Features worth having:

- Silicone jacket: The number-one durability feature. Buy a model with a silicone shell.

- USB-C charging: Newer models use USB-C instead of Micro USB. USB-C is more durable and reversible, and likely matches more of your existing cables.

- Auto-focus (basic): Fixed-focus cameras can produce blurry photos at close range. A camera with even basic contrast-detection autofocus improves the hit rate significantly.

- Large, well-spaced buttons: Children's fine motor skills are still developing. Buttons should be large, tactile, and not prone to accidental double-presses.

- Simple icon interface: Text-heavy menus defeat the purpose. Icon-based navigation that a pre-literate child can understand is the right design.

Features to be skeptical of:

- "48 MP" or higher claims on sub-$40 cameras: The actual sensor resolution may be 8 MP or 12 MP; the 48 MP is software interpolation that adds no real detail.

- "20× digital zoom": Digital zoom just crops the image, reducing quality. It is not a meaningful feature. Look for optical zoom if magnification matters.

- "Wi-Fi transfer app": Often buggy on budget hardware. A USB cable is more reliable.

- Too many games: A handful is fine. If the listing reads like a game console spec sheet, the camera likely comes from a factory that repurposes generic handheld gaming hardware — and the camera quality will reflect that.