A tablet is not a toy, but your child may treat it like one. Make a smart investment with a kid-friendly tablet that is age-appropriate, durable and loaded with fun options for your little techie.
Forty-six percent of American families own at least one tablet, and 70 percent of households with children have one or more tablets. The majority of young tablet users access parent-approved education apps, download fun games and use tablets to keep themselves entertained on road trips or at restaurants.
So what’s the best tablet for your child? Here’s a look at which gadgets could fit your family.
Orbo Jr.
Chromo, Inc., makes the 4GB Android 4.1 Orbo Jr., a five-point multi-touch tablet for kids. Each tablet features a durable silicone case in fun colors like red, blue and pink. Your child will have access to hundreds of educational apps for reading, math, science, history and more. This top-rated tablet (9.8 out of 10) is the portable way to watch movies, listen to music, take pictures, read eBooks and, of course, play games. (Amazon, $60)
Fire Kids Edition
Amazon’s own 8GB Fire Kids Edition boasts a 7-inch IPS display with front and rear cameras. Your child will receive one-year unlimited free access (a $109 value) to more than 10,000 kid-friendly educational apps, books, games, movies and TV shows. Parental controls let you manage usage limits, educational goals and content access. And, while the Fire is super-durable, it does come with a two-year worry-free guarantee: If it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free. (Amazon, $100)
Kurio Kids Tablet
Inspiration Works brings you the Kurio Kids Tablet with Android 4.0, a 7-inch display and 4 GB. It includes tons of preloaded content and your children can create up to eight profiles on a single unit. Parents will appreciate the ability to control when and how long kids can use it, which type of websites they can access and which types of apps they can download. (Amazon, $100)
Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet
Children love imitating their parents, and the Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet enables them to be just like Mom and Dad! More of a pre-tablet, it gives kids basic technology skills that will serve them well with their next big-kid tablet and beyond. Six modes teach numbers, letters, phonics, typing, music and games. There’s even a bilingual model. The sturdy Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet is perfect for little fingers that are sometimes just a bit clumsy. (Amazon, $20)
Fuhu Nabi 2
Fuhu is known for its kid’s tablets. The Nabi 2 model might be older than the Nabi DreamTap, but don’t dismiss it. It’s fast and powerful and features excellent learning apps for children in pre-K through third grade. Your child can also use it to listen to music, play games and even track their chores! (Amazon, $94)
Pogo Android
The PoGo Android 4.0 tablet gives kids a bright 7-inch display, a dual camera and a long-lasting battery. It’s preloaded with tons of fun games for the little swipers. A great starter tablet. Available in pink and blue. (Amazon, $50)
iPad mini
Apple’s iPad mini is not designed (or priced) specifically for children, but it is a surprisingly good option for kids. It features one of the best lineups of apps for children. Add a sturdy case, and you’ll find that the iPad mini is just as kid-friendly as the other fun tablets on this list. (Amazon, $220)
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