10 Of The Best Kid-Friendly Tablets That Are Worth Every Penny

In the digital age, children's exposure to technology is inevitable, and parents often find themselves facing a challenge in striking the right balance. Encouraging outdoor play and hands-on learning remains a priority, but the educational benefits and entertainment value of kid-friendly tablets are undeniable.

As technology continues to play a pivotal role in daily life, it is crucial to equip children with the skills and knowledge to navigate this digital landscape safely and effectively. Kid-friendly tablets offer a controlled environment where children can access age-appropriate content, educational apps, and games that promote cognitive development. With parental controls, screen time can be regulated and nearly any tablet can be made kid-friendly, ensuring children's online safety while providing peace of mind for guardians as children explore the digital realm.

There are plenty of great kid-friendly tablets to choose from. It can be a struggle to pick one for your child knowing that the very expensive device will be pushed to the absolute limits of its durability. There's also the question of which devices offer the most effective parental controls to ensure you can properly monitor your child's time on the tablet. It's always important to consider your needs for a device when beginning your search, as there's genuinely no one-size-fits-all when it comes to picking a tablet for your child. With your considerations in mind, here are the best kid-friendly tablets for your child.

In America, Apple is king. Nearly half of all American smartphone owners own an iPhone. Beyond the smartphone, there are tons of other Apple devices you may have around. If you own any Apple devices, you know Apple's greatest strength — the Apple ecosystem. Every Apple device works seamlessly with every other Apple device, and they can all easily communicate with and control one another.

Similarly, an iPad mini can be an incredible kid's tablet with robust controls that all loop back to the Apple ecosystem. The parental controls on your child's iPad can be easily placed using Apple's Family Sharing. The options available range from placing restrictions on certain kinds of content to enabling permission requirements to download apps. There's also the Screen Time menu in the Settings app, which can give you quick and easy oversight of the different apps your child is using. Screen Time is an incredible tool because it allows you to place specific restrictions on how long certain apps can be used before they're timed out. 

Of course, all the features mentioned above aren't necessarily exclusive to the iPad mini. However, what makes the iPad mini a good choice for your child is its size. Of all of the tablets on this list, the iPad mini is the smallest of them with an 8.3-inch display. The biggest downside, on the other hand, is the price — the Apple iPad mini is $499 from Apple directly.

However, a small screen may not be ideal for some kids. Or perhaps an iPad would be a nice tablet for your child, but not for $499. In either case, the next best option will be Apple's iPad 9th generation. While the 9th generation iPad may look a little dated next to its more contemporary counterparts in Apple's tablet lineup, at nearly $200 cheaper than the iPad mini, it is by far the most affordable iPad Apple offers. If your needs and wants are best met by the parental controls offered within the Apple ecosystem, this will be the most cost-effective option available.

The comparatively bargain price isn't the only benefit of the 9th generation iPad either, as the other significant difference comes in the form of its 10.2-inch display. Sometimes, bigger is better. In the case of a child's tablet, a bigger screen can be much more suitable for younger kids who may not have the best coordination just yet. 

For either iPad, the parental controls help to make the device suitable for children's use on the software end. For making the iPad child-ready on the hardware end, there are many great cases available on the market, including ones with built-in screen protectors. A couple of years ago, OtterBox even released a line of iPad cases made for kids. The Apple iPad 9th generation is $329 from Apple directly.

One of the easiest picks outside of the Apple ecosystem is Amazon's Fire HD 10. The Kids Pro edition of the tablet even comes packaged in a kid-friendly case that doubles as a kickstand. In the title of the device's listing on Amazon, they proudly include that the tablet is rated as the "Best Tablet for Big Kids by Good Housekeeping," and for good reason. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is a fantastic choice, and not just for big kids, either. For any child that can use a tablet – the American Academy of Pediatrics advises limited screen time for children under 18 months  – the Fire HD 10 is a solid choice.

Aside from the sturdy case that comes bundled with the tablet, a standout feature of the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is its access to Amazon Kids+, a subscription service that offers thousands of books, videos, games, and apps curated for children aged 3 to 12. This vast library spans categories from educational content that helps kids build critical skills to games and shows that foster creativity. The service ensures that children have access to age-appropriate content that can both entertain and educate. The tablet comes with a year of access to the service.

Amazon's Parent Dashboard allows parents to set time limits, control access to specific apps, and monitor their child's activity. This feature allows for customization based on each child's needs and preferences. In addition, parents can review reading and app usage reports to track their child's progress and engagement with the tablet. The Parent Dashboard is also a great tool at parents' disposal for kid-proofing an Amazon Fire tablet. The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is $139.99 on Amazon.

While the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is a fine choice for an Android-based tablet for kids, issues may arise when trying to utilize any Google apps unavailable through Amazon's app store. While it is possible to install the Play Store on an Amazon Fire Tablet, a simpler option for parents might be the purchase of a proper Android tablet.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8. The Galaxy Tab A8 features an expansive 10.5-inch display and offers a convenient multi-user mode, allowing each member of the family to have their own personalized account. This feature is particularly useful for households with multiple children, as it ensures a tailored experience for each child while keeping their content and progress separate. Parents can also establish different levels of access and privacy settings for each user.

Beyond the multi-user mode, Samsung also has a Samsung Kids Mode which transforms the tablet into a kid-safe environment with age-appropriate apps, games, and educational content. It also includes a Kids Store, where parents can discover and download curated content that suits their child's interests and learning needs. In addition to Samsung Kids Mode, the tablet offers comprehensive parental controls to monitor and manage screen time, set app restrictions, and access activity reports. 

Naturally, the tablet will need a case to truly be child-ready. The only true potential downside with the Galaxy Tab A8 is a more sluggish performance compared to other Android options. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is $229.99 on Amazon.

In many ways, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 is very similar to the A8, but it does have some important differences that may influence your purchasing decision depending on your needs for the tablet. One of the most prominent features of the Galaxy Tab S8 when compared to the A8 is its S Pen support. The included stylus allows for precise drawing and note-taking, making it an excellent tool for creativity and learning. It can also be a valuable addition for children interested in art and design, offering an extra dimension to their digital endeavors.

The Galaxy Tab S8's status as the more premium of the two Samsung tablets on this list means it will lend a little more longevity, making it more adaptable to your child's evolving needs as they grow. With its powerful performance, exceptional display, and support for the S Pen, it can accommodate a broader range of educational and creative activities. This adaptability makes it a long-term investment, providing value throughout your child's developmental stages.

The long-term investment element is perhaps most important here, as the Galaxy Tab S8 is significantly more expensive than the A8. Given its high price tag, it is not a device you'll want to be replacing for quite some time. Purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 for $699.99 from Samsung directly.

The Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, aside from being one of 2022's best tablets, is a remarkable kid-friendly tablet choice that excels in delivering an enriching and secure digital experience for young users. With its strong performance, generous screen size, extensive content ecosystem, and enhanced parental controls, this tablet is a great choice, especially for older children. The Lenovo Tab P11 Plus offers smooth and responsive performance for educational apps, games, and interactive content. In addition to its excellent performance, the tablet also has a fantastic battery life, lasting up to 15 hours.

Lenovo's Tab P11 Plus can also be purchased with a detaching keyboard and stylus for further function. The keyboard can enable usage closer in line with that of a computer, which can be a great way to start introducing your child to traditional computer usage.

There are two notable negatives to the P11 Plus — the lack of a headphone jack and its OS. The missing headphone jack means that you'll likely need to invest in a good, kid-friendly set of Bluetooth headphones. However, if you aren't concerned with your child being able to use headphones, this isn't too much of an issue. The OS issue comes from the tablet being based on Android 11, which is now a three-year-old OS. Further, the tablet comes with no promised OS updates past Android 12. Still, the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus is a capable tablet for just $249.99 on Amazon.

A big problem with many tablets is losing most functionality as soon as you're out of range of Wi-Fi. This is where cellular-enabled tablets come in handy. For the fastest cellular speeds available, a 5G-enabled tablet will offer the best speeds. However, the 5G tablet game is mostly dominated by Apple's iPad Air. For a compelling iPad Air alternative, the best available will be the TCL Tab 10 5G.

As specs go, the TCL Tab 10 5G isn't truly anything special, so if you're looking for any out-of-this-world special hardware features, the TCL Tab 10 5G probably isn't the best choice available. However, TCL's 5G tablet offers a good enough display with expandable storage using MicroSD in addition to great battery life. The tablet's long-lasting battery life ensures that children can enjoy uninterrupted learning and entertainment. Combined with the 5G capabilities, this tablet is perfect for long car rides, after-school activities, and any other extended periods of use.

Perhaps the biggest trouble with the TCL Tab 10 5G is its availability. Currently, you can only purchase the tablet from T-Mobile, Metro, and C Spire. However, the price tag more than makes up for the less-than-stellar availability. The TCL Tab 10 5G is $299.99 from T-Mobile.

The Google Pixel Tablet is a newer contender in the world of Android tablets. Still, as a Google product, it is where you will get closest to the pure Android experience. While there's certainly room for this new line to grow, there is already some inlaid promise in the realm of being kid-friendly.

Perhaps the biggest benefit for children's usage that the Pixel Tablet possesses is seamless integration with Google's suite of services, including Google Drive for cloud storage, Google Docs for productivity, and Google Photos for safe storage of multimedia content. This makes it an all-in-one solution for educational and creative activities. The Pixel Tablet also has a fantastic battery life, which can be a huge plus for a kid-friendly tablet that might cause a disaster should it go dead a little sooner than might be convenient.

Of course, the Pixel Tablet has no durability assurances to speak of, so it's heavily advisable that you put this in a good case before it reaches your children's hands. Especially considering how much of an investment the Pixel Tablet is price-wise. The price does include a charging dock with a built-in speaker, but at $499 on Amazon, it's still perhaps a little higher than you may want to pay for a kid's tablet.

Most of the previously listed Android options have a display that exceeds ten inches which — while nice — may not be ideal for your child. If you prefer a smaller 8-inch display, similar to that of the iPad mini, then the Nokia T10 is a great budget option for your child.

Perhaps the biggest note to make about the tablet off the bat is that the screen's quality is nowhere near the high standard held by the iPad mini, but you'll still have that compact size. This tablet's performance can also lag behind, but beyond those two issues, there's much to appreciate with the Nokia T10.

The Nokia T10 is lightweight, making it easy to take on the go if need be compared to some of the larger tablets out there. You'll also have access to other Android available parental controls and aids such as Google Kids Space. However, the biggest perk of the Nokia T10 is its incredible price. For a tablet at this price, the only thing that compares is the Fire HD 10 with its significantly larger screen. If you're after a small, budget tablet for your child, the Nokia T10 may be the best option for you. The Nokia T10 is $169.99 on Amazon.

Obviously, the LeapFrog LeapPad Academy Kids Tablet isn't a traditional tablet. Rather, it's a tablet that primarily houses LeapFrog's educational content for young children. However, for a purely educational tablet experience, the LeapPad Academy Kids Tablet is tough to beat.

The tablet comes preloaded with a wealth of educational content, including interactive games, e-books, and videos catering to various subjects and age groups. These offerings are designed to foster foundational skills in areas such as reading, math, science, and problem-solving, making it an excellent tool for reinforcing what children learn in school. It also features a kid-friendly interface with large, colorful icons and easy-to-navigate menus, ensuring that children can use the device independently. Its durable build can withstand the occasional drops and bumps that often accompany youthful exploration, making it a reliable and robust choice.

With its educational focus, child-centric design, interactive content, parental controls, adaptability, and content expansion options, it offers a comprehensive package for young learners. If you're considering a tablet for your child under the age of eight but aren't too sure about giving your child a traditional tablet, the LeapFrog LeapPad Academy Kids Tablet could be your perfect solution. You can find the LeapFrog LeapPad Academy Kids Tablet for $139.99 on Amazon.