Editor’s Note: As of February 2023, we examined our current product picks and chose the Apple iPad 9th generation as our new top overall pick due to its exceptional performance-price ratio, broad app selection, and user-friendliness. Because the current iPad mini is more expensive than the ninth- and tenth-generation iPads and doesn’t provide owners with any meaningful benefits worth the price premium, we no longer recommend it. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet is still our “Best Overall” recommendation, but we now refer to it as our budget-friendly choice.
Most of us were fortunate if we were able to use a Game Boy while growing up. Kids today are more technologically savvy than ever, and their first exposure to technology is frequently a tablet for children. A kids’ tablet is a more reasonably priced and robust version of the tablet you’re used to, and since they provide both entertainment and educational functions for kids, they make a great present. Since they frequently include more thorough parental restrictions that stop young children from accessing the unfiltered internet and making in-app purchases, they will also please parents.
With the use of children’s tablets, parents can quickly download a variety of amusing and educational apps to keep their kids occupied. Since parents or their tech-savvy kids can quickly download several hours’ worth of videos or music, they are useful for extended road journeys as well. Also, you may see images and read books on their touchscreens. When you give them to your child or grandchild, they can also help them stay in touch with friends and loved ones, which may be advantageous to you as well.
The Best Tablets for Kids in 2023
What to Consider
Hardware specifications like a quick CPU or lots of RAM aren’t the most crucial features to look for when buying tablets for kids. A longer warranty, parental controls, and durability are other useful characteristics to consider. The tablet’s dimensions, total storage capacity, and anticipated battery life should all be taken into account. Kid-friendly content that can be downloaded or already installed is also crucial.
I advise buying a tablet with at least 32GB of storage if the child you’re giving it to will mostly utilize apps and stream videos. If you anticipate them downloading a significant amount of content in advance of a lengthy flight or road trip, you should budget additional money for a larger hard drive or think about buying a memory card to increase the tablet’s internal capacity, presuming it has a microSD card slot. Amazon and other Android tablets often do, but Apple’s iPad tablets typically don’t.
Are you prepared to learn which tablet works best for entertaining kids? Find out more about some of the best tablets for kids and parents below.
Best Overall
We believe recipients will be happier with an iPad compared to specialized kids’ tablets like Amazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition series or LeapFrog’s educational tablets because they have the largest selection of apps out of any tablet, are outfitted with a powerful processor that supports almost any app or game, and have the features that most kids find appealing (and parents need).
Although Apple debuted the 10th Generation iPad in 2022, the 9th Generation iPad is still rather fast and has 64GB of storage, which should be enough to download a number of games and films to keep kids entertained. Moreover, it is far less expensive; the 10th-generation model typically costs approximately $450 while offering the same amount of storage.
It’s simple to download or watch videos from well-known video applications like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and YouTube Kids from Apple’s App Store. The shop also offers a wide variety of educational programs. The kids’ tablet includes a huge battery that should last up to 10 hours on a single charge, a 12MP front camera, and it records in high definition.
Our parenting editor and I agree that the iPad’s lack of support for multiple user accounts, a feature that many Android tablets provide, is our biggest gripe. Yet, it comes with a number of helpful parental controls for restricting screen time, avoiding unintended in-app purchases, and disabling access to unapproved apps.
Best Budget Tablet for Kids
Consider the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids if you’re wanting to spend less than $150 on a good kids’ tablet with strong parental controls. The tablet boasts a durable design, a 2-year warranty, and a battery life of more than 10 hours. The tablet is shielded from drops and scratches by a foam case, which is available in blue, purple, or Mickey Mouse and Disney Princess designs.
Even better, Amazon’s 2-year “Worry-Free Warranty,” which covers accidental damage, is included with the Fire HD 8 Kids. So, Amazon will replace it if your recipient breaks it by dropping it in the toilet or jamming a candy bar into the charging port, no questions asked.
A feature the iPad lacks is the ability to alter the user experience depending on who is using the tablet, whether it be a child, teen, or parent. Parents can configure choices to restrict usage, prevent purchases, and block access to content that isn’t acceptable for their children.
Also, Amazon offers customers a 1-year membership to Amazon Kids+, a content hub with thousands of kid-friendly movies, books, games, and applications. The tablet comes with a reversible USB-C charger, 32GB of storage, and compatibility for microSD cards to expand storage for games and movies.
The HD 8 Kids Tablet has a more potent processor than the even more affordable Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet, making it better suited for running programs and playing games. Moreover, it has a 30% longer battery life and a larger screen with higher picture quality.
We believe the Fire HD 8 Kids offers excellent value for the money, coming in at over double the cost of the ninth-generation iPad. It functions well for playing simple games or streaming videos, is sturdy, and is manageable for children.
The Big-Screen Pick for Watching Videos
You won’t be let down by this tablet from Amazon if you think bigger is better. It has a 2-inch bigger screen and a battery that lasts 20% longer (2 hours) than our top pick at the lowest price.
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In addition to having a bigger screen, it has a speedier processor than the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids, which enables it to run power-hungry programs like Zoom and Microsoft Office Mobile.
The tablet’s 1,920 by 1,200 resolution display and its potent front-facing speakers both improve the experience of watching videos. It’s simple for your recipient to watch videos on Netflix, Twitch, and Disney+. The larger screen will also be useful for seeing picture books, reading comics, and playing games like Minecraft.
The slimmer-cased Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, which still has a kickstand case but is constructed of tougher plastic and isn’t nearly as huge or bouncy, is recommended for parents of older children. With the exception of their removable cases, the two tablets are identical.
The Fire HD 10 Kids, like our best selection for under $100, comes with simple parental settings and access to Amazon’s Kids+ service, which offers tens of thousands of kid-friendly apps, games, and books. Its 2-year worry-free warranty is even better!
Best for Toddlers
What could be more beneficial for children’s intellectual development than a virtual world? The ability for the various games and activities available as apps will be changed to match the learning level of the recipient of your gift. Moreover, a shatterproof screen is included for those with shaky hands and temper tantrumers. Even a kickstand for watching videos is included!
Children will be challenged to solve problems as they learn about arithmetic, coding, spelling, reading, writing, and science on the Leapfrog tablet. There are plenty of activities for a child to explore, but if they get tired of the preinstalled options, parents will have to pay for an $8-per-month subscription for new content or purchase apps individually.
This tablet, like those made by Amazon, runs a modified but user-friendly version of Android with parental settings and a kid-friendly web browser. It’s important to note that Leapfrog tablets have slower, weaker CPUs than an iPad or an Amazon tablet, making them occasionally difficult to operate with some programs. Thankfully, the tablet has Bluetooth, two cameras, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 7-hour battery.
Best for Teens
A lightweight Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite with a brilliant 8.7-inch display is ideal for Netflix marathons or reading in bed at night. Teenagers who wish to install social media apps, play games, or operate several programs at once should choose it. But, compared to Amazon’s tablets, its parental controls are less comprehensive.
The good news is that parents can install Samsung Kids, a vast collection of kid-friendly educational games, books, and videos. Samsung Kids is also simple to monitor and regulate. It’s important to note that the Tab A7 Lite does not come with a bumper case, but you can get one that works with it on Amazon in a variety of colors.
A 32GB or 64GB storage option is available on the gadget, which is ideal for parents who want to load it up with lots of videos and apps before a lengthy road trip. Also, it features two cameras that are useful for recording YouTube videos or Skyping the grandparents. The tablet’s 13-hour battery life, up to 4GB of RAM, and expandable memory are just a few of its further strengths, which together make it a strong and versatile choice at an affordable price.
I also suggest Samsung’s 10.4-inch Galaxy A7 tablet if you don’t mind spending a little more for a bigger screen and better performance. The “Galaxy A8” is an even more recent big-screen tablet from Samsung that is also worth mentioning, although the A7 is a superior choice because it has a quicker processor.
Conclude
The iPad has the largest selection of apps of any tablet, which makes it simple to justify its higher price tag. However, it lacks a kid-focused subscription service unless you count its game-focused Apple Arcade service.
Given that an iPad normally costs more than $300 (after tax), you would think that a child shouldn’t buy one. I believe that iPads have the best assortment of apps, games, and educational materials available, but you should only buy one for a child if you are confident in their ability to manage one, especially given the iPad’s high price and dearth of parental controls.
We suggest the iPad 9th Generation above the newer iPad 10th Generation and iPad mini because it includes a headphone port, a snappy processor, a powerful battery, and decent cameras. In this helpful guide, you can compare it to other iPads to see how it compares.
The iPad is without a doubt the greatest tablet for learning because it has the most powerful CPU and can run practically any program. Not to mention that iPads are widely used, which makes it simple for youngsters to ask their peers or teachers for technical assistance when they need it.
