Tablets for kids: choosing the best one
The children’s tablet will help to entertain your child during a long trip and will become a good learning assistant for them. How to choose the best model for a first-time purchase? An overview of popular models, tips for selection, as well as the best tablet apps are all discussed in our article.
Contents:
- What to pay attention to when choosing a tablet for a child?
- TOP best kids tablet models
- Apps and games for children tablets
What to pay attention to when choosing a tablet for a child?
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Developers offer a large number of educational and fun apps for children of all ages, not even to mention the countless cartoons available. If your family is keeping up with technological advancements, then most likely, the smartphones and tablets of parents are already filled with all kinds of children’s tutorials and games.
It is sure that it is not always possible to share your gadget with your child. For example, when you are driving and using the GPS on your smartphone, and your son or daughter is asking to play a game on it. Without your supervision, the child can accidentally send someone a message on your phone, may watch content that is inappropriate for their age, or delete some important data from it. A children’s tablet is a solution to all of these problems. However, how should you choose it?
First, look at the specific needs of your child according to their age. Very simple models are suitable for kids under the age of 5 years old, they would have coloring books, tutorials and games. Children who are getting ready for school or are already attending primary school are in need of more functional gadgets, with a built-in camera for distance learning and more powerful software suitable for gaming.
In addition, the gaming industry does not stand still, and entertainment apps popular with children can become more and more energy-consuming. Teenagers can get an ordinary adult tablet with the additional protection of a shockproof case. The main thing is not to forget to install some software that would limit the content that is not suitable for children on it. On special children’s tablets, these restrictions are usually already installed.
Let’s have a look at what you need to pay attention to when choosing a tablet.
The durability of the frame
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Children’s tablets differ from adults not only in functionality but also in the presence of a shockproof frame material or a rubber bumper case. Without them, the lifespan of the gadget may be short. Children have the tendency to drop tablets, step on them, spill drinks over them … Therefore, the stronger the extra protection, the better.
Moreover, children prefer tablets that have a more colorful design, and this is the case not only with regards to the exterior design but also to the device’s home screen.
Screen and dimensions
The higher the quality of the image, the less the child’s eyes will get tired from educational programs, games and cartoons. Do not buy a tablet with a diagonal of more than 10 inches – they will be too bulky for the child’s hands, and it would not be convenient to carry a large tablet around. Pay attention to the resolution: 1280×800 is enough for a children’s tablet with a screen size of 8-10 inches.
Processor, RAM and built-in memory
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These characteristics affect the performance of the gadget. The more cores a processor has, the more complex tasks it can handle. RAM affects functionality and speed, hence it is good to have more than 1 GB of it.
As for the built-in memory, it can be partially taken by apps, audio and video. Therefore, it is better not to consider tablets with less than 8 GB of internal memory. Pay attention to the device having a slot for an additional memory card. It will definitely come in handy if you want to take with you on a long journey on which you would want to have a couple of dozens of full-length cartoons and lots of children’s audiobooks.
Supporting means of communication and accessibility settings
Many children’s tablets do not have a SIM card slot. Pay attention to the gadget having Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, as Wi-Fi comes in handy for installing additional applications, and Bluetooth can be used to connect to a portable speaker or car audio system.
Battery
The longer the tablet will work autonomously without the need to charge it, the more convenient it will be to use the device.
TOP best children tablet models
Samsung Galaxy Kids Tab
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This tablet could appear in our review as the best option for children, however, not everyone will be happy with the price of this product. Apart from a long-lasting battery, it has good performance and very good screen size. Users praise this gadget in reviews for its speed and realistic color rendering. The case is made from metal, plus there is a protective case. The camera (both regular and front-facing) is also quite good for a children’s smartphone.
Some useful kids software is already installed. The child will not be able to access some unnecessary content without a parental pin code. The only drawback is the absence of a SIM card slot. However, this could even be considered as an advantage for a children’s tablet in terms of their safety and information control.
Tablet for children below the age of 14 years old.
Advantages:
- battery 5100 mAh;
- built-in memory– 32Gb;
- operational memory – 2Gb;
- microSDXC card slot, up to 512 GB;
- camera – 8 MP, frontal – 2 MP;
- metal frame;
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.
Disadvantages:
- no 3G/4G/5G;
- price/quality ratio.
Average price – $160.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition tablet
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Child-friendly design with a colorful frame and no sharp edges, new and contemporary device, available in pink and light blue color. Quite pricey, however, with pretty good characteristics. Very impressive battery capacity with 12 hours of autonomous reading time. No 3G unfortunately, Wi-fi only, easy connection to it. Control of high levels of sound on the device and in headphones, which is a good embedded feature for kids.
The tablet will be suitable for children of any age.
Advantages:
- the lightweight of 778gr;
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support;
- 1920×1020 resolution;
- camera and front camera of 2 MP;
- 10,1” screen;
- built-in memory of 32Gb;
Disadvantages:
- operational memory of only 2Gb;
- no 3G/4G/5G;
- high price;
- USB-C charging only.
Average price – $240.
Kurio Gulli Ultra 7
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A product that is very well-adapted to children with a pre-downloaded game selection, parental control and safety options, as well an special eye fatigue protection system, very interesting additional feature for childrens’ well-being. Equipped with all the basic necessary features, visually attractive for kids. Not a very long autonomy time of 4-6 hours, which realistically would be of around 3 hours, hence, probably not the best if taken on long car trips over several days.
Similar to other models discussed in this article, there is no network internet connection option here, which both puts limitations on the device and ensures that the child is making use only of downloaded existing content.
Advantages:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support;
- 20 pre-downloaded games;
- parental control and security distance control;
- microSDXC card slot, up to 128 GB;
- anti-shock protection;
- camera and front camera of 2 MP
Disadvantages:
- only 4 to 6 hours of autonomy;
- no 3G/4G/5G;
Average price– $180.
iCONIX C-700
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This tablet runs on an Android basis and has got a dual-core processor, however only 8 Gb of built-in memory, which makes its characteristics less than very impressive. The screen is 7” which is compact, yet on the smaller side. Nevertheless, the screen is framed with a good durable case and bumper, allowing for the device to last for longer.
Device for children up to 8 years old.
Advantages:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support;
- good strong case.
Disadvantages:
- 512Gb operating memory;
- 8Gb built-in memory;
- battery 2500 mAh;
- no 3G/4G/5G;
- microSDXC card slot, only up to 32 GB;
- a low-res photo camera.
Average price – $224.
Apps and games for children tablets
Let’s talk about the apps that can be downloaded on the child’s tablet.
YouTube Kids
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Make sure to check that YouTube Kids is on the child’s tablet and not the adult version. Of course, cartoons can be watched through regular YouTube, but the kids one would not allow the child to have access to videos and ads that are unsuitable for them. You will also be able to track how the app is being used. The developers stipulate that inappropriate content can still leak into the app, however, there is an option for parents to point out the problem right away.
Educational apps
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Devote some attention to educational apps. An app in which cartoon fictional animals help to resolve math problems is very suitable to those who are still learning to count and getting into the basics of mathematics. Additionally, for very young children, we highly recommend the Bini Bambini apps.
To practice math, languages and logic, we advise you to take a closer look at the games from BrainSoft App. Learning languages is easy with Duolingo or Studycat’s Fun series.
a useful app can be found for all areas of interest, even if your child is fond of, for instance, chess or astronomy.
Games
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We advise you to take a closer look at the following wonderful puzzle games that you can solve together with your child:
We also recommend trying games for the tablet, the control of which is associated with the accelerometer built into the gadget. Usually, these are races, where turns occur by tilting the tablet in relation to the line of the horizon (for example, the Asphalt series from Gameloft SE). These could also be some labyrinths-puzzles, where the tilt of the tablet determines the direction of the ball rolling. Have your child master this way of working with the tablet as it improves movement coordination. And, of course, have a go at playing yourself at least once.
In conclusion, we can say that if you are not yet ready to buy a personal gadget for your child, you certainly must look for protective covers for your own tablet or smartphone. If you do decide to buy a children’s tablet, try to choose a model not only according to their price, but also according to their features and characteristics. This will allow the gadget to remain useful in your child’s education for several years.
Please note that educational apps do not require high technical characteristics from the tablet, however, games are a completely different matter. Therefore, if you have purchased an inexpensive device, install more basic games for your child so that they do not get upset that the tablet is slow or is “freezing”.
Despite the fact that children’s tablets are “dressed” in protective covers, try to instill a careful attitude towards gadgets in your child. After all, if a child learns to carefully use a shockproof device, they then can be entrusted with an ordinary smartphone or tablet in the future, without the fear of a crack appearing on the glass screen within five minutes.
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