Tablet Round-Up - those media moms

We get a lot of questions about tablets for kids – which one to get, what to put on it, how to introduce it. Tablets for kids are very popular, and there are a number of options based on your goals and budget. We joke that apps for kids are like the Wild West, and tablets for kids can feel similar!

Some families choose to let their child use an older tablet or smartphone that is already in the home, while other families prefer to buy their child a tablet of their own. When you decide to introduce a tablet to your child and which one you choose is totally up to you and your family’s needs. If you’re in the market for a kids’ tablet, we’re here to help!

Whatever you choose, we recommend looking for an option that is durable and versatile with a strong battery life and good screen quality. Other things to consider include screen size (bigger will look more crisp, smaller is easier to navigate for little hands), your child’s age, native parental control options, and your budget. Keep reading for some of our favorite options on the market right now, with affiliate links.

Amazon Fire

Fire 7 Kids

List Price: $109.99 (often goes on sale, especially for Prime Day)
Screen size: 7 inches
Battery life: 10+ hours, depending on the screen brightness and content used
Parental controls: Includes online parental controls that allow you to both limit and track the content your child uses. You can set “educational goals” and give access to video content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ as well.
Bonus features: Includes a 2 year warranty that replaces the tablet if it breaks, and comes with a kid-friendly protective and kick-stand to stand the tablet up.

What we like: The price can’t be beat, and you get a durable and easy to use tablet. The parental controls can be tricky to learn at first but once you get the hang of them they’re extremely comprehensive.
What we don’t like: You have to pay an additional fee to remove ads from the home screen.

Fire HD 10 Kids

List Price: $199.99 (often goes on sale, especially for Prime Day)
Screen size: 10 inches
Battery life: 12+ hours, depending on the screen brightness and content used
Parental controls: Just like the Fire 7, this tablet includes online parental controls that allow you to both limit and track the content your child uses. You can set “educational goals” and give access to video content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ as well.
Bonus features: Includes a 2 year warranty that replaces the tablet if it breaks, and comes with a kid-friendly protective and kick-stand to stand the tablet up.

What we like: The screen is slightly bigger (3 inches) and sharper than the Fire 7 Kids. Similar to the Fire 7, parental controls can be tricky to learn at first but once you get the hang of them they’re extremely comprehensive.
What we don’t like: For younger kiddos, we’re not sure that the additional $90 price tag is worth it for the bigger screen.

Apple iPad

iPad Mini

List Price: $499.99
Screen size: 8.3 inches
Battery life: 10+ hours
Parental controls: While not as obvious as parental controls on kid-specific tablets, the Apple Parental Controls in Screen Time allows parents to limit website access, set privacy and content restrictions, and use features like Guided Access to control where their child can navigate on-screen.
Bonus features: Compatible with the Apple Pencil for drawing.

What we like: The iPad integrates with the Apple App Store, which opens up a number of opportunities for apps. Also, if you are an Apple user already, the iPad may feel much easier to set up and get running. The smaller screen size is more accessible for little hands.
What we don’t like: The price (if you intend for this tablet to be used solely by your child), and the fact that you need to buy your own case to protect your investment.

iPad 9th Generation

List Price: $329.99
Screen size: 10.2 inches
Battery life: 10+ hours
Parental controls: While not as obvious as parental controls on kid-specific tablets, the Apple Parental Controls in Screen Time allows parents to limit website access, set privacy and content restrictions, and use features like Guided Access to control where their child can navigate on-screen.
Bonus features: Compatible with the Apple Pencil for drawing.

What we like: This iPad also integrates with the Apple App Store, which opens up a number of opportunities for apps. Also, if you are an Apple user already, the iPad may feel much easier to set up and get running. The larger iPad feels more durable due to the larger frame and screen.
What we don’t like: You will likely need to purchase your own case. Additionally, the size of the screen may be too large for little hands which can lead to frustration.

Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite

We also like the Galaxy Tab A7, but find that the smaller screen and lower weight of the A7 lite makes it slightly more child-friendly.

List Price: $159.99
Screen size: 8.7 inches
Battery life: 6+ hours
Parental controls: You can turn on the built-in Samsung Kids feature to set time limits, create allowed app and video lists, and see reports of your child’s usage. Alternatively, the Google Family Link app enables parents to set content limits and restrictions.
Bonus features: stellar microSD performance if you’re planning to expand your storage capacity

What we like: The slim, lightweight design makes this tablet extremely portable and a great option for using on the go. However, you’ll have to buy your own case.
What we don’t like: The Google Play app store can be challenging to navigate.

How to Set-Up a Tablet

We recommend turning the tablet on for the first time and setting it up without your child present for two reasons. First, you want to make sure you know your way around the tablet before you give it to your child. Second, the set-up process can take much longer than you think and there isn’t much for the child to do during set-up, which may be frustrating. We suggest setting aside at least an hour to get the tablet set up with your desired parental controls, to install any apps you’d like your child to access (or remove the ones you don’t), and to download video content for offline purposes (e.g., travel). In other words, don’t save the tablet set up for the morning of a big trip!

The three main types of content you will likely set up include video streaming apps (PBS Kids, Amazon Prime, Netflix etc.), game apps (see our blog post about choosing high-quality apps), and eBooks. Depending on the type of tablet you purchase, some of these options may come pre-installed on the tablet. Be sure to review all pre-installed apps and remove any that you do not want your child to access.

For video content, we like to download the show episodes and movies to the tablet itself. This way, we can put the tablet in airplane mode when giving it to our kiddo to ensure that they are only viewing what we have pre-selected. For older children, you can set up parental controls to give them a greater sense of choice and agency within your limits. If you choose to download YouTube specifically, we strongly recommend making sure that parental controls are in place and that your child does not have extended unsupervised tablet time due to both the ads and the auto-play algorithm that chooses the next video for your child.

Here are some helpful guides for setting up the content limits and parental controls on the different devices:

How to Introduce a Tablet to Your Child

Before handing a tablet to your child, make sure that your screen time boundaries are clear and firm. Have a conversation with your child about your tablet rules. When are they allowed to use the tablet? What type of content will they be able to access? Where will the tablet be stored? Talking about these things beforehand can help reduce future tantrums and disappointment.

We also recommend that you evaluate your child’s touchscreen skills. It’s important to ensure your kiddo has the necessary skills to utilize the tablet effectively and independently, if that is your goal. Our favorite way to do this is to open the photos app on your phone and practice skills like swipe, zoom, pinch, flick, and deep press. Using the photos app both requires your child to utilize the main touchscreen actions and enables them to practice with content that is relatable and engaging like family pictures.

When you give them the tablet, show them how to work the basic features including on, off, volume up, and volume down. You can teach them how to navigate the home screen to access their favorite content. We recommend using the tablet alongside your child as often as possible, but especially for their first few uses.

Do you have a favorite kids tablet, or tablet tip, that we didn’t mention here? Let us know in the comment section on our Instagram page so we can update this post!