Best Tablets For Kids 2023

Jun 04, 2023

‘Next frontier’: Chemist at Oregon’s first lab to test psychedelic mushrooms describes process

Oct 07, 2023

MIND Diet

Oct 23, 2023

5 best tablets for travel, in UAE, for 2023

Dec 19, 2023

If you like mangos, you'll have to try this mango

Dec 31, 2023

Amino Acid Market to Surpass US$ 4,292.54 Million by 2030, Says Coherent Market Insights (CMI)

Send your inquiry

SUBMIT

Jan 10, 2024

As a parent, it’s probably no longer a matter of if you’ll be providing your

As a parent, it's probably no longer a matter of if you’ll be providing your child with a tablet. It's become a question of when—and what to upgrade to as they get older and how to set up all those parental controls. Of course, choosing the best tablet for kids can get complicated once you realize just how many are available these days. There are four main options but with many versions of each type of tablet: an Apple iPad; a Microsoft Windows-based tablet, such as the Microsoft Surface Go 3; an Android-based tablet (that's compatible with Android-based smartphones); or one of the alternative tablets that run a proprietary operating system or a specialized version of Android, like the various Amazon Fire tablets.

The best tablets for kids are durable, easy to use and keep them entertained.

I recommend choosing a tablet for kids that runs using an operating system that you as the parent or guardian is most comfortable with, so if you have an iPhone, you may want to stick with an iPad, for example. It's also worth considering the age of your child and what they’ll use the tablet for the most whether that's your tot wanting to stream Bluey all day or your tween turning in homework during the week via a classroom app and exploring a drawing app at another time.

"Tablets and technology are fantastic teaching tools for children. They are a great way for them to connect and learn," says Dr. Lea Lis, a double board-certified adult and child psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor at New York Medical College. "Many games can appeal to even the youngest of children, while also keeping them occupied on long, boring car rides."

Let's start by taking a look at what we’ve determined are the best tablets for kids currently available, including the Amazon Fire Kids 10 Pro (our pick for best tablet for kids ages 6 to 10) and the Apple iPad 9th generation (our pick for the best tablet for kids ages 10 and up).

Amazon

What we think is great about the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is that while it's not as powerful as the Apple iPads, it comes with ideal features for kids, including a two-year "worry-free" guarantee (that fully covers the tablet if it gets damaged) and a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+. This is an online service that offers unlimited access to thousands of ad-free ebooks, games, apps, videos and other age-appropriate content. (After the first year, an Amazon Kids+ subscription costs $4.99 per month.) It also comes with a case—and is much less expensive, making it an ideal starter tablet for kids, especially younger ones who may be more careless with tech.

Besides, it offers enough functionality to handle a range of kid-friendly tasks thanks to its 10.1-inch touchscreen display, dual speakers and a decent amount of processing power. Of course, the tablet supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as do all of them featured in this roundup. Right out of the box, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro offers everything a child needs to access the Internet and plenty of apps. Kids can also stream TV shows, movies, music and other content via Wi-Fi. Its biggest drawback is that it only includes 32GB of internal storage, but an optional microSD memory card expands storage up to 1TB.

Apple

The Apple iPad (9th Generation) is an older version of the basic iPad, but it still runs the latest iPadOS operating system along with all iPad-compatible apps. However, the A13 processor is a bit less powerful and the resolution of the touchscreen display is a bit lower than what's offered by the newer iPad (10th Generation) and various other iPad models. That said, this is also the least expensive option if you choose to purchase a new (as opposed to used or refurbished) iPad for your child. It does offer a vibrant touchscreen display, a 12MP front-facing camera, an 8MP rear-facing camera, stereo speakers and enough processing power to handle just about any task. This is a great "starter" iPad for young people, especially if the family is already heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.

Dozens of powerful apps come pre-installed to this tablet, and of course, there is easy Wi-Fi for internet access, along with Bluetooth for connecting wireless, such as headphones. One drawback of any iPad is that is does not come with a protective cover or case, stylus or keyboard. These accessories are sold separately. The base model of this particular iPad only comes with 64GB of internal storage. This can be upgraded during your purchase to 256GB of storage for an additional $150. (There is no memory card slot built into any iPad.) A tablet with just 64GB of storage greatly limits the amount of content, such as videos, you can store within the device.

Amazon

The Fire 7 Kids tablet, includes all the basics we love about the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro—a two-year warrantee, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ service and a case—but it's packaged into a smaller and lighter tablet designed for younger kids. It also includes pre-activated parental controls and filters that prevent the child from accessing inappropriate content or communicating with anyone who has not been pre-approved by an adult.

While the Amazon Fire 7 Kids does not offer a terribly high-resolution display or super-fast processor, it's more than adequate for a toddler, preschooler or younger child. And while you can choose between 16GB or 32GB of internal storage (which is very little compared to other tablets), thanks to a built in microSD memory card slot, using an optional memory card you can increase storage up to 1TB. This is plenty of space to store movies, shows, music and other content your child can use in the car when Wi-Fi internet access isn't available. Overall, the Amazon Fire 7 Kids offers a great value for just over $100, especially since it comes with everything you need right out of the box, including access to Amazon Kids+ which has a tremendous selection of age-appropriate content (apps, games, videos, music and eBooks).

Apple

For a mature older child or teenager who has greater computing needs from a tablet—whether it's to surf the web, do homework, play high-intensity games or communicate with friends and family, you have several iPad options. The iPad (10th Generation) is Apple's mid-range tablet—and it was designed for students. It's powered using the A14 processor, offers a 12MP front- and rear-facing camera and features built-in stereo speakers. The touchscreen also offers a higher resolution than the 9th generation model. And like all current iPads, this one runs the latest version of iPadOS and comes with a nice collection of apps preinstalled.

While plenty of age-appropriate games are available, this iPad can also handle school-related tasks, like word processing, note taking and online research. Plus, the display is large enough to utilize the tablet's multitasking features. Add an Apple Pencil (1st Generation) to let kids write or draw directly on the screen. Students might also appreciate the addition of an optional keyboard for easier typing. This tablet also offers access to all of Apple's subscription-based services, like Apple Music, Apple TV+ and iCloud.

Amazon

The iPad Mini can handle all of the tasks as the other (current-model) iPads, but it comes in a more compact size, with an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. Some people appreciate the smaller size and lighter weight of this tablet, especially when it comes to reading eBooks and holding the tablet for extended periods, which kids might be more likely to do. Like the iPad (10th Generation), at the time of purchase, it's necessary to choose between 64GB or the more expensive 256GB configuration. I highly recommend the 256GB option, since this allows for a much larger amount of apps, data, photos and videos to be stored within the device.

Thanks to the iPad Mini's A15 processor, performance is not an issue, even when multitasking between two apps or editing 4K video. The dual stereo speakers also sound good, but I’d recommend using Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to capture the highest quality audio when watching videos or listening to music, for example.

Apple

Now available in five casing colors, the iPad Air was originally the thinnest and lightest of the iPads with a 10.9-inch display. Over time, however, the iPad and iPad Pro models have evolved, offering the same or better computing power within a housing that's not much thicker or heavier than the iPad Air. What sets this iPad Air apart from the iPad (10th Generation) or iPad Mini is that this model utilizes the proprietary Apple M1 processor, which is faster and more powerful. And like all of the other current-model iPads, this one runs the iPadOS, comes with a generous collection of pre-installed apps and offers access to more than 2.9 million apps in the App Store.

The cameras built into the iPad Air are 12MP, but slightly more powerful than the camera setup offered by the iPad (10th Generation). It also supports the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) stylus that's sold separately. However, based on the price of the Wi-Fi only 256GB configuration, which is $749, you might consider spending a bit more for the significantly more powerful iPad Pro, especially for an older kid who might like a bit more in their tablet. (Once again, at the time of purchase, you can choose between 64GB or 256GB of internal storage, but we highly recommend the 256GB configuration.)

Lenovo

Unlike the various Amazon Fire tablets for kids, this one from Lenovo runs using the Android operating system (not FireOS, which is based on Android). Thus, apps and content for the tablet can be acquired from the vast selection offered by the Google Play Store. The Lenovo Tab M7 Gen 2 is a low cost tablet for kids that comes with a durable case. It was designed specifically for use by kids, so while its technology is nowhere near cutting-edge, it is more than adequate for the under-10 crowd.

This tablet fully integrates with Google Kids Space (which like Amazon Kids+ offers a comprehensive library of entertainment, movies, TV shows, games and eBooks that are age-appropriate for your child), and comes with an impressive collection of preinstalled apps. While it arrives with just 32GB of internal storage, there is a built-in microSD memory card slot, so you can add a memory card to increase storage capacity. The Lenovo Tab M7 Gen 2 is a good alternative to the Amazon Fire tablets.

Samsung

Thanks to its metal frame design, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is more durable than most Android-based tablets. While it lacks the cutting-edge technology built into the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, this tablet is far more affordable. Its internal storage is also easily expandable using an optional microSD memory card, so your child can have plenty of storage for photos, videos and apps. While we were a bit disappointed with the battery life of this tablet, as well as the low resolution of the front camera (just 2MP), the rear camera offers 8MP resolution. When it comes to sound, the tablet's two speakers support Dolby Atmos. There's also a 3.5mm jack to plug in corded headphones, but wireless Bluetooth headphones or earbuds can be used as well.

The overall design of the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is on the compact and lightweight side, so it's nicely suited for users with small hands. Plus, there's plenty of content available for it from the Google Play Store. (Snag it for less with an eligible trade-in by purchasing through Samsung's site.)

Samsung

This is considered a mid-range tablet in terms of performance, although screen resolution is somewhat low. The four built-in speakers, however, provide impressive sound, although most people will likely use the tablet with wired or wireless (Bluetooth) headphones or earbuds. Especially for streaming video content or music from the internet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 is an impressive tablet that's offered at a budget price. It's a good alternative to the Amazon Fire tablets, but it's no iPad. In addition to running Android, this Samsung Galaxy tablet has a built in microSD memory card slot, so internal storage can be expanded up to 1TB.

Microsoft

While the Surface tablets are a bit too complicated for toddlers or kids, tech-savvy older kids and certainly teenagers might appreciate being able to run Windows 11 and all of the applications and online-based services that support this operating system. On its own, the Surface Go 3 is a full-featured tablet with a vibrant 10.5-inch touchscreen display. Add on the Surface Pen stylus and Surface Go Type keyboard to provide students with a powerful 2-in-1 device that mimics the functionality of a laptop computer.

The Surface Go 3 is Microsoft's entry-level tablet and is the least expensive in its lineup. It runs using the Intel Pentium Gold or Intel Core i3 processor (which you choose impacts price), and it can be configured with either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage space. It's a great option if the family (or school) already relies on Windows-based computers, as all documents, files and content will be compatible, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The dual stereo speakers support Dolby audio, so when streaming music or movies, it will sound great. The Surface tablets are also compatible with Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which provides an expensive library of high-quality games.

As a consumer tech writer, I have been writing about consumer technologies, including smartphones, tablets, video games and computers, for more than 30 years. During that time, I have carefully followed the evolution of these devices and how they’ve become powerful tools in our everyday lives. I’ve also studied how children, tweens and teens utilize technology.

For this story, I began by conducting extensive research into tablets designed for kids. I then consulted with the Forbes Vetted technology editors, as well as a handful of child development experts and educators, including Jillian Amodio, a social worker and parenting expert at Waypoint Wellness Center in Maryland. I also spoke with Dr. Carolina Estevez, a Texas-based clinical psychologist; Maria Shaheen, Ph.D., the senior director of childhood education for Primrose Schools (a national system of over 400 accredited private preschools); and Dr. Lea Lis, a double board-certified adult and child psychiatrist.

Our focus was on choosing tablet options that run either the popular Apple iPadOS, Android or Windows operating system and that offer specialized functionality for a particular age group. I also strived to provide options at multiple price points—from less than $100 to over $1,000—while paying attention to the overall quality of each tablet. As I chose tablets to feature in this roundup, I analyzed each tablet's battery life, screen size, screen resolution, storage capacity, size, weight, overall durability and the parental controls available.

Best Tablet For Kids Overall (Ages 6 To 10): Best Tablet For Kids Overall (Ages 10 And Up): Best Tablet For Little Kids And Toddlers: Best Tablets For Older Kids And Teens: Best Budget Tablet For Kids: Best Android Tablet For Kids: Best Android Tablet For Older Kids/Teens: Best Windows Tablet For Older Kids/Teens Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display Size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight Display size Screen resolution Operating system Storage capacity Battery life Size Weight

70% of Private Label Avocado Oil Rancid or Mixed with Others

postmarketOS 23.06 Arrives for Linux Phones and Tablets with GNOME Mobile

Blog

Best Tablets For Kids 2023