Finding the Best RC Helicopter for Kids to Explore the Skies

Kids love playing with vehicles. Whether it’s a toy RC car, a toy truck, an RC boat, a LEGO motorbike or anything in between, kids just can’t seem to get enough. However, some kids have the urge and desire to take this passion for vehicles to the next level.

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If your child has a need for speed and feels like they’ve conquered the land, now is the time to tackle the sky. Fortunately, your kid’s feet don’t need to leave the ground in order for them to do so.

An RC helicopter has been an extremely popular toy among children for decades, but instead of going out and getting them an enthusiast’s model that can cost in the thousands of dollars, it’s probably best to start small with an RC helicopter made for kids to enjoy.

My 7 Favorite RC Helicopter Toys for Kids

It’s safe to say that most parents don’t know that much about RC helicopters. So when you’re ready to get suited up and take to the skies, here are some of the best RC helicopters available, specifically designed for your children and with their entertainment and safety in mind.

1. Syma S109G 3.5 Channel RC Helicopter (with Gyro)

When most kids think of a remote-controlled helicopter, many will automatically think of a military-style helicopter flying overhead, scouting out locations and enemy troops for the rest of the team. Now your children can take full control of this aspect of warfare with their own helicopter.

This Syma Helicopter is by far one of my favorites since it comes with so many features. The leading feature must be the built-in gyro. Just like a gyro on your smartphone, this helicopter can detect what angle it’s flying at, allowing it to correct itself, so it automatically stays level at all times.

The gyro makes this helicopter incredibly easy to fly and, therefore, great for children who are flying their helicopter for the first time, or any beginners in the family for that matter.

What’s Great About It: As a military-style helicopter, you’d expect some military-styled decals, which is exactly what you’ll find here. The entire helicopter is sprayed with a beautiful camouflaged green with a ton of stickers including safety warnings, eyes, and mouths.

2. Syma S107G 3 Channel RC Helicopter with Gyro

If you’re looking for something that is a little bit more recreational rather than military-themed, but still want your child to experience the great features that the Syma helicopter comes with, then you’re in luck.

Another awesome little helicopter by the Syma Company, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of a gyro-enabled helicopter with not one, not two, but three blades that help your children to really catch some air.

Just like the Syma helicopter above, this helicopter is ridiculously simple and easy to fly, meaning that your children can concentrate on having fun, rather than trying to learn how to fly it.

Each helicopter comes with its own rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery which has fast recharge times and long flights time, and there are even five awesome colors to choose from, making it easy for you and your children to find the one you like the most.

What’s Great About It: As one of the best RC helicopters out there, your children will be able to enjoy a great flying distance of around 10 meters. You can also make sure that the fun doesn’t end there with a full flight time of 10 minutes on just a half an hour charge, which means that you can keep playing all day long.

3. GPTOYS G610 11” Durant Infrared Helicopter with Gyro

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, while still being just as easy to use, why not check out this awesome helicopter by GPTOYS. This is one of my personal favorites because it has a three-channel controller.

This means that you can actually fly up to three helicopters at the same time. Because RC helicopters don’t tend to have a lot of battery life, because they have to remain lightweight, this means you can get three separate helicopters for non-stop flying fun all afternoon.

As you would expect from a child-friendly helicopter, there’s a built-in gyro that helps to keep the helicopter level while flying in one of six directions. This makes sure that your children have complete freedom wherever the helicopter flies.

What’s Great About It: This helicopter has a flying time of eight minutes on a 30 to 50 minute battery charge. This helicopter can also be recharged using a standard USB cable, which means that you can plug it in to charge wherever you are, whether it’s in the car or at home, using a laptop or even a portable battery pack.

​4. Hero RC 2/4Ghz iRocket 4 Channel Ready to Fly

Unlike hobbyists who take their time to set up their RC helicopter and can take hours before flying it, your children are going to want something that’s ready to go at a moment’s notice.

And that’s exactly what the Hero RC Helicopter excels at. With the ability to fly safely both indoors and outdoors, this small and lightweight model is perfect as a first time remote-control vehicle. The helicopter features two main blades with a smaller one on the tail.

In short, this helicopter is designed to give your child the easiest and most enjoyable flying experience possible. Unlike most helicopters, this one has an outstanding flight range and can go all the way up to 80 meters away, making it perfect for long flights in the park or on the beach.

What’s Great About It: What makes this helicopter super special is the remote control itself. With this controller, you’ll be able to see all of the relevant information that you need to know about the helicopter on a crisp and clear LCD display built right into the handset.

​5. Syma S102G Army Force 7.5 IR RC Helicopter

As you can see, Syma is a reoccurring brand that keeps popping up, simply because it’s one of the best. And this is no exception when it comes to this Army Force helicopter, one of the beefiest RC helicopters I have ever seen.

This model is designed to authentically replicate the real-life Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter, and Syma has spared no expense when it comes to the detail of this vehicle. It includes all of the stickers, decals and military signage that you’d expect from an army helicopter, giving your children a true-to-life flying experience.

As you’d expect from a Syma helicopter, there’s a built-in electronic gyroscope which keeps the helicopter steady while it’s flying, meaning your children only ever have to concentrate on where they want it to go.

​There’s also a built-in infrared system that controls the gyro as well as three other aspects of the helicopter, such as the adjustable trim control. This may all sound technical, but you’ll soon discover the joys of these additional features once you’re up in the air.

What’s Great About It: What I love about this helicopter is that it’s not technically remote controlled, it’s infrared. Although this sadly means you won’t want to take it outside, otherwise it can lose range easily; it does mean that it’s perfectly suitable to fly indoors, even on rainy days. You could even build an obstacle course for your child to fly their helicopter around.

​6. Mini Drone Headless RC Quadcopter for Kids

Okay, so I know this isn’t really a helicopter, but it’s so awesome that I had to include it on my list. Drones are all the rage right now, so why not treat your child to this awesome Mini Drone? If you are not sure whether they’ll like a drone, fear not – they will.

This little drone is packed full of features that your kids are going to love. For example, when they are flying around, and they want the drone to come back to them, they simply click a button on the control, and it does just that. Do they want to do a 360° spin in the air, but don’t know how? No need to worry because there’s a button for that too.

What makes this drone especially great for the kids is that it has a built-in 6-way gyroscope, so it stays upright while in flight while giving your children accurate and responsive controls.

This drone is extremely lightweight so it’s recommended that you fly it indoors since it can be affected by the wind, even if it’s just a light breeze. But it’s suitable for the whole family, so why not make a day of it.

What’s Great About It: It can be hard to top all these amazing features, but there is more. Considering safety and your children’s hair getting caught, the drone control has an emergency stop button within easy reach. If you or the operator thinks there is going to be a problem, you can stop it before it happens.

7. EXCOUP RC Helicopter for Kids

To conclude my list of some of the best RC helicopters out there today, I’ve chosen a helicopter which is easily one of the best and most popular. With a striking and vibrant red design, this RC helicopter is fun, easy to use and sure to fill up many afternoons with smiles and laughter.

This is the updated model from the previous version, and there’s a lot to show for it. The Excoup helicopter can travel in any direction that you want it to, making it perfect for flying experts or beginners alike.

Of course, built into the helicopter, you’ll find an electronic, infrared gyroscope that’s perfect for ensuring that the helicopter stays upright and stable at all times during the flight.

This outstanding level of stability is continued with the co-axial rotors which work in time with each other to make sure that the helicopter is level while minimizing the risk of crashing.

However, as with any child-friendly remote-control vehicle, there’s going to be times when it does crash. With this in mind, the Excoup helicopter is made from extremely durable and flexible plastics, meaning it doesn’t matter how many time it crashes, you can simply pick it up and fly all over again.

What’s Great About It: What I personally think is great about this remote-control helicopter is the flashing LED lights that are built into the helicopter itself. This is just like a normal helicopter with green and red lights which flash during the flight, making sure that other air vehicles are aware of the helicopter’s location, creating an even more realistic flight experience for your child.

Why Are Remote Controlled Helicopters Such a Good Toy?

Many parents feel like remote controlled helicopters are only something that die-hard hobbyists save up all their money to buy and build, and then spend their days flying them around a field. However, this isn’t the case, and there are a ton of benefits that you and your children can enjoy from getting one.

Develop Social Skills

Let’s say your children have their friends over and they’re looking for something to do. I bet you can’t imagine that very many children are going to say no to flying a remote-controlled helicopter around. That’s because the chances are that there are going to be none of them.

Flying a helicopter is such a social event, and when everybody shares and has an equal go, your child can spend countless afternoons simply having fun while developing their social interaction skills.

Enhances Hand-Eye Coordination

As you would expect, one of the most obvious benefits that flying a helicopter has is improving your child’s hand-eye coordination skills. To fly a helicopter successfully, you can’t simply watch what your hands are doing the whole time. You need to focus on the helicopter itself.

That makes flying a helicopter such as the ones I have listed perfect for improving and enhancing these motor skills as your child makes tiny adjustments with their fingers to fly the helicopter properly and safely.

It’s Great for Hyperactive Kids

One of the best features that I personally love about remote-controlled helicopters is just how relaxing it can be. Seeing a helicopter floating and flying gently through the sky, even if it’s a military helicopter, has a somewhat serene feeling to it.

So, if you’ve got a hyperactive child or two that need a bit of time to unwind and de-stress, what better way is there to do that than flying a remote-controlled helicopter.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to let your child take to the skies with a new experience that they’re bound to fall in love with, treat them to their very own remote-controlled helicopter, the perfect gift to get them off the screens, which will allow them to experience the world around them.