This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Technology has changed a lot since you were little. Your kids have probably mastered the features on your iPhone better than you have due to constantly asking to play with it. And when you do eventually get it back, it's a sticky mess covered in slobber and other unexplainable slimes.
But in the age of touch screens and constant connectivity, there's not really a way to say "no" without feeling like a parent from the dark ages. Enter tablets for kids: The happy medium between giving your kids the access to tech that they want, without turning them into a tech zombie. If you're still unsure, here's a quick guide.
Should kids have limited screen time?
Screen learning and screen time restrictions are increasingly significant points of study. Parents' questions often boil down to "how much is too much?" The general advice, as offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is that kids between 2-5 should be limited to one hour of quality content a day. Beyond that, it’s about setting a plan that suits your child and family. Routines are always good when it comes to children and sensible limits will help tackle problems that may come from excessive screen use, such as obesity, behavioural problems, and impact on learning or sleep patterns.
What are the learning benefits of a tablet?
Tablets just feel more like playing, and it's not surprising that kids may be more willing to learn when it doesn't feel forced. One project found that students who used tablets saw higher exam scores than those who didn't use tablets, and they were able to recognise 20% more words due to an improved ability to recognise sounds and represent sounds as letters. A 2018 meta-analysis also found that using on a touchscreen was beneficial for some learning, such as science and technology, because apps or games have the ability to create a memorable real-life experience (compared to simply reading about a science experiment, for instance).
What's important to remember is that tablets are a great learning tool as long as they're not a kid's main source of learning. Kids will always need to be comfortable reading print books and doing maths by hand. Sure. But the opportunities for self-sufficient and interactive learning on a tablet can't be understated.
How features do you need in a kids' talblet?
Most tablets made specifically for kids will already be equipped with built-in parent accounts, timers, and pre-selected websites or apps that are strictly for kids. Easy enough. General purpose tablets aren't a bad choice at all — many sites name the iPad as one of the best tablets for kids even though it's technically for everyone. The most important things to keep in mind when shopping for a tablet for kids are as follows:
- Screen Resolution — The required screen resolution will depend on the amount of movie watching and gaming your kids will be doing. If the answer is "not a lot," you won't need anything special.
- Storage — They'll probably have more apps than you do, and may need space for downloads like offline Disney+ movies, music, or some books for school.
- Parental controls — For obvious reasons, you are going to want to pay attention to the level of control you will be able to have over usage.
- Rugged-ness — Because kids are basically adorable destruction machines and you'll probably feel better with a protective case.
Focus on these features and you can't got wrong.
What is the best tablet for kids?
To help you make the best decision for you, your kid, and your life, we have shortlisted a selection of standout tablets for kids. There is something for everyone and every budget in this list, and all you need to do is pick a favourite. You have the choice of impressive tablets from the likes of Amazon, Apple, and more.
These are the best tablets for kids in 2023.
Apple iPad
Best for teens
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
- Memory: 4 GB
- Operating System: iOS
- Resolution: 2388 x 1668
- Screen size: 10.9 inches
- Storage: 64 or 256 GB
- Weight: 477 grams
Older kids need a tablet that can keep up with schoolwork, double as a laptop, and entertain past educational games. The newest version of Apple's most affordable iPad is that reliable powerhouse with a cool factor. There's obviously no kid stuff pre-installed, but Apple has multiple kid-proofing settings that can be lifted as they're grown out of.
Educational stuff: General purpose tablets leave downloaded content up to the user, but the App Store has every educational alley a kid may need to take. Find apps for core skills like math, reading, and science, or hone in on more specific interests with apps for biology, language learning, or test prep. Kids will be psyched about the iPad's augmented reality capabilities, allowing them to immerse themselves in the world (or solar system) around them.
Parental controls: Nothing is built-in, so you'll have to get hands-on with the kid-proofing. In your iPad's settings in the Restrictions tab, you can put a virtual lock on any app or make functions off-limits (Safari, iMessage, and Facebook are a few you may consider hiding). The "Allowed Content" tab has options for movies or websites, where you can disable specific URLs or allow only G-rated movies to play. Installing parental control software like Kaspersky Safe Kids or Qustodio is a quick fix for an extra pair of eyes.
Durability and specs: Basically a mini computer, Apple manages to pack more and more technical details into each entry-level iPad without raising the price. Upgrades from the previous model include a zippy A13 Bionic Chip and crispier graphics. Artistic kids or habitual pencil-and-paper notetakers will appreciate that the first-gen Apple Pencil is also supported.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
Best For Parental Controls
- Battery: 12 hours
- Resolution: 1920 x 1200
- Storage: 32 GB
The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is the latest version of Amazon’s fan favourite range for kids. It comes with one free year of Amazon Kids+ — a subscription service that's stacked with movies, shows, books, and games for kids — plus a headache-saving two-year guarantee.
Parents can set time limits, while age filters keep all content age.appropriate. That means you don't have to constantly monitor what your kids are looking at. Parents can also give children selected access to bonus apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Roblox, or Minecraft.
As with previous-gen editions of the Amazon Fire, the Kid Friendly case is both fun and durable — it’s made to withstand drops, spills, and rough play. But if something does happen to break, Amazon will send you a new tablet.
Lenovo Tab M10
Best For Families
- Battery Life: 10 hours
- Resolution: 1920 x 1200
- Storage: 32 GB
Lenovo likes to put its own spin on tablets and laptops. The brand also has a topnotch tablet for the whole family — the Lenovo Tab M10.
For a reasonable price (compared to the iPad) it’s well-designed and high-end. You can feel the quality in your hand. Octa-core processing gives you plenty of oomph — speed, performance, and enhanced Dolby Atmos sound.
Lenovo devices have lacked kid-specific content in the past, but the Lenovo Tab 10 has the option to use Google Kids Space, which has more than 10,000 teacher-approved apps and games, plus hundreds of books. Google Kids Space also allows you to set parental controls.
If you’re worried about the blue light on your kiddie-winks eyes, this has TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light protection for reducing eye strain.
Amazon Kindle Kids Edition
Best For Reading
- Battery Life: 6 weeks
- Resolution: 300 ppi
- Storage: 16 GB
The Kindle Kids Edition is bare-bones compared to the other tablets on its list, but for its intended purposes — reading and listening to books — this tablet serves a young bookworm very well indeed.
It comes with a year's subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes lots of popular books and Audible titles for kids — everything from Mr. Popper's Penguins to the entire Harry Potter series.
Your little reader will also get access to two valuable reading tools: "Vocabulary Builder" creates flashcards out of any words they look up in the device's built-in dictionary, and "Word Wise" puts simple definitions above tricky words.
You've also got the option of adding books to your kid's library through the Kindle Store and checking in on their reading progress.
Apple iPad Air
Best IOS tablet for families to share
- Battery: 10 hours
- Battery Life: 10 hours
- Resolution: 2360 x 1640
- Storage: 64GB
Read our full review of the 2022 iPad Air.
The iPad Air sits between the entry-level iPad and the big, bad iPad Pros, but "middle child syndrome" isn't in its vocabulary. The home button-less design and lightning fast M1 chip make the Air way more pro than it lets on. Even older kids won't feel lame having to share this with their parents.
Kid stuff: All iPads are general purpose, so parents (or kids, if they're old enough) will choose which apps to download. Conveniently, the App Store is home to thousands of education-related apps for all age groups and interests, from simple math and reading to biology with augmented reality or college test prep. FaceTime calls with friends and family or video lessons on Zoom are as close to real life as possible on the new 12MP UltraWide front camera.
Parent stuff: Apple doesn't offer an official all-encompassing "kid mode," but its Family Sharing feature allows parents to remotely manage screen time (probably major for a tablet with so many time-sucking entertainment possibilities), share iCloud photo libraries, or turn on Ask to Buy. A third-party parental control software can obviously also be installed.
Durability and specs: Schoolwork may actually be enjoyable with these crisp visuals and no-lag screen. The 2022 Air's rapid responsiveness is significantly faster now that it's powered by the M1 chip: the same processor as the Pro. Hold it up to the traditional iPad or a Fire HD tablet and see the difference in visuals on the Liquid Retina display.
Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition
Safest for little hands
- Battery Life: 10 hours
- Resolution: 1024 x 600
- Storage: 32 GB
Nobody does kids' tablets as well as Amazon does, and 2019's Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet is just an extension of that expertise.
Kid stuff: As we wrote earlier, Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is Amazon's subscription service made specifically for kids ages 3-12. Over 20,000 kid-appropriate apps with characters from Disney, Nickelodeon (to feed the Peppa Pig obsession, of course), and more are at your fingertips — saving parents from having to comb through an entire App Store. The first year is free; after that, you'll pay $2.99 a month if you're an Amazon Prime member, or $4.99 a month as a non-member.
Parent stuff: Everything mentioned about parental controls and Amazon Free Time with the aforementioned Fire HD 8 is the same with the Fire 7 — same age filters and time restrictions, same optional blocking of apps like YouTube or Minecraft, and same easy switch between kids' profiles. However, we'll always reiterate how seriously amazing and intuitive FreeTime is. It keeps an eye on your kids' usage so you don't have to, and the kid content is so genius that kids don't even realize they're learning or being monitored.
Durability and specs: The Fire 7 sees a slightly lower resolution than the Fire HD 8 and doesn't have Dolby Atmos speakers. It does, however, offer expandable storage up to 512 GB and the ability to use Alexa with parental controls on.
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