The children are beginning to use technology earlier, and they should not be taken away from it. It is the future, and they must learn to be digital natives from a young age. Therefore, tablets can be a great choice for them to start, or also for their studies. However, not just any tablet is suitable for all ages, and it is important that you select the most appropriate for them, the one that suits their needs and that allows them to enjoy and learn without risk.
The best tablets for children
Here you can see a list with a compilation with some of the best tablets for kids that exist, in addition, you will learn to choose the best appropriate for them, both inside and out, that is, both with extra protections to avoid breakages during game hours and that at the user level they do not access inappropriate or too much content complex for them to handle.
In these cases also premium the size and weight, so that they can hold it correctly, especially the little ones, in addition to the price does not skyrocket, since it is not a great idea to give a high-end tablet to a child for what may happen. This is not a problem, since there are many for less than € 100 for minors, and a little more for slightly older ages.
Remember that it is not the same to buy a device for an adult than for a child. The needs are very different, although as they grow, especially in adolescence, it is possible to think about acquire somewhat more advanced tablets. For ages younger than that, it is better to look for a fun and easy-to-use product, although always according to age, or they will end up getting tired of it and seeing it more as a toy than as a technology device.
Goodtel Tablet
This Chinese brand has the advantage of being very cheap, and perfect to start when you are a child, both for leisure, drawing, and even as a device for studies. Another important detail is that it has a countdown timer that allows children to measure the time they spend in front of the screen, something very important to avoid addiction and other problems that video games can cause.
I'm Momo
It is a different tablet from the previous one, more aimed at younger children, since it is a device more similar to a toy, and it can be connected wirelessly to your own smartphone, so that your children can be connected, but always under your supervision. On the other hand, it also includes a system that prevents children from making unauthorized purchases in apps and ending up with important expenses in the bank. These lists can be checked from your mobile to keep an eye on what they have been trying to acquire, for added peace of mind.
Amazon Fire 7
The price of this tablet is one of its attractions, in addition to its compact size, suitable so that children can hold them well without getting tired. This Amazon device also has another great advantage, and that is that it has the services of this company integrated, and it can be ideal to connect to entertainment platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and that they can watch all your favorite movies, series and cartoons.
The quality is quite good, and it has a children's mode in its operating system, generating better parental control and a friendlier environment for them, limiting the time of use, choosing the apps and games they can use, and the content they can use. that they should not access while surfing the net.
weelikeit
With the passage of time this tablet has become more relevant for children, oriented to educational content. It's a great choice for younger ages, or to use as a learning tool. On the other hand, it has a great value for money, which is very positive. Its screen is 8 ″, with HD resolution, 2 GB of RAM, ARM processor, and 32 GB of internal storage to download all the apps and games you want. As for the battery, it is 4500 mAh, which provides several hours of autonomy on a single charge.
Best tablets for children according to age
For choose a good tablet for childrenThe most important thing of all, even more than thinking about the hardware or the operating system, is the child's age, since a specific type would be appropriate for each band:
Under 18 months
According to the AEPAP (Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics), children under 2 years of age should not be placed before a screen. At those ages it is better for them to play with classic toys, since their intellectual development will largely depend on them. The game is essential at those ages, and you should never expose them to these devices, much less to cameras that may be recording videos, etc. The best thing is, if he is curious about your tablet or mobile device when he sees you use it, you will get a similar-looking toy.
From 2 to 4 years
For the children of between 2 and 4 years, you must control them a lot when they are in front of a screen. It is always advised that they do not spend too much time in front of it, less than 1 hour is recommended by the experts, and the less they spend the better so as not to affect their normal development. Also, remember that for these stripes there are also toy tablets that emit sounds, teach English, the alphabet, animals, colors, numbers, or have very basic functions with which to learn.
From 4 to 6 years
This other age group is somewhat more critical, since if you buy a toy tablet, the child will end up getting tired at the first change, since it is not what he sees in adult tablets, and he will end up leaving it. Therefore, it is best to buy one small tablet, like a 7 or 8 inch, and even a phablet. Of course, it should also have parental control and always be under your supervision. As for other interesting features, the best thing is that it has protection against hits to prevent damage during the game.
From 6 to 10 years
For minors of 6 10 yearsIt is better to buy conventional tablets, such as those for adults, although with slightly larger sizes than the previous ones. For example, 8 to 10 ″ would be fine, and they are not too heavy. As for parental control, it must also remain present, and it is important that they use it in common spaces, and not isolated in their room to always have the supervision of adults.
From 10 to 12 years
In this age group they are already looking for something else, a tool for leisure, and it is also likely that study centers will begin to demand a connected device to perform certain activities, jobs, etc. That is why it is important to acquire a tablet more similar to how you would choose it if it were for you. With good connectivity for collaborative work or online classes, front camera for virtual classes, screen size of at least 10 ″ (preferably if you have an external keyboard to use it as if it were a laptop) so that your eyes are not damaged, a good performance, and with the platform they require (if they require one, since some centers work only with iPadOS apps, others with Android, and others with both ... As for the maximum use, it should also be at 1 hour and 30 min approximately.
What to consider before buying a children's tablet
To be able to make the right purchase, and for the safety of your little one, you must go beyond the technical aspects and characteristics that you would look at if you bought a tablet for any adult. There are some details that are especially relevant so that they conform well to them.
For example, using the same tablet for the whole family is not the best, since you can have your credit card entered in the app stores, or your online banking applications, work documents, or other compromised things that you would not want end badly. Therefore, the safest thing is to have separate devices, and adapt these to them, always with a good configuration and with parental control activated.
On the other hand, keep in mind that they are children, and as such they are going to play, and that implies exposing your work tablet, or high-end, to possible falls, blows, etc. And that is something that you surely want to avoid by all means. The solution, acquire a cheapest tablet and, if possible, that it has some type of protection included, or use covers, screen protectors, etc.
Child's age
It is the most important factor, as you have seen, not all tablets are ideal for all ages. Remember that for the very early ages, as the <4 years, the best is a specific toy for their specific age, which are more childish and limited products.
For ages over > 5 years, the best is a more generic tablet. Better if they are compact and light for ages closer to 5 years, and somewhat larger and more powerful for older ages. Although always with adult surveillance, configured parental control, and use in common areas.
Use to be given
This is also dependent on the age of the child. For children under 6 years the best is a tablet less than 8 ″Lightweight and easy to hold, so you won't tire out if you spend a while holding it. On the other hand, it is important that it is more oriented to gamified learning than to leisure or browsing.
For older ages, it is preferable that they have somewhat higher performance and larger screens with apps to read, play games, watch series and movies by streaming, do homework, communicate with friends, etc. I repeat, always with parental control and under the supervision of an adult tutor.
Access to the app store
Whether you opt for an Android tablet, an iPad, or another like Amazon's, you have to be careful and restrict access to the app store (Google Play, App Store, etc.), as they could download apps unsuitable for their age, use payment functions if you have a PayPal account or associated credit card, etc., which could lead to unpleasant surprises in your bank account. For this reason, you should consider using the options parental control of the operating system itself, and spend a few moments configuring them appropriately, or opt for other independent apps that are also great for it, such as Kids Place, Norton Family, Kids Mode from Samsung and other brands, Karspesky SafeKids, etc.
Specific tablets for children or a normal one?
A very frequent question is whether to opt for a tablet that is a toy, and therefore limited and childish, or a normal tablet, with traditional operating systems. For those who are over 7 or 8 years old, you can start to think of a normal one, since a toy one will see it as something boring, and they will end up leaving it on the first day. Good options for these ages could be an Amazon Fire 7 or 8, Samsung Galaxy Tab A, iPad Mini, or similar.
Price
It is always important to take into account the budget you have to invest. Not all families can afford to spend the same. And although children's tablets are usually below € 100, conventional tablets could far exceed that figure, especially in the more advanced models. That is why it is important to evaluate the price range to which you can adjust to see the models that fit there and choose the best ones.
What to look for in a children's tablet
When looking to acquire a tablet for children, there are some things that should be looked for, and it would be a mixture of all the previous sections (age, use, size, budget, ...), and also see if there is any type of special need of the child , such as whether you should have options for accessibility.
The operating system
In principle it should not be something very important, especially for younger ages, but it is when they are of school age, since some centers require a type of specific platform, since they work with certain programs that only serve one OS. But if that is not so:
- Kids: many of them are simple toys, with very simple functions. Others may include very basic or limited operating systems. But that is enough for these ages.
- Android vs. iPadOS: choosing between one or the other will depend, as I have said, on the needs of each child. Both systems have parental controls, educational apps, and a multitude of games for various ages. However, everything will depend on whether the school requires one or the other. In general, it is best to choose an Android if the parents already have devices with this system, or an iPad if you are from Apple, since this way you will have more experience and you will know how to help the little one if something happens to him.
- Other systemsThere are also others, such as Harmony OS from Huawei or FireOS from Amazon, both based on Android, so you can treat them as if they were an Android.
Screen
It is important that the size fits the age well, as we have mentioned on several occasions. For the little ones, whose muscles are not so developed to hold them for a long time, the best is a light and compact device, like the 7 or 8 ″ ones. For the elderly, you can better opt for screens of 10 ″ or more. Also, the older the child, more time will spend in front of the screen, so it is important that they do not use screens that are too small with which they have to strain their eyes too much.
On the other hand, it is important to note that a tablet with a larger screen will consume more battery, so the autonomy will be reduced. And the larger the screen, you should look for one that has a decent resolution, especially if it is to be used for streaming.
Other technical details
In addition to all of the above, there are also other important technical characteristics that become even more relevant the older the child is, since it will have a greater demand:
- Autonomy: If at these ages they are going to be at home, this is not important, although it is important if they are going to take the device to the study classroom, since it should last the whole day at least.
- Processor: performance is not something too critical, but for older children, over 10 years old, it is important that they have somewhat more powerful chips, so that they can move all the apps and video games that they are going to use with ease. Most Rockchip, Mediatek, Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung and HiSlicion chips meet these expectations.
- RAM amount: it must be consistent with the use and with the processor, with a reasonable minimum. The smallest ones, with 2 or 3 GB of RAM would have more than enough, for older ones 4 GB or more is better.
- Internal storage: It is important that you have a decent flash capacity. With 32 GB it could be fine for many cases, since it is enough to download a multitude of apps and games, update them, download videos, take photos, etc. It is preferable that it has a microSD card reader, in order to expand the memory if necessary. If it doesn't have a slot, you can think better of 64GB or more.
- Connectivity: In addition to Bluetooth, it is important that you have WiFi to be connected to the network. Tablets with SIM cards and LTE connectivity are not advisable, since you will be giving the child a device with a data rate as if it were a mobile, to connect anywhere ...
- Cover / protector: very important, since they are children, and with games they can drop it, hit it, stain it, etc. For your investment to last as long as possible, it is better that you purchase a protective case and screen protector. For very little more, you will save a lot of money in the long run.
Initial content
It is not something very decisive. Although some children's tablets already come with a pre-installed software Very specific, tablets for the elderly allow you to be the one to choose the apps and games you want to install, many of them totally free.
Controls and filters
No problem for children's tablets, they are so limited that they will not be able to access inappropriate content. But generic tablets do carry a higher risk in this regard, so it is important that you use parental controls to ensure that you do not access content that is inappropriate for your age. Both Android and iPad, as well as other operating systems, include standard options, although there are also a multitude of third-party apps.
Easy to use
The toy ones are very intuitive for children to interact with. The others, with Android or iPad, they won't be too much of a problem for the little ones. They will almost know how to handle them better than you. They will learn very quickly, although the ideal is that they have a system in which you already have experience in case they ask you something or ask for your help ...
Integrated
The most childish ones have bright color designs, with cartoon motifs, animation movies, etc. In addition, they include robust housings, lined with rubber to deal with bumps and fallsas well as a rougher surface to prevent slipping. On the other hand, conventional tablets, being the same as for adults, have none of that. For this reason, the use of protectors or covers is important. On the other hand, avoid this type of children's designs for older children, or they will feel somewhat "offended".
Make it cheap
Keep something in mind, if the child is 10 years old or older, you can invest a little more in the tablet, since they will be More responsables with her and they will take care of her more. But for younger children, investing too much can end badly, since if you opt for premium tablets between € 600 and € 1000, you could see that all that amount disappear with a single hit or drop. You have to be aware of it.
Also, remember that there are tablets with quite powerful hardware, large screens, and very complete for very little, such as flaship killers. And you will always have the low-end and mid-range at your fingertips. In my opinion, buying a Samsung Galaxy for € 700 or € 800 or an Apple iPad for around € 1000 is not a smart option in any case ...
How to turn a normal tablet into a children's tablet
Some people may have adult tablets that they have thrown away or no longer use and want to adapt or condition them so that they can be a good device for children, and that they can take advantage of this new life. For adapt it correctly, think about the following:
- Buy specific covers for children, which are usually thicker and are usually padded to withstand frequent bumps and falls. They are also usually more ergonomic and rough so that they hold them better. Always think about also putting a tempered glass or a silicone cover for the screen, which is the most vulnerable area.
- Configure the system properly, starting from parental control in the app store, delete any of your accounts, associated credit cards, or apps that may be sensitive, as well as all the compromised photos, documents, etc., that you may have.
- It would not hurt to use software like Kids Place or similar to block inappropriate ads, access to adult content, or the installation of apps that are not for their age.
- You can also select educational apps and leave them pre-installed, such as Disney +, Youtube Kids, drawing and coloring apps, children's stories (audiobooks), apps for learning languages, mathematics, etc. Many of them use gamification so that they learn by playing.
When to buy a tablet for a child
considering the age of the minor, and adapting to the needs of each band, you can buy tables for almost any age. They can not only be a good toy or entertainment center, but also a way to learn, study, and be in contact with friends, for classes, etc. Even more so in these times of pandemic, where restrictions and confinement could return and the little ones need a device from which to follow classes online.
In addition, this way they will have a more secure device, keeping your devices safe. This provides greater privacy, security, and ensures that access to the content they seek is adequate. You won't have to share it with them, something vital if you are using it for teleworking or important issues.
Where to buy a cheap children's tablet
You can find a large number of brands and models of tablets for children, with some very interesting offers, at stores on the table:
- Amazon: This online sales giant is the best option for the guarantees it provides, the security of payments, and for having the largest number of brands and models for all ages. You will also have many offers for the same product, to choose the most favorable. And if you have Prime, shipping is free and will arrive soon.
- Carrefour: this chain of French origin has sales centers scattered throughout the big cities, but if you don't want to travel or don't have one nearby, you can always buy through their website to have it shipped to you. There you will find some of the most current and well-known models of tablets for children of various ages and even, if you are lucky, get a promotion or discount.
- MediaMarkt: This chain specializes in technology at a good price, and you will also find tablets for children. It has a good selection. On the other hand, this German chain also allows online purchases or in-person purchases, whichever you prefer.
- El Corte Ingles: this other Spanish business also allows the purchase in both modalities. And although it does not have the cheapest prices, sometimes they have very important discounts that can help you save.
Conclusion about children's tablet
In conclusion, choosing a good tablet for the little ones will not only allow you to enjoy yours without being claimed, and not only will you be able to keep your content safe, but they will also be safer, accessing content appropriate for their age. And if something happens to it, you won't have to pull your hair out because your brand new high-end tablet that cost a kidney has been broken. And if that seems little to you, remember that thanks to this tool they will also learn and be start in the world of technology, which is increasingly relevant in society...