Looking for a tablet for your kids to use or to give to another as a gift makes sense. With their own tablet kids don’t have to nag their parents to share an iPad, or accidentally come across content they shouldn’t.
But what to buy? You can always go with an iPad Mini if you want the full content and usability of a “real tablet” but the market has a number of specifically kid-friendly options available to consumers that can give you peace of mind and more parental control.
But as we know all too well, the products available to our neighbours in the U. S aren't always available to us here, in Canada.
Here is a list of some of the top kids tablets now available in the north.
Smart Tab Disney 7” HD Kids Learning Tablet
This Disney tablet brings a lot of pros to parents and caregivers. It comes with 60 read-along books, apps and games all involving well-known characters from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel. With 8 GB of memory, it can also be extended up to 32 GB via microSD card, and so if something you want isn’t there, just add it.
It also comes with integrated WiFi to connect to your home network, access to Google Play with a selection of family-friendly apps, books and movies, as well as parental control features that allow caregivers to monitor web browsing and app access, for kid-safe use.
Recommended for ages 5 and up.
Kurio Xtreme
Kurio also offers a solid tablet for kids. Critics currently argue that other tablets offer content that appeals to both children and adults for less, but if you’re in the market for a ‘kid only’ slate, this one does the job well.
Kurio’s tablet comes with parental controls for kid-safe web surfing and app management, games, music, videos, ebooks, and its own earbuds. The camera isn’t the best one out there, but kids can have fun recording videos for fun and taking pictures of family and friends. Available in black or white.
Fable 7” Kids Learning Tablet
This tablet from Fable comes WiFi enabled but is browser-free. This means that it operates in a closed system, and offers a certain selection of games, books and projects to kids, without the worry of having your children go online. No in-app purchases are going to occur, and there is no advertising. Handy!
The content library offers the chance for users to share their artwork, projects and photos with friends and family, privately.
Recommended for ages 3 to 10.
Leap Frog LeapPad Ultra Learning Tab
Leap Frog’s tablet is a favorite with many parents. The rechargeable batteries, high resolution screen, internal storage for extra downloads, high parental levels of control, and a vast library with LeapConnect content all make it appealing. It has also earned PCmag.com’s editor’s choice for toy tablets.
It comes with prescreened web content approved by learning experts, multiple levels of learning, and the ability for users to connect with friends on other nearby LeapPad devices for chat and play.
The drawbacks? The newest version is a bit pricier than previous ones, the batteries can’t be removed by consumers, and there is no card slot to add more storage. But all in all, a good buy with plenty of learning and entertainment options for the young ones.
VTech 7” Inno Tab
This table from VTech offers an educator-supported learning library, an art studio and memory expandable up to 40 GB. It also comes preloaded with 18 apps and a rechargeable battery.
Kid-safe WiFi is available and the ability to exchange text and voice messages, and drawings and stickers with smart phones. It also comes with a family group chat feature and family bulletin.
It’s out of stock in Walmart stores at the moment, but available for sale from them online.
Enjoy your shopping!
