While some popular tablets out there can be used by young kids as well thanks to their strong parental controls, getting your little one a tablet specially designed for them can be a really good idea as they are a great way for them to learn to use electronic devices with a touch-screen interface and a simpler operating system.
In addition to that, kids’ tablets also always feature comprehensive parental controls that will keep your offspring from making in-app purchases or browsing websites made for adults so you can rest assured that you will not go wrong no matter which one you pick!
Regardless, there are still many options on the market, which is why you might need some help choosing the one best for you and your little ones!
After all, electronic devices are quite varied in terms of durability, features, apps, performance, and more!
With that being said, here are some of the most important things you should know about kids’ tablets before purchasing one!
First of all, tablets specifically made for kids tend to be much sturdier than those made for adults.
After all, there is no secret that young ones are prone to breaking things so getting a device that suits their developmental stage is a great idea.
Furthermore, they are also more accessible due to using older or lower-specs processors, which may sound bad but it’s more than fine for a child.
In spite of the performance specifications being lower, such tablets still work perfectly for playing games, reading books, watching movies, or listening to music, which are the most likely activities young ones use such a device for in the first place!
As mentioned before, they also come with really important parental controls as an integral and crucial part of their very design so you can rest assured your little one will not be exposed to anything they are not supposed to see or do online yet.
All in all, getting them a tablet made for kids rather than one that anyone can use is obviously useful but you might be debating whether they need one at all!
Well, if you travel a lot with your young ones and are stuck on the road, or, on the contrary, they are stuck in the house for long periods of time, a tablet will keep them busy, entertained and help them learn a lot of mental skills at the same time!
Before buying a kids’ tablet, it is also important to consider what they are most likely to use it for.
For instance, Amazon Kindle Kids Edition could be a great pick if your little one loves to read a lot.
On the other hand, if they are passionate gamers, you should probably go for something like Switch Lite instead.
At the end of the day, many brands such as Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and Amazon offer great kids’ options which is both good news as well as quite a hassle to choose, which is why this guide is here to provide you with precious information and a variety of options from all of these brands and more no matter what you are looking for!
All of them come with durable and comprehensive parental controls, great battery life, protective covers and more, all the other specifications only adding more use and performance to your ideal kids’ tablet!
Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet
The Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet comes with damage protection so you can rest assured that it will survive all kinds of accidents while your little one uses it.
The parental controls are also robust and reliable.
Just keep in mind that this tablet does not have access to Play Store so you won’t be able to download any new apps.
The screen measures 8 inches, the battery life is 10 hours and it has 32 GB of storage in addition to supporting microSD cards for additional space for games and movies.
Furthermore, it comes with a 2 years-long warranty, which covers accidental damage and has a very robust build that will ensure it doesn’t get broken the minute you hand it to your young child.
In addition to that, it also features a foam case that provides some extra protection from scratches and drops and comes in fun colors as well!
Another advantage is that you can change the user experience depending on the person using the tablet, be it a kid, a teenager or the parents!
This is a great feature that iPads lack so if you want something the whole family can use, this tablet is a great option to consider.
The parent can set their unique preferences that limit usage, completely block purchases and keep your little one from stumbling onto age-restricted content.
Finally, you’ll be pleased to learn that Amazon even offers their buyers a 1 year long subscription to Amazon Kids+, a content library that provides the little ones with access to thousands of age appropriate books, videos, games and other fun and useful apps.
iPad mini
The iPad mini comes with an extensive collection of apps and thanks to the great processor it is also a fast device that will cause no frustration while in use.
On the other hand, however, the operating system is single-use and the parental controls are rather lacking when compared to some other devices on this list.
It comes with 64 or 256GB of storage and the screen measures 8.3 inches.
The battery lasts around 10 hours.
Furthermore, the operating system is definitely one of the best on the market.
While it is definitely solid, it does not feel too heavy. Besides, there are many great quality cases available for it that will keep it from breaking when your little one drops it.
Another advantage of purchasing this device is that Apple’s App Store features a huge selection of apps, games and all kinds of educational content.
On the other hand, as mentioned before, if you are especially worried about parental control, you might want to pick another option.
This is because while the iPad mini comes with a few settings meant to prevent the young one from making in-app purchases or accessing inappropriate content, the parental controls are harder to find and set up.
Furthermore, it also does not support multiple user accounts which means it will be more difficult to share the device between siblings of different ages or between kids and parents.
Thankfully, you can actually set a specific daily time for any app or app category such as social media, games or movies on an iPad, which is obviously quite useful.
Once that allotted time runs out, the device blocks all access to those apps that had been accessible to your little one.
Furthermore, the child can request time extensions, something that appears as a notification on your own iOS device, making everything easy and straightforward.
At the same time, the notifications, if many, are pretty annoying and can lead to the parent caving in and allowing their child more time on their favorite apps even when that may not be advisable so be careful about that!
Samsung Tab A7 Lite
The Samsung Tab A7 Lite comes with full access to the Google Play store but does not feature a bumper case.
Still, you can find a variety of options online so it shouldn’t be a huge deterrent.
The screen measures 8.7 inches and the storage is either 32 or 64GB depending on your needs and wishes.
Furthermore, this device has an impressive 13 hour battery life!
The Galaxy Tab A7 Lite tablet from Samsung is also really lightweight, perfect for little kids.
In addition to that, the generous display is bright, making it ideal for watching Netflix or reading under the covers.
This device may be a great choice if you are looking for a tablet for your teen as it allows them to install all kinds of social media apps, running multiple apps at the same time as well as play games!
With that being said, the parental controls may not be as thorough as you’d expect.
On the other hand, parents can actually install Samsung Kids on it, which is a really extensive library filled with books, educational games and kid-friendly videos, all easy to control and monitor.
It features dual cameras which is super useful for Skyping their grandparents or classmates or even for making YouTube videos if you’re into that!
The tablet also includes 4GB of RAM and expandable memory.
LeapPad Academy Tablet
The LeapPad Academy Tablet is perfect for your child if you are looking for something that will enhance their learning and education.
That’s because nearly everything on this tablet has an educational component although some of the content needs a paid subscription to access.
The screen measures 7 inches, the battery lasts for 7 hours and it has 16 GB of storage.
This device is bound to adapt to your kid’s learning level, being able to adjust the skill for a variety of game and activity apps.
Not only that but, the screen is pretty much shatterproof so you don’t have to worry about your little one breaking the tablet by mistake.
It also comes with a kickstand, which is more than perfect for watching videos comfortably.
The product will challenge your child by encouraging and helping them to explore a variety of learning topics such as reading, spelling, science, writing, math and even coding!
While there are many activities to explore, just keep in mind that if they get tired of the preinstalled options, you will need to pay a monthly subscription that costs $8 for more!
It runs a modified version of Android, making it easier to navigate for the young ones and also comes with a kid safe browser and parental controls.
It has to be mentioned, however, that this brand uses less powerful processors which means that the product can sometimes be a bit slow when it comes to some apps.
Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet
The Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet has a larger, 10.1 inches screen, which makes it ideal for reading comics, and picture books and for watching videos!
The design is more bulky, which is perfect for little kids but at the same time, it makes it a bit less portable.
It has 32GB of storage and the battery lasts for no less than 12 hours!
It is also equipped with a very fast processor so it can easily handle all kinds of apps including Microsoft Office Mobile and Zoom!
The tablet has also been designed with powerful front-facing speakers and the 1,920 x 1,200 resolution makes for a much more enjoyable experience watching movies and other video content.
Not only that but, the bigger screen obviously makes for a better gaming experience as well as reading picture books and comics.
Finally, it comes with a 2 year long warranty, features easy to use parental controls and also includes access to Amazon’s Kids+ service!
Samsung Galaxy Tab E
The Samsung Galaxy Tab E is a fast processing tablet thanks to the Android 5.1 operating system, with a large and great quality screen and dual cameras.
On the other hand, however, you should know that this product has not been created specifically for children and is not as durable as some other devices on this list.
The display measures 6 inches and there are 16GB of internal storage.
While it may not have been designed to be used by children alone, it is still quite child-friendly, making it one of the best choices out there.
But what makes it so great is the fact that it has a great display and a pretty large 9.6 inches screen, which makes it the ideal pick for movie watching and playing games.
Furthermore, thanks to the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, your child can access many age-appropriate games, educational content and all sorts of apps.
And for even more learning apps and entertainment possibilities, you can always subscribe to Samsung Kids!
All in all, this tablet is the perfect mix of a powerful piece of technology and a straightforward interface, suitable for young ones. At the same time, it can be used just as much by the parents since it wasn’t created specifically for children!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5E comes with great internal storage space (128 GB), has an impressively large display (5-inch AMOLED) and even features an S Pen!
Not only that but it also includes smart connectivity, some of the newest technology and is super lightweight!
On the other hand, this option may be a bit too advanced for really young kids so keep that in mind.
It can even make and take phone calls which can be quite useful for your little one as well.
Basically, this impressive device can do anything thanks to the high-end technology it features.
As mentioned before, this device is also really slim and lightweight in addition to having so much to offer.
While it may not be the best idea to get your child such an advanced tablet, especially if they are really young, the advantage is that this is a device both the young ones and their parents can enjoy just as much so it can still be worth the investment for you.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S5E has an impressive 10.5-inch screen that features one of the most vivid and clearest displays on the market which means it’s the perfect choice for video watching and playing games.
The technical specs are super high as well! In addition to the 128GB memory, it also boasts a dual 2.0 GHz processor, great audio quality and as a bonus, it comes with an S Pen that your little artist can use to draw some masterpieces or take notes at school!
Because of all of these great features, this tablet can be customized to fit anyone, no matter their interests or needs!
Furthermore, you can also access Samsung Kids and the parental controls are excellent as well!
All in all, this is a fast running tablet that can do pretty much anything.
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) comes with some fun Alexa features and has an impressively long battery life.
Just keep in mind that the screen is not the best out there and the tablet itself is not necessarily kids-focused.
As mentioned, the battery lasts for a long time, almost 14 hours, to be exact! That is obviously more than enough to keep both you and your young ones busy all throughout the day without a single charge!
You can just charge it at night and have it ready for another day in the morning which is undoubtedly convenient.
But the real star of this device is Alexa!
You can even command the digital assistant to turn on Slow Mode, which is able to turn the tablet into a smart display!
If you purchase the Plus model, you can place it on the wireless charging dock and turn the tablet into an Echo Show-like device.
Alexa is even useful in the kitchen! If you want to teach your kids how to cook, or use the tablet yourself, just ask the assistant for any recipe and a number of great options will pop up for you!
After selecting the recipe you wish you try, Alexa will then walk you through it all step by step, making the whole process as easy and fun as possible!
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro
The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro has a really impressive screen as well as a long lasting battery and crisp quad speakers in addition to also being designed to be sleek and lightweight.
This device has the proper hardware to be a great entertainment source and also super portable.
It features four stereo speakers on both sides of its high quality OLED screen, making it the perfect device for binge watching!
Not only that but this brand has some software tools able to turn the tablet into a perfect workstation if you connect a keyboard to it.
Kurio Tab Connect
The Kurio Tab Connect comes with Google Play Store and is really robust so it will be able to withstand all kinds of knocks and drops and temper tantrums.
On the other hand, keep in mind that while the design is perfect for a really young child, they will soon outgrow it so it may not be a device they will want to use for years.
Since the brand specializes in making tech specifically for children, the parental controls are also top notch, allowing you to lock it down as much as you consider, keeping your little one totally safe from inappropriate content while using the tablet.
While the hardware is a little dated, the Android-based tablet is still quite capable.
The speed is not super impressive but this is still a perfect device for really young children, especially as a first ever tablet for them.
LENOVO TAB M10 FHD PLUS
The LENOVO TAB M10 FHD PLUS has a dedicated kid’s mode and comes with a charging dock.
It is a great choice for families as it can be used by all ages be it kids, teens or adults, delivering a great all-around package for everyone.
The design looks quite premium as well and offers an impressive 10.3-inch IPS Full HD 1920 x 1200 resolution screen which is great for streaming movies and shows on different platforms.
As mentioned before, there is a special Kid’s Mode that is able to prevent access via a pin-code protected lock.
As part of the Kid’s Mode, there are games, videos, cartoons and audio content specifically made for kids as well as a number of age-appropriate apps, both free and which require pay.
The cameras this tablet features are a basic 8MP rear and 5MP front.
