In the good old days, sewing was a tradition most families passed from generation to generation, and it is not uncommon to teach sewing to every family member.
It is a tradition that needs preserving, and for many generations, both a source of income and a way of family bonding.
The tradition continues for many today, but even kids can learn sewing.
Sewing is fun, an activity enriching, and worthwhile; kids will surely love it, especially with sewing machines having the most advanced features today.
But what is the best sewing machine for kids?
There are some prime candidates, but before that, let us first discuss what makes sewing machines for kids unique.
The Sewing Machine For Kids
Kids are not advanced or even intermediate users; they are beginners and a particular type of beginners.
They have an outlook and approach that may differ from us adults, so their machines would look much different.
The look and appearance of the sewing machine are critical to them, and the more it appeals to the child, the better.
But having an appealing one must also serve the child’s needs and, thus, be practical.
It must nurture the child’s interest in sewing, an appealing sewing machine with dull features will be like a toy that is appealing and nothing more.
So features are essential, but more so is its ability to teach sewing skills.
What they need are just enough features for them to learn and, at the same time, keep them interested.
The important thing for a machine, then, more than utility, is its ability to keep the desire for learning and sewing burning in a child’s heart.
Read This Also: What can sewing teach your children?
The Best Sewing Machine For Kids: Our Top Picks
Among the best sewing machines for kids from which you can choose are:
1. Magicfly Mini Sewing Machine
If you want the best introductory sewing machine for your kids, one that is very cute, lightweight, and affordable, better start with the Magicfly Mini Sewing Machine.
It has everything your kid needs: battery power, a working area, and enough features to train your child to sew and has many accessories, like 36 bobbins and five needles.
But aside from being kid-friendly, this one is also the ideal companion for travel and mini repairs.
You will find this portable sewing machine handy if you need to bring your child to a sewing class or do some repairs.
Pros
- It is very lightweight at 1 kilo and very portable for its size.
- It comes with many accessories.
- It can be battery-powered.
- It has high and low-speed options, which are ideal for your kid.
- It has an excellent threading guide that helps your kid thread quickly.
- It is very much affordable.
Cons
- Not many options for this child sewing machine.
Verdict: This one is ideal for kids who will genuinely engage in sewing for the first time.
Your kid can bring it to the sewing class, and with its features and learning accessories, you need not worry much about the kid’s learning curve.
As such, it might not suit children who want a sewing machine that has better options.
It might suffice for adults wanting to do repairs and have a pastime.
2. Janome Basic Sewing Machine: Best Value
If you want one that can teach the kids the sewing basics, has accessories, has some options, is lightweight and portable, and is very affordable, too, then go for this one.
This reliable child sewing machine from Janome offers just about a bit of everything while not paying that much.
It is very light at five pounds; you can bring it anywhere, but it offers 14 stitches; it comes with only one presser foot but has many accessories like a bobbin set and needles.
The best thing is that it has a finger guard for safety and a built-in accessory drawer to store the sewing kit for your kids.
Pros
- It is very lightweight and portable, ideal for a sewing class for kids.
- It provides just the suitable options for kids to learn sewing.
- It has excellent accessories for your kids
- It has some safety features.
- It is very much affordable.
Cons
- It has a small working area.
Verdict: Aside from everything it offers, the best thing about it is that it comes from Janome, the ever-reliable sewing machine brand.
And having it at a very affordable price makes it attractive for most parents.
But the features themselves make it ideal for the kids, they do not offer many options, but they offer enough stitches to learn the sewing basics.
3. Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine: Best Overall
This one would top it all when talking about price, options, durability, operability, and everything else for your kid.
All the features make learning easier for your kid, while the sewing machine doubles on the fun and excitement.
Brother XM2701 usually makes it to the best beginner’s list for adults, but with Brother sewing machines being famous for easy operability, this one is easy for kids.
It gives kids many sewing options and accessories that will allow them to experiment more and sew.
Pros
- It has 27 built-in stitches.
- It has a lot of accessories, the most important being the six accessory sewing feet like a zipper foot, buttonhole foot, and others.
- The LED-lit area allows greater visibility for kids.
- The bobbin system and automatic needle threader are excellent.
- It is jam-resistant.
- It is very light and portable.
Cons
- The options are better for kids with adequate skills.
- It might be a bit expensive for a child sewing machine.
Verdict: The best thing about Brother XM2701 is that kids with enough skills will never get bored using this one.
It has many options and several accessory feet for experimenting with sewing.
Despite those things, the machine is not that challenging, the features are elementary to use and master, and the dial is of great help.
Topping it all, at above a hundred dollars, it is a durable kids’ sewing machine; hence, it is best for kids overall.
4. Brother XM1010: Best Transition
If your kid is already bored with a beginner sewing machine and wants more action but is not yet adept at handling more advanced sewing machines, this other Brother sewing machine will help him transition.
It has just enough features to polish the skills, and at the same time, offers few options.
It has ten built-in stitches but includes utility and decorative stitches to handle any sewing project. It has four sewing feet and a free arm to allow your kid to work on a larger sewing area.
And, at below 11 pounds, considerably light, ideal for attending a sewing class.
Pros
- It is easy to use and operate.
- It has an excellent design that will appeal to most kids.
- The features are exact to handle kids in transition.
- It has a nice set of accessories: the four presser feet and the free arm.
- It has an excellent lighting system for greater visibility.
Cons
- Only for kids with specific skills; options are either too many and complicated for the unskilled or too few for truly skilled ones.
- It has a manual threading system.
Verdict: It does not offer that much, but for some kids who need to transition, what Brother XM101 has is more than enough.
It does not overwhelm but offers a bit of everything, whether stitches or presser foot, and has essential accessories to facilitate learning further.
5. Singer 1304: Most Durable
If you want your kids to enjoy sewing and have fun with a few built-in stitches and a couple of accessory feet while bringing it anywhere, Singer 1304 is ideal.
It is light and portable at seven pounds, has an excellent dial for a few options, and includes various accessories like three sewing feet and a free arm.
And with Singer, you can know it is durable and reliable, with its metal frame, not unlike those Singer sewing machines for adults.
With Singer 1304, you can indeed have one that is long-lasting, enough for use up till adolescence.
Pros
- It is easy to use and operate.
- It is very sturdy, reliable, and durable.
- It is very easy to thread.
- It has six built-in stitches but offers the essentials like zigzag and blind hem.
- It has three presser feet included.
- It is very lightweight and portable.
Cons
- There are some problems with bobbin tension.
Verdict: The best thing about Singer sewing machines is durability and power, which Singer 1304 also has.
You can be sure that your kid will have an available sewing machine for learning for years to come.
Things You Need To Consider
As we said, a child sewing machine differs from our regular ones. So here are the things you need to consider before buying one for your kids.
Operability and Reliability
The first thing to consider is how easy it is to operate for kids and how reliable it is.
Having kids engaged in sewing is very important; you won half the battle already here, so if you have an uncomplicated, fun sewing machine that does not irritate, better.
And with them being kids, you want them to learn as quickly as possible, talking about sewing, so you need them to handle it immediately.
There is no use wasting time on other features, at least not yet; concentrating on their skills and polishing them should be the consideration.
Stitch Option and Others
Having more stitch options is better if you are an advanced sewist, but that may not be the case for beginners and children.
They need basic options, the fundamental ones that need mastering to further progress in sewing.
Depending on your child’s sewing skills and expertise, you can choose one with many options or just a few basic ones.
It is the same with the available features: too many might overwhelm the kid.
A sewing machine with simpler stitches, like a straight stitch, might be best; control devices like a dial might be a better option than those having buttons.
In this case, a computerized sewing machine may not be suitable for kids, especially those that have complicated instructions and provide too many options.
It is better, too, to have a speed control option so the kid can control the speed of the machine when sewing.
Looking at Safety
It is essential to look at the machine’s safety features, or if it has any, especially since you are dealing with needles, from threading to sewing.
We probably experienced being pricked while sewing once, but we must avoid this possibility for our kids.
Some have a finger guard, but if the machine does not, you can buy one for your child to ensure safety.
Conclusion
Sewing is probably the quintessential American tradition, but it does not mean you cannot have fun doing it, and kids have the most to enjoy while still learning.
It gives them another option for pastime, especially in this modern era where gadgets usually catch more attention.
As the buying guide has shown, you can have the best sewing machine for kids, making them more passionate about the activity while polishing their skills.
All you need to do is pick one appropriate for your child.