Kids want tablets. But tablets are fragile, expensive gadgets with potentially unlimited access to the internet—both issues that challenge parents. Whereas you might want a tablet that's slim, light, and fast, an appropriate slate for your kid should be cheap and rugged above all else.
Below are some of our favorite tablets for children, which we selected for their balance of price, durability, and age-appropriate features. Whichever tablet you get, buy a case and some kid-friendly headphones. These small investments pay for themselves.
The Best Tablets for School
The best tablet for school is probably a base model iPad. The iPad's dominant role in the tablet landscape means most schools support them, many teachers have them, and tech support is easy. Other tablets might not be able to run the third-party apps that schools demand or even allow you to fill out basic web forms. The worst offenders here are Amazon's Fire tablets, which are inexpensive and popular, but don't work well for productivity.
If an iPad won't do for your school, pick something with Chrome OS. For those, head over to our list of the best Chromebooks for kids for recommendations.
What Specs Do You Need in a Tablet for Kids?
Don't assume a tablet for a kid should be a piece of junk. Sufficient hardware specs can help you find a tablet that works well enough to avoid frustrating meltdowns. Let's start with screen size and resolution. An 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel display is good for reading comics and watching videos, so use that as your baseline.
Pay close attention to storage specs, too. We recommend 64GB of built-in storage (or more) rather than 32GB. This amount of storage enables you to install more apps and take more pictures and videos. A microSD card slot can't hurt, either, especially if you want to download movies to watch on long trips. Some games, like Genshin Impact, take up more than 32GB on their own.
Look for 4GB of RAM or more. This amount of RAM helps apps launch and run more smoothly, particularly if there's anything else running in the background. Amazon’s Fire tablets get a pass here because they still provide a stutter-free experience despite their 3GB of RAM.
Battery life is another factor to remember—you don't want the tablet to die in the middle of a long car ride. Carrying a backup battery can help.
The Best iPad for Kids
iPads have the best tablet apps, grow with your kid, and can double as a pseudo-laptop for schoolwork. Apple's operating system, iPadOS, has tools to let you monitor your kids' tablet use and keep an eye on what applications they're running and for how long. Apple also has parental controls that can block apps, filter content, and prevent purchases—which you should use to keep your kids from spending money without your permission. iPadOS does not, however, support multiple user profiles to separate what adults and kids see when they use the tablet.
The iPad has by far the best ecosystem of accessories for productive and creative kids of any individual tablet model: cases, keyboards, and the Apple Pencil stylus. It's versatile and extendable.
Apple iPad (Credit: Eric Zeman)And, as you probably already know, iPads let kids use iMessage and FaceTime to talk with friends or relatives who have Apple devices without you having to get them a phone.
The Best Fire Tablet for Kids
Amazon's inexpensive Fire tablets have been one of the best family option for years. The Kids Edition has a rubber case, a no-questions-asked two-year guarantee, and Amazon's parental controls service.
Amazon's tablets have a simplified interface, strong parental controls, and Kids+, which is basically a giant bucket of age-appropriate content. A Parent Dashboard lets you track what your children are doing and restrict their screen time. You can put multiple user profiles on the tablets, as well.
The Best Android Tablet for Kids
If you primarily use Google services and Android apps, an Android tablet can get you what you need for a little less money than an iPad, and it's not locked to Amazon services the way a Fire tablet is.
Regarding parental controls, Android has restricted user profiles that can prevent accidental purchases and filter Google Play apps. But if you intend to let your kids use one of these tablets out of your sight, you should consider installing some parental control software, as the openness of Android could get them into trouble.
Why You Should Avoid Toy Tablets
Companies such as Fuhu, Kurio, and Leapfrog made their names with highly restricted tablets that come with kid-friendly software and, by default, don't offer access to the open internet. By and large, though, these tablets haven't been updated for years and are running old, insecure versions of Android that we don't recommend. They also won't grow with your kids as they age, leaving you to purchase a more advanced tablet from this list eventually, anyway.
While you're shopping for your kid, check out our lab-tested picks for the best kids' phones and the best kids' laptops. For a broader selection of tablets for older kids and adults, look at the best tablets we've tested overall.
