Should You Buy Your Kid a 3D Printer? What to Know and Consider (2026)

Courtesy of Elegoo Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story I was reluctant to get a 3D printer for my 11-year-old daughter. Perhaps I was being selfish, but, like a lot of parents, I spent the entire Christmas season dreading the phrase “some assembly required.” I didn't know much about 3D printing beyond reading stories by tabletop gamers and Starbucks about its various uses. I do not aspire to play Warhammer or construct a coffee shop, and since I play with and assemble gadgets for work, I do not enjoy doing it recreationally.

But my 11-year-old daughter and her friends are into 3D printing. They're forever buying and trading 3D-printed critters. She got a 3D printer pen last summer and spent a few weeks playing with it. By the time she started asking for a 3D printer, she already knew all about Thingiverse and Printables and had ideas about what she would want to print with her very own machine.

If you're a technical person or have done some 3D printing yourself, you may be surprised to learn that many parents aren't so sure they want to get involved in this trend. It's a common enough conundrum that a number of Reddit threads function as forums for adults questioning whether elementary-school-age children can use a printer on their own. I found the answers there mostly unsatisfying, as the Redditors tended to immediately jump into semi-technical advice (“Don't get them a resin printer, stick to PLA, PETG, and TPU!”) that doesn't really answer the question for a normie.