROTECTION HEATBED: The printer has a direct drive extruder and a fast heating AC heat bed with built in thermal runaway protection, even if the board or the SSR malfunctioned, the bed won’t heat up endlessly until bad things happen. Additionally, the heated bed can heat up to 80C in 2 minutes and it only takes the 0.4mm nozzle about five minutes to heat up to 110°C. With the Lattice glass smooth headbed surface, it makes all types of filaments can be easily stick on
- MUCH STABLE PRINTING: There are 3 inductive sensor end stop separately set on XYZ axis while those non-touch, high-precision limit switches can automatically calibrate and maintain good stability under high-speed printing. Most importantly, features Synchronized Dual Z System, SW-X1 greatly increase its printing stability, also, the built in branded power supply ensure stable and sufficient power. Spend more time making without having to manually adjust the print bed.
Elegoo Neptune 2s
This is also classified under the “most quiet” category. The Elegoo Neptune 2S is best for older kids, ‘cause it requires assembling before launching and has no enclosure. One of its best features is the silent motor drive, which prevents it from making noise while printing.
- 【Accurate and Stable Extrusion】The double-gear metal extruder is equipped with a spring elasticity adjustment design and a special titanium alloy pipe, which reduces the risk of nozzle clogging, makes the output more uniform, and the printing is more stable.
- 【PEI Magnetic Build Plate】Neptune 2S adopts a new detachable platform of a special coating combined with spring steel so you can remove moels by bending or popping. It is not easy to deform at high temperatureand has a longer lifespan.Widely compatible with PLA/ABS/PETG/TPU filaments.
- 【Fast and Silent Printing】Neptune 2S 3D printer is equipped with a 32-bit motherboard and SMT32 chip,a memory up to 1M FLASH making the system run smoother and faster; The Silent stepper driver ensures that the motherboard has silent printing and accurate voltage output to ensure better printing experience.
Qidi Tech X-Plus
Although pricey, the Qidi Tech X-Plus is easy to use, reliable, quiet, precise, and safe. It has a built-in air filter, which classifies it as eco-friendly. Also, the bed leveling is automatic, so you can focus on the main job. It is fully enclosed, focuses on details to print high-quality items, and has a massive build volume for printing large items.
- 【QIDI Third Generation Extruder Assembly】The two newly upgraded extruders of X-PLUSⅡ are dual-gear extruders with more accurate printing, better heat dissipation, and less clogging.The ordinary extruder has already been installed on the printer, and its max printing temperature is 250 ℃. It can work well with PLA, ABS, and TPU. The high-temperature extruder has a 300 ℃ maximum printing temperature, which can print Nylon, PA12-CF, and PC.
- 【Double Z-axis driver】 Ensures more stable and more precise printing quality when you print large model size. Higher configuration 3D printer.Large print size is 10.6x7.9x7.9 Inch.
- 【Filament detection function& Resume Printing】X-PLUSⅡis equipped with a filament runout sensor. When printing a large model, there is no need to worry about the filament depletion. It will ring to remind users.If a power outage occurs during the printing process, the printer will automatically save the breakpoint.
Comgrow 3D Printer
If you are looking for the simplest 3D printer for beginners, you should totally consider the Comgrow 3D printer. It serves as a means of learning and you can share your designs with top 3D designers. Overall, it is easy, safe, affordable, and reliable.
- Resume Printing Function: no worry to the immediate power outage or electric circuit error, Ender 3 has the ability to resume printing even after a power outage or lapse occurs, you can continue to print
- Creality Ender 3 3d printer, it is the most basic 3d printer model, more students and beginners can learn the 3d printer by this model, it can help to excercise your hands-on skills. It comes with several assembled parts, you need about 2 hours to assemble
- Advanced Extruder Technology: Ender 3 upgraded extruder greatly reduces plugging risk and bad extrustion; V-shape with POM wheels make it move noiseless, smoothly and durable
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. In fact, we cannot think of a better gift for your 10-year-olds. 3D printing is open to younger kids from the ages of 8 and above.
Due to its simplicity and repackaged designs, sizes, costs, and safety precautions, 3D has been made available to kids. Kids aged 8 and above can use 3D printers perfectly.
The possibilities of what kids can make with 3D printers are endless. For instance, kids can design children's toys, ornaments, jewelry, a remote spring mount, video game characters, arts, refrigerator note toggle, and so much more!
Final Thoughts on Inexpensive 3D Printers for Kids
You do not have to break the bank to establish your kids on their newly found interests- the 3D printing business. The future of 3D printing is promising, and there are just so many incredible things to learn in the field.
This article on 3D printer projects for small business ideas for kids (link after publishing) shares ideas on the various projects you can do with a 3D printer.
More 3D Printing Inspiration for Kids
- Why 3D Printers Make Great Gifts for Kids
- Parents Guide to 3D Printers for Kids
- Affordable 3D Printer for Kids Roundup Guide
- ToyBox 3D Printer for Kids - Honest Review
- Small Business Ideas for Kids with 3D Printers
- Useful Things Kids Can Make with 3D Printer
- 3D Printer Toys for Kids
- Why to Not Get 3D Printer for Kids
- Top 3D Accessories for Kids
- Show and Tell Ideas for Kids with 3D Printers
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