With the speed in which technology is overtaking the world today, children right from the age of 3 years old are tech savvy and want access to mobile phones and tablets. We all need a break sometime and giving your child your tablet to play with would seem to be the best and easiest solution to getting a break while they are being entertained. However, giving your tablet to a child has many risks like unsupervised access to unsavory sites, the possibility of damage to the tablet, etc.
You can instead go for a tablet for kids. There are many tablets for kids in the market, and we have identified the top 5 and have reviewed them for you.
If you are in a hurry then you can check our choice of the best tablet for kids regarding performance, the Apple iPad Mini 4 on Amazon.com. You can also check our choice for the best tablet for kids regarding value for money, the Amazon Fire Kids Edition on Amazon.com.
Check the table below for a quick look for the best tablet for kids:
Comparison Chart of the Best Children’s Tablet
Product | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
Amazon Fire Kids Edition
| ||
Apple iPad Mini 4
| ||
Fisher-Price Learning Tablet
| ||
LeapFrog Epic |
Each of the tablets featured here have many pros and a few cons. The most important point is you need a tablet which is best suited for your kids and their requirements. So you can decide on the tablet depending on factors like the age of your child, the features they will use like e.g. would they be more interested in gaming or would they be using it for home work, etc. You can also decide depending on your objective i.e. are you buying the tablet as a learning tool? an entertainment tool? both? Read on to understand which would be the best tablet for your kid.
Review of the Best Children’s Tablet
Let's take a look at this year's top picks.
PROS
CONS
Main Features
Excellent price
Access to 38 million+ content on Amazon for free
2 years accidental damage guarantee
Great parental control
If your child is someone who destroys toys within a week (like mine does) then this is the best tablet for your child. It is very cost effective, very sturdy and most importantly comes with a two year guarantee. This means that you don’t have to worry of your child breaking it.
It is very competitively priced for a brand like Amazon and had a lot of features and excellent content which is kid friendly. It has two major drawbacks though namely, it doesn’t have great performance and it doesn’t have good battery life.
It is basically an Amazon Fire tablet which has been made stronger so that kids can use and also has a much longer guarantee. It comes in interesting colors like pink and blue. It has features which are well rounded and we tried dropping it on to the carpet and the lawn and it bore the brunt of the fall well.
Who is this Best For?
As an inexpensive, highly durable, high quality product, this tablet exceeds expectations. However, if you want a tablet which has great performance like fast processing while loading games, etc., this may not be the tablet for your child. It has amazing parental control which is very important and has unlimited free content so there is no additional expense on add-ons like in an Apple product. For its price and durability, it is a great tablet for kids.
With over 38 million movies, songs, books, apps, TV episodes, games, etc, the FreeTime Unlimited package which comes with the tablet is great. This is given to prime members for $99/- per year, so you get the tablet for free.
Another good thing about the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet is that it can access the excellent customer service of Amazon’s via screen sharing. The Fire tablet also can tap into Amazon’s Mayday-powered customer service through screen sharing. The customer service person can access your tablet and discuss the features with you and guide you on what needs to be resolved.
Performance
Performance is one place the Amazon Fire Kids Edition is at a disadvantage. As mentioned in the cons, it has a RAM of only 1GB. It has a 1.3-GHz Cortex quad-core ARM A7 processor. This makes the Amazon Fire Kids Edition slow when you open apps or when you are switching from one profile to another. Once the app or the movie has opened there is no issue so it is not a great disadvantage.
Geekbench 3 measures performance of devices and has scored the Amazon Fire Kids Edition at just 1,158 points. This is lower than most tablets. Though when we tried the tablet, there wasn’t any time lag that was significant. When we were using the various applications and watching movies on the Amazon Fire Kids Edition there wasn’t any hanging. This shows that though it has a lower configuration RAM the performance is not affected to the point of being a nuisance. Especially since this is mainly for kids, there is no need for high performance, high speed RAM in the Fire tablet.
Apps
The Amazon Appstore has an excellent range of more than 300,000 games and apps. In addition to that, since the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet owners have access to the Underground store of Amazon, you get a lot of free apps. This saves a lot of money.
Amazon’s store is not that big and if you would like to view your movies on the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet, you will have access to Netflix, HBO Go, Facebook and Evernote. But you don’t have access to other apps like Chrome or Google Drive. You also don’t have access to Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies, McDonald’s, Snapchat, League of Stickman, Frozen Frenzy or Nova Launcher among others. Since you get a huge range of movies and other content from the Amazon Unlimited library, this is not a big though.
Cameras
The Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet has a good 2-megapixel back camera and a VGA camera on the front. Both are not that great and tend to be blurry and fuzzy. We tried it indoors and outdoors but the effect and the blurriness continue to remain the same. Having said that, since a tablet is not really bought for its camera, I don’t think it’s a major issue.
Battery Life
This is one of the aspects where the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet is beaten by other tablets. Amazon says that the battery will last up to 7 hours while using it. But a lot of reviews online show that it lasts about 90% of that time period. Even at 7 hours it is almost 10-20% less than the amount of time other tablets in the market lasts. The Apple iPad Mini 4 goes up to 14 hours.
The Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet at its price point is an excellent buy. Along with the price, access to a 38 million item content library, really parental control system and most importantly a two-year guarantee, the Amazon Fire Kids Edition tablet is an excellent buy.
PROS
CONS
Main Features
Good size
Great Apps
Great Design
Very Fast
As we all know, the bitten Apple logo is one of the most loved brand in the world and though the focus is more on the mobile phones and Mac books, the Apple iPad too is an excellent device. In terms of a tablet for your kids, the Apple iPad Mini 4 has.
Who is this Best For?
If when you see an Apple product, you brighten up, then the Apple iPad Mini 4 will be difficult to resist to buy for your kids. The advantage is that they can use it as they grow older too. It has excellent features and an amazing look. It has a great processor which makes playing games a joy. It has great battery life so you don’t have to bother of constant recharging. It has a high price point as compared to other tablets that we have reviewed so think about it while making a purchase. Also, a kid may use it roughly and it would break so you have to consider that too.
Design
The iPad Mini 4 has the same look like the previous model i.e. iPad Mini 3 and the iPad Mini 2. I really like the fact that they have resisted changing the design because it looks beautiful as it is. It has curved sides which feel great in your hand. It has a flat back which helps the tablet stand on a table. It has a beautiful, finished feel to it.
It has a volume switch on the site and a lock button which is on the top. It is slim at 6.1mm and light too which is good for kids.
The best feature of this tablet is its size. It can be held easily by a child. This makes it a very good tablet for a child to use.
It has a compact style and is very easy to use. You can take it while traveling with your kid and it would fit easily in any bag.
The only problem of the size is that the keys are close to each other but it won’t be a problem when your kid is playing games or using apps.
Display
It has a 2,058 x 1,536 display with a very dense pixel packing which makes it have a great look.
Another thing good about the Apple iPad Mini 4 is that it is laminated. This reduces the space between the glass and display. It also acts as a buffer when your kid is using it and the chances of scratches reduce. Also, it gives you the feel that you are really touching the pixels on the screen.
Performance
The iPad Mini 4 has the famous Apple’s A8 CPU which is a great processor and has a RAM of 2GB.
The important thing is the RAM, since the Apple iPad Mini 4 has a 2GB RAM when you compare it with other kid tablets which exist in the market having much less or even the iPad Mini 3 having only a 1GB RAM, your kid can play high end heavy games without it hanging or crashing.
The iPad Mini 4 in our opinion, is one of the best if not the best in performance. There is no lag when the apps open, the iOS navigation is fast and seems like it works in an instant. Even when you are trying apps which are heavy like the iMovie etc, the speed is great on this tablet.
The best thing about the Apple iPad Mini 4 is its impressive gaming features and performance. It handles all the latest titles like Spartan Strike, Sniper, Asphalt 8 and Halo with ease. There are no dropped frames and if you kid enjoys gaming, this is the best tablet he can get.
Once problem though is the internal storage on the 16GB version. Though they say 16GB, the usable storage is about 4.6GB as 11.4 GB is used for the system. Now with a few movies, games and apps the 4.6 GB gets filled up. That’s why it would be better to have a 64GB version. They also have a 128GB version but that isn’t really necessary since kids generally don’t need that much storage in their tablets.
Battery Life
I love the battery life of Apple products and the Apple iPad Mini 4 is no exception. Since it is smaller than the iPad Air 2, I expected a shorter batter life but I was pleasantly surprised. We tried it for 14 hours in a week and it held strong. It has excellent standby too. If you keep it aside for even 24 hours, you barely see a drop in power of 1-2%. It doesn’t have a quick charge feature so it generally takes 2.5 hours for a full charge.
IOS 9
iOS 9, or iOS 9.3 actually which is used in the iPad Mini 4 is an excellent OS. It is great for multi-tasking and your kid can open multiple apps together on one screen and make sure that this will work as smoothly.
It also has a feature which is pretty unique in tablets i.e. the split screen feature. Your kids can view two screens at the same time.
The apps on the Apple iPad Mini 4 are amazing. They are way better than android apps which most of the other tablets we have reviewed. So with an iPad Mini 4, your kid gets access to the best apps available.
This tablet also has a night shift mode. Though as a kid, it won’t be of much use as it is mostly used for reading, it is a great way to introduce your kids to the joy of reading.
PROS
CONS
Main Features
Affordable Price
Durable
Great teaching tool
Fisher Price is a brand that almost all of us have heard of. It’s one of the most reputed brands in the toy space. This is an affordable tablet for kids. Since it is from the Fisher Price stable, we can be assured that its quality will be good. In addition to that, it can also be used as a teaching tool for your kids.
Who is this Best For?
When it comes to a tablet that is durable, affordable and will help improve your kid’s knowledge along with entertaining her, then the Fisher Price Learning Tablet is the one for you. It has a lot of security measures so you don’t have to worry about misuse. Check its price on Amazon.com
Great Tool for Learning
This tablet has more than 35 games and apps which are excellent for learning. It also has the Wings Learning System’s Pre-K and K series so that your child will enjoy learning and will be able to comprehend things faster in school.
Convenient
The Fisher-Price® Learning Tablet is very convenient to use. It has a cover that you can remove easily and you can attach to the front of the screen so that it becomes an added protection incase your kid tends to drop it a lot or when you are traveling.
Security
Having a kid access a tablet can be worrisome sometimes as they have access to the internet. This tablet has a wide range of parental controls, time controls and mobile app store access which is kids safe.
Fisher-Price Fun Experience
If your kid is into well known Fisher-Price friends like Sophie and Eddie™ then they will be in for a treat with this tablet. It has the full Fisher-Price feel with wallpapers, fun sounds and a bice blue bumper.
If you want an affordable tablet which is also durable and has in-built learning systems and parental controls, then the Fisher Price Learning Tablet is good for you.
PROS
CONS
The LeapFrog Epic is an Android-powered device which has a 7-inch screen and is targeted to children in the youngest category. The Leapfrog Epic has a very interactive home screen and a good, updated software. However, for its price, the hardware is not really great. Compared to the Apple iPad Mini 4, the processor is too slow and compared to the Amazon Fire, you get limited free games and content and more importantly, the guarantee is not as great since it is just for one year and there is no accidental cover.
The good thing is that the slow processor isn’t really a big issue. When we tested it with children, they quite enjoyed it. The best thing about it is the software which is very engaging. It is fun to use and your child will have a great experience using it.
It is costlier in terms of value for money when you compare it to the Amazon Fire, but if you are looking for a good tablet which is focused on creating a great experience for kids and has a good mix of educational and entertainment features, then the Leapfrog Epic tablet is the one for you.
Who is this Best For?
The Leapfrog Epic is great for a young user. A child from the age of 3 can enjoy it and if you have a kid who is from the age of 3-5 years then this is a tablet you should consider. It is not the best tablet in the market but since it has a lot of engaging features for the 3-5 year category; it is perfect for that age range. The packaging and branding says till age 9 but for an older child, it is better to consider other tablets. Check its price on Amazon.com
Processor
The processor is a 1.3GHz and a 1GB RAM. Even though many other tablets have the same configuration, this one stalls very frequently and there is a lag time when you navigate on the menu. Since children are not used to a delay, they tend to keep tapping on the apps.
The 7-inch screen too isn’t great as the resolution is only 1024 x 600 pixels. The angles to view it too are very poor and you can see it properly only if it is directly in front of your face. Due to this, it is difficult for more than one child to watch the screen at one time.
We also saw that the viewing angles are not that great. If you want to view properly, you have to be right in front of the screen. This hampers more than one child watching the screen and doesn’t allow two children to plat together.
It has an inbuilt 16GB memory which can be expanded to 32 FB which is good as a child wont need more. The Bluetooth and WiFi is good.
Camera
The Leapfrog Epic has 2 cameras. One camera is in the front and the other in the rear. The problem is that both have very poor quality. They also are fixed in focus. Also, since kids move when clicking photos, the photos come even worse. Most of the photos we took were blurry and when the lights were low in the evening, the image quality was even worse.
Child-Proof
Giving a child a tablet is scary because they are more prone to break things. The good thing about the Leapfrog Epic is that it is made keeping this in mind. It has a big rubber bumper in a bright green or pink color. If you have older children using it, you can remove the cover.
Battery Life
The manufacturer says that the LeapFrog Epic has an average battery life of 6 hours which was approximately correct. If you use a lot of games and apps and have a high volume, then the battery life will drop faster. If you keep it on standby with about an hours use per day, you should be able to keep it for a couple of days without charging it.
Warranty
The thing I don’t like about this tablet is that though it has a standard one year warranty, it does not have an accidental warranty. With children, no matter how strong and durable the tablet, accidents are bound to happen. In that case, the Amazon Fire is better because it has a 2 year guarantee.
If you have a child in the 3-5 year age and want to introduce him to technology then the Leapfrog Epic is a good tablet for you. It has a variety of games and educational apps, it is easy to control what is being used and it is sturdy and wont break easily. Once your kid crosses 6 years though, this may not be the right tablet from him.
5. Kurio Smart
PROS
CONS
Main Features
Well designed apps
Good parental control
Durable design
Best for 3-5 year range
I like the Kurio Smart because it brings a different approach to tablets for your kids. It is a homework-friendly tablet. This way, along with being an entertainment device for your kid, it also doubles up as a study device.
The Kurio Smart looks different from other kids tablets as it has a keyboard which is folio styled. This improves its look a lot. Since it has a keyboard, your children can practice typing on it rather than just using it as a tablet. This is quite a nice opportunity for them to practice and improve their typing skills.
You can set the limits in terms of time and features of the tablet that can be used. The Kurio Smart also is pre-loaded with a lot of games. They can play it once they complete their homework which becomes a win-win.
Another excellent reason why it is good for homework is that it has Windows 10 with access for one year to Office 365. This can assist and support them a lot especially when it comes to building up research, documentation and presentation skills.
Who is this Best For?
The Kurio Smart 2-in-1 tablet is essentially made keeping kids in mind. It looks a lot like a toy but it has powerful and amazing features. Since it has Windows 10 with Office 365, even an adult can use it easily. You can play games, write essays, watch videos, etc on it. It doesn’t have a very strong processor so performance wise may not match many tablets in the market but it sure is a great tablet especially since it can double up as homework and research device for your child.
It has a Family Safety system from Microsoft which is very useful in terms of privacy and safety, it has a strong body so will withstand drops, it has a good battery life and decent performance. This makes it great for a kid of 6 years and above.
It is at the higher end of the price range but when you buy it for say a six year old, there is a high chance that she will be using it for the next half decade. In addition, it will be useful in her homework along with being an entertainment device which helps.
Design
When you first look at The Kurio Smart you get the feeling that you are looking at a toy rather than a tablet. This helps it connect with kids. It has a keyboard which you can slide the tablet into. The tablet slides into slots which are magnetic. It then rests on two tabs. The keyboard connection is there in the middle.
We tested the magnetic pull and saw that the magnet is quite strong and resilient and can be held in place for a short while even when it is kept upside down. In normal use, the magnetic pull holds well.
The keyboard and the tablet are both made so that they can easily withstand bumps, falls and any other things that may happen when they are being used by a child. This is very important as children are prone to drop things. It is made of very strong plastic.
Safety and Family Setting
The Kurio Smart has the Microsoft family setting which helps a lot to control and monitor your kid’s online activities. Since access to the internet is very easy, this feature is very important especially when you are buying a product for kids.
There is a “Create a child account” icon on the start screen. This will help you create an account that will control the features that you kid can use and the features and apps that your child can access.
The Family Safety System has these features:
1. Check the activities done on the tablet including the information searched on the internet and apps bought.
2. Set the limits for age for games, apps, movies, TV and video.
3. Set time limits on how long the tablet can be used.
4. Add money in the account online so that they can shop on windows and on Xbox without the need to have access to your credit card.
Best Age of Kids Using the Tablet
Though on the screen and branding it shows 9-10 year old using it, even a five-year old will be able to use it easily. Its more advanced features like MS Word and MS Excel from the Office 365 package may be useful only as the child grows older, but other features like browsing the internet, checking youtube videos etc, can be easily used by a 5 year old.
Also, even teenagers are happy to use it as it is not too obvious like an iPad Mini and can be used to research homework and school work and make notes.
Entertainment Option
The main reason that a child looks forward to a tablet is for the entertainment value and I am sure that your child is no different. Though this tablet has a lot of features for homework and improving your child, it also has a wide range of entertainment options.
The processor of the tablet is very good which allows you streaming access to videos if you have a strong WIFI connection.
There are a lot of preinstalled and pre-featured games. In addition to that it also has motion gesture games which are like the Xbox Kinect-style. Though they are not very strenuous in the activity, it is much better than normal titles.
It has an HDMI which is great. Your child can connect it to you TV and check homework on-screen and then also play a bit on the big screen which would be pretty good.