Hunting for treasure will keep kids entertained for hours. With a kids metal detector your child can explore in the garden, on the beach, in the local park and all sorts of healthy outdoor locations. If they’re lucky, they may even uncover old coins or valuable relics. And regardless of how successful their prospecting is, a spot of treasure hunting should be enough to spark a passionate interest in history and the environment.
A kids metal detector needs to be lightweight. Kids are not as strong as an adult is, so an adult-sized metal detector will be too heavy and difficult to swing around for them. Look for a product that is height adjustable and durable. It should also be easy to use and, preferably, self-calibrating. If you buy a kids metal detector that is too complicated, your child will soon lose interest, which is not really the point of the exercise!
Children should always be supervised when using metal detectors. You never know what they are going to find, so it is sensible to go treasure hunting together. That way, if they do manage to detect a treasure trove of gold coins, jewelry and ancient artifacts, you can help them dig up the booty. Here is our guide to 9 of the best child-friendly metal detectors.
Best Kids Metal Detector Toys
 | Pyle Treasure Hunting Hassle-Free Metal Detector | Check price at |
 | Pyle PHMD72 High Power Digital Metal Detector Lowest Price | Check price at |
 | National Geographic Metal Detector | Check price at |
 | American Hawks High Performance Basic Metal Detector | Check price at |
 | Outdoor Gold Hunter Coin Finder Metal Detector by Outsunny | Check price at |
1. Bounty Hunter BHJS Junior Metal Detector
The Bounty Hunter BHJS Junior Metal Detector is perfect for kids. This kids metal detector has a lightweight, ergonomically designed handle, so kids will be very comfortable handling it. The device can detect coin-sized metal objects up to 5” deep and larger pieces of metal up to 3 feet deep, but iron and other unwanted items will be discriminated against. The target indicator meter makes it easy to work out how close objects are.
2. Pyle Treasure Hunting Hassle-Free Metal Detector
The Pyle treasure hunting metal detector makes science and learning a lot of fun for kids. The device is really easy to use, even for younger kids. There is a built-in speaker and an LED light that ‘pings’ and flashes when treasure is nearby. Locating sensitivity is 3” max, but the metal detector will have no problem finding gold, silver and iron coins and treasure. Kids will have lots of fun with this handy gadget!
3. Kingdetector Junior Basic Metal Detector for Children
The Kingdetector junior basic metal detector for kids is a fun toy that is powerful enough to detect coin-sized objects buried up to 4” deep. The target indicator tells kids how close a buried object is and the discrimination control rules out iron objects and anything else unlikely to be buried treasure. The metal detector is easy to handle and comes with a one-year warranty against manufacturer defects.
4. Pyle PHMD72 High Power Digital Metal Detector
The Pyle PHMD72 is a high power digital metal detector that’s ideal for older kids and teenagers. Kids will be able search for and locate some serious treasure with this baby. It has 8-level sensitivity settings and a maximum depth of 9”. The built-in speaker ‘pings’ and alerts you to metal nearby and the digital ‘metal hit’ depth perception screen tells you how far to dig.
5. National Geographic Metal Detector
The National Geographic is everyone’s favorite animal, nature and culture resource, so a National Geographic branded metal detector is bound to be a good buy for kids. This is a super sensitive metal detector. It has a large search coil for more coverage and the detector can be converted to handheld use in awkward areas.
6. American Hawks High Performance Basic Metal Detector
The American Hawks High Performance basic metal detector is ideal for kids who want to go on a treasure hunt and parents who can’t afford to spend a fortune on a metal detector. The device has a buzzer and LED light alert when metal is detected and if a coin is buried 8” from the surface, your child will find it. The search coil is 100% waterproof, so this metal detector can be used in all weathers and in wet terrain. The stem is adjustable.
7. Citiwell Orbitor Deluxe Junior Metal Detector
The Citiwell Orbitor Deluxe Junior metal detector is perfect for kids aged 8 years and above. The shaft is removable so your child can convert it from an upright metal detector to a compact one. Sensitivity can be adjusted, as can the volume switch. The device is lightweight, so it is easy for kids to handle safely.
8. Outdoor Gold Hunter Coin Finder Metal Detector by Outsunny
If you are looking for a toy to encourage your kids to spend more time outdoors, the Outdoor Gold Hunter metal detector is a good buy. The handy display gauge tells your child when they have detected something interesting and the needle will move to indicate what type of metal has been found. There is a headphone jack so you can listen to alerts and the stem is adjustable to suit different heights. The metal detector will find most metals, but it is programmed to ignore iron and other unwanted items.
9. Bounty Hunter Time Ranger Metal Detector
The Bounty Hunter Time Ranger Metal Detector is the perfect detector for teenagers and kids who want to get serious with their prospecting. As a top of the line metal detector, the Time Ranger boasts a large, multifunction LCD readout with touchpad control that displays target ID, depth, sensitivity level, a ground balance monitor, iron level discrimination, and the battery level. This is the kids metal detector to take them to a whole new level!
Metal detectors are tremendous fun. You don’t need to spend a fortune to find a decent quality product, but the bigger your budget, the more features you will get.
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, Skakerman.