Greg as a kid I also loved my camera. Got a really old one as a toddler. It had film and you had to drag and push the camera to move to the next frame. Also had a flash with 5 individual bulbs. Each one could be used once, then broke.
View attachment 15362
Something like this, if not exactly that one.
After that I loved my grandfathers polaroid camera. And when i was around 10 I got my first real digicam. I loved it, also made some movies with friends. You just need them to start out young.
The first picture I can remember which I took myself and got printed by my parents was with the first camera. An underexposed and extremely blurry slug. I think the blur was so extreme that it looked like it had cartoonish speed lines. I'll probably never find that one again.
Good times.