It’s a touchy subject on how much exposure to technology you want for your child. While some try to stray away from relying on technology to entertain their little ones, some devices can provide kids with educational games and help them to grow their motor skills. If you give your child one of the best tablets for kids to keep them occupied and learning, it might not be a bad idea.
A survey of 2,000 parents of kids between three and seven years-old finds that they use tech to supplement their child’s learning (59%) and reading (41%) and to even aid them before they’re in the classroom. While one-quarter (26%) of parents weren’t using technology as learning tools, 60 percent believe their child is progressing faster directly because of tech. More than four in five (82%) admit they would have benefited from using those tools to learn when they themselves were younger.
However, it might not be the best idea to give smaller children tablets to quiet them down. The findings of a study how that frequent use of smartphones and tablets to calm upset children between three and five years old led to increased emotional dysregulation in kids, particularly in boys.
Plus, parents will want to monitor screen time as well as content. So how do you pick a tablet that will be a perfect fit for your child’s needs? StudyFinds compiled a list of the five best tablets for kids, from ten expert websites, to find the best kids tablets on the market today. As always, we’d like to see your own recommendations in the comments below!
The List: Best Tablets For Kids, Top 5 According to Expert Reviews
1. Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
For $199 it’s packed with easy to navigate features for young users.
PCMag points out it combines, “a capable tablet, a rugged case, and a curated content library for a one-stop, ready-made entertainment solution that’s ideal for kids ages 3–10. The 10-inch screen is perfect for displaying picture books and comics, and parental controls help you keep your kids safe as they read, watch, and browse.”
“The Fire HD 10 Kids is a great tablet for kids because it sports a bright display, a durable kid-friendly design, and excellent battery life,” according to Tom’s Guide.
“Amazon’s tablet is durable and comes with a year’s subscription to age-appropriate content,” says Digital Trends.
2. Apple iPad 2021
Starting at $269, Apple iPad has plenty of functionality for teens. Digital Trends notes, “it boasts a more powerful A13 Bionic chip, ensuring it performs flawlessly while multitasking and gaming.”
“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,” adds Futurism.
Tom’s Guide writes, “Not only is it still great in the ways that every regular iPad before it (colorful screen and long battery life, good sound and rock-solid design), but Apple’s made a few tweaks to make it much better in other ways.”
3. Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition
“The kid-friendly dimensions make it comfortable for smaller hands. We might be tempted to think bigger is always better, but sometimes, the best tablet for a given purpose (like reading) comes down to the hands that hold it,” according to CNET.
If your child loves to read, this smaller Amazon Fire could be a solid option to use as an e-reader. It features a kid-proof case with a built-in stand. “If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a kids tablet, the Fire Kids 7 tablet is one of the best you can get (its price tag is only $109.99 and it’s always on sale),” points out Laptop Mag.
Tom’s Guide says this is where you can get the best bang for your buck: “It delivers pretty good performance thanks to its snappy quad-core 1.3 GHz processor, which helps a child navigate apps and browse the web faster than you’d expect from a tablet this cheap.”
Plus, it boasts the same parental controls as the larger models, and a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
Got a tween? Keep reading. “For this crowd, parents need a more advanced option that still has parental controls, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, which lets tweens play, read, watch, and listen on the go. This tablet has a durable metal frame, tons of storage, and a slim design that easily fits into a backpack. Plus, you can add a variety of apps to be ready for all the work your middle schooler will bring home,” according to Verywell Family.
For $159, this android tablet supports Google. “Samsung’s low-end tablet has an 8.7-inch display, 32GB of storage, and runs Android 11 out of the box,” points out ZDNET.
Digital Trends says this is “a great choice for parents looking to save” because of its similarity to more advanced Samsung models. It only has a little bit less storage space and battery power.
5. Animal Island Aila Sit & Play Preschool Learning System
At $219, this unique tablet is great for toddlers who are ready for some hands-free learning.
Attached to its own pedestal, it’s great for preschoolers who aren’t ready to hold onto it themselves. “Parents can set up and monitor the tablet on their smartphone. Daily lessons are aimed at children between 12 and 36 months old,” notes Popular Science.
“It comes with 60 preloaded stories plus a bunch of songs that focus on letters, numbers, vocabulary and STEAM concepts for the littlest kids,” adds Good Housekeeping.
Plus, you don’t need Wi-Fi to use the Aila Sit & Play.
Sources:
- PCMag
- Tom’s Guide
- Digital Trends
- Futurism
- CNET
- Laptop Mag
- Verywell Family
- ZDNET
- Popular Science
- Good Housekeeping
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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.