With a focus on education and fun, 3D printers are perfect tools for learning, experimentation, and play. This makes them a valuable addition to homes, schools, and after-school programs. They provide a unique hands-on experience that encourages creativity and spatial thinking, as well as an interest in STEM careers. Interested but unsure where to start? We put together this list of 3D printers for kids to help you find options that are specifically tailored to be safe, user-friendly, and engaging for young techies.
Note: Prices listed are current as of this writing.
Best 3D Printers for Beginners
FlashForge 3D Printer Finder 3 With Dual Platforms
New to 3D printing? This is a great model to consider. The touchscreen is intuitive and easy to use, built-in Wi-Fi makes it simple to transfer files, and the enclosed design not only improves print quality but helps make the process safer. Plus, the FlashForge Education Program offers discounts to schools and a printing curriculum.
User Review: Michael Stivers posted on Amazon: “I have 9 of these as of now. Very easy to use. You still need to level manually, which takes some getting used to if you are not used to 3D printing. Doesn’t take long to learn. You cannot print from a folder, which caused some confusion as the sample files are in folders and I could not get them to print. Tech support helped me figure that out. They have been very good about getting back to me on a few issues … I plan on getting more in the future.”
Price: $299
Buy it: FlashForge 3D Printer Finder 3 With Dual Platforms at Amazon
Anycubic Photon Mono 2 Resin 3D Printer
Aero Eng, product review via Amazon
This is a fantastic choice for kids and beginners looking to dive into the world of 3D printing. With its user-friendly design, it’s as easy as a few clicks to turn digital ideas into real objects. The printer helps keep kids safe with its enclosed build area and UV-blocking cover, and its compact size fits easily on a desk.
User Review: A verified Amazon customer posted: “Amazing product for beginners. Pretty intense at the start while assembling, a lot of things to be aware of. But it’s a lot simpler than I thought. Don’t just use the manual to set up, best to watch a video to set it up without issues. I never had issues with leveling after I did it once and already printed quite a few things with no issues so far. Great detail and very durable after going the curing process.”
Price: $167.99
Buy it: Anycubic Photon Mono 2 Resin 3D Printer at Amazon
Best Budget 3D Printers
Anycubic Kobra 2 3D Printer
Kristina Hillery, product review via Amazon
This well-priced model is one of the best 3D printers for kids. Known for its speed, you’ll be able to create toys in no time! The touchscreen interface is easy to use, features a durable design (important with kids!), and includes advanced technologies. This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a reliable 3D printer for home or the classroom without breaking the bank!
User Review: Matt A. posted on Amazon: “I have already burned through 2 rolls of filament. I have been using a ender 3 pro for about 5 years and I needed an upgrade. This printer not only prints fast but it comes with a preset Prusa profile that is out of the box great. The main fan is said to be loud but it is nowhere close to as loud as my old printer. At this price this printer is great for every type of person.”
Price: $209.98
Buy it: Anycubic Kobra 2 3D Printer at Amazon
Voxelab Aquila X2 3D Printer
Stephen P. Monteiro, product review via Amazon
Designed to be easy and fun to use, this 3D printer will help young creators bring their wildest creations to life. With a large build volume, it can craft everything from smaller toys to big and exciting projects. Its user-friendly interface and safety features ensure a worry-free printing experience. It’s not enclosed, though, so it may be most suitable for kids under supervision.
User Review: Loretta J. posted on Amazon: “Great first 3D printer,” and says, “Every stage of using the Aquila X2 has been challenging enough to be interesting, but not overwhelmingly difficult. Great, cheap way to start learning to 3D print.”
Price: $149
Buy it: Voxelab Aquila X2 3D Printer at Amazon
Best 3D Printers for Home
Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer
The Official Creality Ender 3 3D Printer is like having your own magical workshop at home. It’s perfect for kids and beginners who want to turn their ideas into real-life creations. It’s super easy to use, and you can create all sorts of things, from toys to cool gadgets. Just load your design, press a button, and watch as it transforms into a 3D masterpiece.
User Review: Tim calls this an “Amazing bang for buck!!!” and says, “Unbelievable quality for the money. This is my second 3D printer and I’m blown away with how well this prints. It does have a few little quirks, but most all of them can be fixed with a few 3D printed upgrades. I highly recommend this printer because of the quality of the prints and the low price. I bought one for myself and also a friend who is a teacher. We’ve both been very impressed with this thing!!!”
Price: $169
Buy it: Official Creality Ender-3 3D Printer at Amazon
AOSeed X-Maker
The AOSeed X-Maker is easily among the best 3D printers for kids. It’s a breeze to set up and requires no manual calibration, so kids can start printing their creations almost as soon as it’s out of the box! The fully enclosed design enhances safety and helps protect small hands while also maintaining a consistent temperature for improved print quality.
User Review: LGC posted on Amazon: “Easy, safe, perfect level of apps to get the kids excited and not frustrated. Very happy with purchase, will buy more of these.”
Price: $399.99
Buy it: AOSeed X-Maker at Amazon
Official Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro 3D Printer
Arniel Ceballos. product review via Amazon
This model features many high-quality, advanced features at a reasonable price point. The Official Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro is an excellent 3D printer for first-timers and people who enjoy tinkering. If you need something that’s ready out of the box, however, this isn’t it. That’s because this is basically a kit, so you’ll be essentially building or assembling your own 3D printer. It’s perfect if you’re trying to teach kids how 3D printers work! So, if that’s your goal and you’ve got a DIY mindset, this printer may be perfect for you!
User Review: JDWalsh posted on Amazon: “I got this as a present — my first 3d printer — and so far it’s been a breeze to set up and use. It came with everything needed to put it together and get started using it. I watched a couple of good videos on YouTube to make sure I set up properly … Setup involved screwing a few parts together and connecting a few wires, using the built-in feature that helps you do the initial bed leveling, telling it to do the final automatic leveling, telling it to preheat the nozzle and bed, and then loading in the filament. Maybe an hour max? Then I put the included SD card in the slot and selected the rabbit gcode file. It printed beautifully the first time. No issues at all!
Price: $390
Buy it: Official Creality Ender-3 S1 Pro 3D Printer at Amazon
Best Classic 3D Printer
Original Prusa i3 MK3S+
The Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ has a higher price tag, but it’s worth the money. This highly acclaimed, pioneering 3D printer continues to be celebrated for its excellent print quality, reliability, and open-source design. If you’re a heavy user and need something that provides exceptional print quality, a user-friendly interface, and strong community support, it’s hard to beat this model. It’s probably better suited for older kids if they are going to use it independently.
User Review: Thurnheer Tim posted on the Prusa website: “It’s almost a year since I bought the MK3S+ printer as a kit. I use it in an engineering job shop. Great for all kinds of little parts. I am very pleased with it. No fuss, it just prints your parts. Any time I’ve had an issue it has been solved through the live chat. The people on the live chat are helpful and informed, I was very happy with the outcome. I would very much recommend this to anyone.”
Price: $649
Buy it: Prusa Mk3S+ at Prusa
Best High-End 3D Printer for Kids
Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer
If you’re looking for the best of the best, you can’t go wrong with the Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer. It comes with a heftier price tag but may well be worth it if you’re looking for a model that can quickly and reliably print exceptionally high-quality objects. This is ideal for STEM projects, prototypes, or even kids looking to sell their creations. It’s user-friendly so anyone can use this printer, which supports a wide range of filaments based on your needs. Plus, if you buy one, Bambu Lab offers six months of Bambu Filament Membership benefits!
User Review: Substantial-Adagio-6 posted on Reddit: “It’s the best. I bought one, knew nothing about printing and within 5 minutes of setup I was printing perfect models without failure.”
Price: $949
Buy it: Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer at Bambu Lab
Best 3D Printer for Schools
Dremel DigiLab 3D45-01 3D Printer
Charles R. Lawson, product review via Amazon
The Dremel DigiLab 3D45-01 is a high-performance 3D printer designed for educational settings. Its robust build quality, precision, and versatility make it a go-to choice for educators. It works with a wide variety of filament types and the Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to print from anywhere (even from home!). The cool, integrated camera also allows students to watch printing in real time. As an added perk, Dremel offers lesson plans for K-12 classrooms as well as a certification program for teachers.
User Review: NLPed posted on Amazon: “I am a school teacher and got a Dremel DigiLab 3D45 for my classroom. It is a fantastic printer. I am new to the 3D printing world and it is very user friendly. It is easy to change the filament and it is also self-leveling and will detect the type of filament so that you don’t have to input the settings each time you change your filament. I have friends that have older versions and they love the glass building platform that I have because it does not require plastic sheets to be applied before building. The software is great and there are helpful videos on the Dremel website.”
Price: $1,999
Buy it: Dremel DigiLab 3D45-01 3D Printer at Amazon
More 3D Printers for Kids
Toybox 3D 1-Touch Kid-Friendly Printer
This innovative and user-friendly 3D printer for kids stands out for its simplicity and safety. The one-touch interface is great for younger users, and the child-friendly library allows them to easily choose from a variety of toys and objects to print. This printer uses nontoxic, biodegradable materials to create a safer printing environment.
User Review: Megan Harlow posted on Amazon: “It’s awesome but need adult help. It is pretty cool with very easy setup. But to actually operate my kids printed and then it quickly got off alignment. You do really need an adult or maybe a young teen who is tech savvy to operate. I was dreaming it was easy enough for kids to use solo at 10 and 9, but not quite that easy.”
Price: $299
Buy it: Toybox 3D 1-Touch Kid-Friendly Printer at Amazon
ELEGOO Saturn 3 MSLA 3D Printer
john with a jeep, product review via Amazon
One of the most notable features of this kid-friendly model is that it has a large build volume. This means that you can easily make larger creations, so no need to limit your imagination! It’s perfect for making everything from jewelry to bigger toys or even mini sculptures. Quality isn’t sacrificed for size, however. This printer makes super-detailed prints, so your creations will look amazing!
User Review: Jodi posted on Amazon: “This printer will produce amazing prints right out of the box. I’ve owned about 12 different resin printers over the years and for the money this thing performs amazingly well. Prints come out crisp, clean and detailed. Don’t look for super speed but in my opinion I’d rather have a detailed print vs a fast print. I personally like the ball end for leveling the plate as sometimes with printers that use brackets with 4 screws they can bend or warp, making leveling difficult, but with the ball end it’s super easy and straightforward. Knob for attaching the plate to the gantry is HUGE and easy to grip, and the inclusion of the carbon filter is nice … Overall I’d give this printer a 9/10 for a basic no-frills printer and would definitely recommend this to a newcomer or a seasoned printer.”
Price: $379.99
Buy it: ELEGOO Saturn 3 MSLA 3D Printer at Amazon
Entina Tina2S 3D Printer
Alisha, product review via Amazon
This is a fantastic option for anyone looking for affordable, space-saving, and easy-to-use 3D printers for kids. From its simple setup process to its easy-to-use interface, this efficient printer is designed to reduce frustration so you can focus on creativity and fun!
User Review: The Ninetails Trader posted on Amazon: “It’s small, but it’s a solid work horse.” This teacher explains, “These small and cheap 3D printers have been a pain to work with in the past. The phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ comes to mind, many times, but not with this 3D printer. I am shocked and surprised how well this thing works. Simple settings and controls, simple loading and unloading, print quality has been surprising in some cases and it’s been simple to introduce and teach students about 3D printing with this. No lie, I’m planning on buying 2 more for work and practice. I’m very happy with this printer. It’s a near flawless example of a good and cheap introduction 3D printer!”
Price: $186
Buy it: Entina Tina2S 3D Printer at Amazon
Has your school invested in 3D printers for kids? Come share your experiences in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, if you liked this list of 3D printers for kids, check out the Best Large-Format Printers for School Posters and More.
