The top tablets for kids are easy to use and well-suited to younger users, with plenty of kid-friendly apps and useful parental controls. They’re also durable to hold up to mishaps and sticky fingers, as well as affordable so they won’t cost an arm and a leg to replace when accidents happen.
Good tablets for kids aren’t just another screen for cartoons and movies. They can also be an educational tool, gaming device, and a creative outlet for children of all ages. Older kids can also find tablets useful for schoolwork and hobbies. While tablets have their benefits, parent’s main concerns will be the safety and wellbeing of their little ones. We’ve rounded up the best tablets for kids for keeping younger family members learning and entertained.
— Best Overall: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet
— Best Value: Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (2nd Gen)
— Best Android: Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Android Tablet
— Best for Young Kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet
— Best for Older Kids: 2021 Apple iPad
How We Picked the Best Tablets for Kids
We considered a few key criteria when rounding up our best tablet for kids reviews. The best tablets for kids share many of the same features as a good regular tablet, including decent performance, good app availability, and a suitable size for your needs. Beyond that, parents look for a durable build and straightforward parental controls, at a reasonable price.
Performance
No matter the age, every tablet user wants one that can keep up with their needs. When evaluating tablets for kids, we considered how powerful the tablet needs to be to smoothly operate through common tasks. Younger children likely don’t need a tablet with a super powerful processor, but needs can change as kids get older. Older children and teens need a tablet that can power through more tasks so they can use the tablet for school work or creative outlets.
We also looked for tablets with a decent screen size and quality, as well as a long battery life (over 10 hours was ideal) so the tablet doesn’t need to be charged as often.
Durability
We chose high-quality tablets from reputable brands. These tablets have great build quality, and some also included kid-friendly rugged cases to keep the tablet intact.
Affordability
Kids break and outgrow things all the time, so it makes sense to err on the affordable side for children’s items. This is also true of tablets, so we prioritized affordability when looking for the best tablet for kids. Most kids won’t take advantage of expensive tablet features, so we chose tablets that balanced versatility, performance, and a reasonable price.
Parental Controls
Each of the tablets on this list have some type of parental controls or “Kids Mode” that is easily accessible. These controls give parents peace of mind, allowing them to monitor usage and keep kids safe.
Best Tablets for Kids: Reviews and Recommendations
Best Overall: Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet
Why It Made The Cut: This tablet boasts several kid-friendly features, including access to Amazon’s kid-friendly content, great parental controls, an included protective case, and a two-year warranty.
Specs:
— Screen Size: 10.1 inches
— Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
— Storage: 32 GB (gigabytes)
Pros:
— Designed for school-aged kids
— Robust parental controls
— Includes one year Amazon Kids+ subscription and kid-friendly protective case
— Two-year warranty
Cons:
— Lacks access to Google Play store
Designed for school-aged children, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet is the best tablet for kids ages 6 to 12. This tablet is near identical to one of Amazon’s top tablets for adults — the Amazon Fire HD 10 — just with a bunch of added kid-friendly features.
The tablet boasts the same performance specs as its adult version, with a reasonably fast octa-core processor, 3 gigabytes of RAM, and a vibrant, full HD 10.1-inch display. Dual cameras, a USB-C port, and expandable storage (up to 1TB) are also useful features. To suit kids, the tablet comes with a year of Amazon Kids+, parental controls, a kid-friendly protective case, and a two-year comprehensive warranty.
The included year-long Amazon Kids+ subscription gives kids access to over 20,000 apps, games, books, and more. The Kids Pro tablet also includes access to a parent-approved digital store. While this tablet (like all Amazon tablets) doesn’t have access to the Google Play store, many kids won’t notice. Since this tablet is designed for kids, it comes with excellent easily-accessible parental controls, with content controls, detailed usage histories, and limits and goals.
This tablet can also be suitable for kids outside of its intended 6 to 12 year age range, but parents with young kids might opt for the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet instead, which is best suited for kids ages 3 to 7.
Best Value: Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (2nd Gen)
Why It Made The Cut: This tablet boasts excellent performance, durable build, and a dedicated Kids Mode, making it a good pick for the entire family.
Specs:
— Screen Size: 10.3 inches
— Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
— Storage: 32, 64, or 128GB
Pros:
— Good display and sound quality
— Dedicated Kids Mode and decent parental controls
— Built-in eye protection technology
— Great for the whole family
— All-metal build
Cons:
— Battery life doesn’t impress
Barring any major accidents, a tablet for kids should last for several years, and a tablet that can support your child’s needs as they grow will offer more bang for your buck. With features for both younger and older children, the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus is the best value tablet for kids.
A dedicated Kids Mode makes this tablet a safe choice for kids. Like many tablets, this Kids Mode offers child-friendly videos, cartoons, games, and audio content. The Kids Mode is protected with a pin code to prevent curious little ones from exiting. Parents can also toggle parental control settings to manage what kids view and how long they use the tablet. Built-in eye-care protection technology helps to reduce eye strain when kids are zeroed in on the tablet.
This tablet doesn’t come with a protective case, but it does have a sleek and durable all-metal body. This tablet comes at a reasonable price for an all-rounder tablet and has access to a huge array of useful apps through the Google Play store.
While this tablet is not the most inexpensive tablet for kids, its versatility makes it an excellent choice to grow with young ones. Since this slate isn’t a kids-only tablet, it can be useful for parents as well. It features a 10.3-inch Full HD display with a thin bezel, dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, and speedy octa-core processor.
Best Android: Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Android Tablet
Why It Made The Cut: An appealing kids mode, good parental control and usage reports, and an immersive display makes this tablet a high-quality pick for kids and adults.
Specs:
— Screen Size: 10.5 inches
— Battery Life: N/A
— Storage: 32, 64, or 128 GB
Pros:
— Great performance
— Immersive screen and audio
— Nice build quality
— Access to Google Play store
Cons:
— Less than impressive cameras
When it comes to Android tablets, Samsung slates are a crowd favorite. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Android Tablet is a budget-friendly offering that is excellent for kids. Kids will enjoy access to Samsung Kids, which boasts a large library of child-friendly learning content, games, books, and videos. Improved parental control settings lets parents set limits on app access, contacts, and screen time, as well as lets parents monitor their kid’s tablet usage.
This tablet has great performance for its price point with the processing power and storage space to suit both children’s and adult’s needs. The 10.5-inch display has a slim bezel so viewers can feel fully immersed on the content on screen. Sound immersion is great on this tablet as well with quad speakers powered by Dolby Atmos surround sound.
A slim and durable metal body gives this tablet a premium feel, and adding a case will make it even more tough. Plus, Samsung tablets have access to the Google Play Store, so you’ll have much better app access with this tablet than with one of Amazon’s kid tablets.
Best for Young Kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet
Why It Made The Cut: Made for kids 3 to 7 years of age, this tablet is budget-friendly, very durable, and has parental controls locked down to keep young users safe.
Specs:
— Screen Size: 8 inches
— Battery Life: 12 hours
— Storage: 32GB
Pros:
— Durable with a protective case
— Good screen size for young kids
— Very affordable
— Enhanced parental controls
— Two-year comprehensive warranty
Cons:
— Clunky feel
— Only HD resolution
Balancing great performance, kid-friendly content, and a very affordable price, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet is the best tablet for young kids. This tablet is designed with kids ages 3 to 7 in mind. The 8-inch size is good for small hands, and the tablet comes with many of the appealing features of the larger (and more expensive) Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet.
Like the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet, this tablet also comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, a protective case (with a built-in stand), and Amazon’s two-year warranty. This tablet doesn’t have access to the Google Play store, but young users are least likely to care about this feature.
Robust parental controls allow parents to set the usual limits, as well as set educational goals, curfews, and manage content for up to four child profiles. The Amazon Kids (FreeTime) feature blocks kid’s access to social media and Alexa.
This tablet lacks some of the features of the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet: it doesn’t have the octa-core processor, full HD display, or access to the digital store — but these aren’t features that young kids will likely notice.
Best for Older Kids: 2021 Apple iPad
Why It Made The Cut: Excellent app access, a premium design, and stellar processing power makes the 2021 iPad the best choice for older kids.
Specs:
— Screen Size: 10.2 inches
— Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
— Storage: 64 or 256 GB
Pros:
— Huge app variety
— Great build quality
— Speedy performance
— Attractive interface
Cons:
— Expensive
The 2021 Apple iPad is one of the best tablets for pretty much anyone — kids and teens included. Older children and teens will gladly take advantage of the same features that makes this iPad a favorite for adults: its fast performance, sleek and durable build, and high-quality screen and cameras.
One of the iPad’s main draws is its excellent app selection, with access to pretty much any app a child or teen could need. Apple’s App Store has the major players, including streaming and social media apps, but also has a huge array of child-friendly apps. Useful options including kid-focused educational and gaming apps, as well as creative apps to nurture new hobbies.
The iPad is powerful enough to handle school work and a range of hobbies that might interest teens. It’s one of the top tablets for note-taking and drawing, photo and video editing, and making music. The iPad is the best tablet for older kids since it’s so versatile: it’s a tablet that children and teens can use for many years as their needs and interests change.
While the iPad is designed mainly for adults, it still has a decent array of parental controls. Parents can set content and privacy restrictions, limit purchases and app access, prevent access to sensitive content, and more.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Tablet for Kids
Durability
Kids and teens can be tough on their possessions. A good tablet for kids will tolerate daily use and abuse. Ideally, the tablet will include features like a crack-resistant screen and durable body (metal tends to fare better than plastic). Easy-to-find (sometimes included) protective case options and screen protectors can also boost durability and help parents protect pricey tablets. A kid-friendly warranty is an attractive perk to many parents.
Parental Controls
The most popular tablets for kids are often parent-approved because of their straightforward parental controls. The criteria for a safe tablet for kids depends on the age group. For younger children, robust parental controls offer peace of mind. Privacy, usage, and content controls ensure younger children only access kid-friendly content and don’t end up browsing where they shouldn’t be. Many kid tablets have controls built-in.
Older teens will likely prefer adult tablets with minimal parental controls, although screen time limits, purchase controls, and content controls can still be very useful.
App Accessibility
Apps are especially useful for younger users — many parents prefer their kids use approved apps rather than browse the web. Apple products come with the largest app library, filled with kid-friendly educational, creative, and gaming apps. Android and Windows lag behind Apple a bit in the apps department, but they still have more than enough app options for most uses.
Amazon makes excellent kid-friendly tablets, but their app range is comparatively lacking. Amazon tablets don’t have access to the Google Play Store and are missing some popular apps, including Google apps like Gmail and Google Docs. That being said, Amazon tablets still have okay app access, with plenty of Amazon media and books that appeal to younger kids.
Performance
While performance is less important to kids than adults, it is still a feature to consider, especially for older children. Consider screen size, battery life, and speed when looking at performance. A slow and clunky interface is frustrating to users of all ages, so the best tablets for kids run reasonably quickly and smoothly.
Tablets designed for kids tend to have a slower performance; these tablets are often made for affordability and forgo a lightning-fast processor. These tablets perform just fine for reading, streaming, and using many educational apps. But for kids that use the tablet for more demanding functions, like for gaming or other hobbies, opt for an adult tablet. Regular tablets usually have faster and better performance than those designed for children.
Storage
Tablet storage generally ranges from 16 to 512 gigabytes. For kids that only hop on the tablet to use, up to 32 gigabytes is likely enough. But for older kids that want to download content, take photos and videos, or store digital files for school, a higher-capacity tablet is a good idea. And if you're looking to upgrade, here's how to recycle electronics.
FAQs
Q: How much do tablets for kids cost?
Many parents don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a tablet for kids. Kids can be accident prone and no parent wants an expensive tablet to end up in the line of fire. With this preference in mind, many tablets designed for kids are relatively affordable, coming in under $200.
Some parents opt for regular adult tablets for their kids since these tablets are more versatile and can still have good parental controls. These tablets can be more expensive, but there are still plenty of cost-friendly options in the $100 to $500 range. Of course, higher-priced, high-performing tablets are also available, which are a good choice for teens who will use the tablet for more adult uses, like school, work, and creative hobbies.
Q: At what age should a child use a tablet?
Deciding when to expose children to screens really comes down to each individual parent’s comfort level. Tablet time isn’t necessarily inherently negative for kids and their development as long as there is adequate supervision and control. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some guidelines for parents. The organization discourages screen time (other than video chatting) for children younger than 18 months. Kids between two and five years old should spend less than an hour of supervised time on screens (like a tablet) per day. Based on these guidelines, kids can start using tablets at around two years of age, and spend unsupervised time on tablets at five. Children of all ages can benefit from screen time limits, which means setting screen-free times and zones.
Q: How long should a child be on a tablet?
It depends on the child’s age and the reason for screen use. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children under 18 to 24 months spend as little time on a tablet as possible (ideally only in front of a tablet for video calling). Between two to five years of age, they recommend screen time is limited to less than an hour a day. Past five years of age, consistent screen time limits are still recommended. As kids get older, it makes sense to factor in why they’re using the tablet. There’s more wiggle room for tablet time for educational content, reading, creative hobbies, and necessary uses like for schoolwork, lessons, and keeping in touch with family and friends.
Final Thoughts
The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet is the best tablet for kids, particular for those between 6 and 12 years old. Its kid-friendly content, durable case, and two-year warranty makes this tablet an attractive choice for both kids and parents.
This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.
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