Best iOS and Android Tablets for Kids

Keeping your child safe online

To keep your children safe on the internet, you may want to invest in parental control software like Qustodio or FamilyTime. These apps allow the parent to apply security measures to their children’s electronics, so that they cannot be exposed to malicious content. You can set time limits, block certain websites, inhibit keywords being entered, track your child’s online activity, and more. 

iOS vs Android

Whether you’re an Android fan or a loyal Apple lover, there’s something for everyone here to suit all budgets and all purposes. 

• The best Android tablets for kids
• The best iOS tablets for kids

The best Android tablets for kids

Android is a popular brand for many devices, from smartphones to tablets to computers. With a multitude of options available, it can be hard to filter out the best ones. Use our navigation list below to find the right tablet for you and your child’s needs. 

• Best overall
• Best Samsung
• Best budget-friendly
• Best for a small screen
• Best for youngest children

Best overall - Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition

Released in October 2019, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is unanimously the best Android tablet overall for children. Designed with ultimate child safety in mind, the Fire HD 10 is a reliable choice for any parent wishing to invest in a useful and educational device. 
 

✔Big screen for clarity

✔Expandable storage up to a massive 512GB for all the games, apps, photos, and videos your child might want

✔Battery life is long enough to last for a whole day’s worth of use

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition comes with a two year warranty if the tablet is lost or broken. Also included is a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives your child access to a host of apps, games, videos, books, and audiobooks, as well as Disney, Nickelodeon, and Sesame Street content.
 

Best Samsung - Samsung Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition

Another beloved Android brand - Samsung. With education and curiosity at the heart of this 2019 release, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a sturdy option for parents looking for a long battery life and durable case. 
 

✔8 inch screen was designed to fit nicely in most children’s hands for ultimate comfort and accessibility 

✔Protective case is handy for children who are prone to dropping or misplacing their devices

✔Option for big 512GB of storage 

✔Very long battery life means you won’t have to charge the tablet often if your child only uses it for a couple of hours (or less) a day

This Samsung tablet offers over 10,000 hours of activities, from movies, games, videos, and more. It also comes with a free month’s trial of Samsung Kids, so your child can explore even more content - great for learning and supporting curiosity. 
 

Best budget-friendly - Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition

If you’re on the hunt for a budget-friendly tablet option, or simply don’t think it’s worth paying hundreds for a device, the Fire 7 is your best option to avoid sacrificing all those necessary protective features. 
 

✔Under £100

✔Option for large storage

✔Includes a camera for entertainment and capturing memories

Like other Amazon tablets, the Fire 7 comes with a two year warranty in case of drops or breaks. With this purchase, you’ll also have a year’s free subscription to Fire for Kids Unlimited (Amazon Kids+), with over 5,000 apps, videos, games, books, and TV content available. After the year’s trial, it will cost £1.99 a month unless you cancel it. 
 

Best for a small screen - Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids

Small screens are perfect for travelling and portability, so if you need a tablet that can easily fit inside a handbag or rucksack, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 is the one for you. Though an oldie (2013), it’s one of the smallest on offer, closer to a smartphone than a tablet, and allows you to swap between child and adult usage seamlessly. 
 

✔Easy to hold, lightweight, and portable

✔Cameras on front and rear for selfie or landscape shots

✔Designed for both child and parent to use

✔Clear 1024 x 600 resolution makes it ideal for watching videos, reading books, and playing games 

The kid-friendly interface is bright and colourful with fun characters to interact with. Children can access the Samsung’s Kids’ Store to download safe and enjoyable games and apps. This tablet also comes with 50GB worth of free Dropbox storage for two years, making it ideal for older children or parents who may want to store documents or videos/pictures to be accessed across other devices. 
 

Best for youngest children - LeapFrog Epic

Catered towards developing child’s minds, the LeapFrog Epic tablet (2015) is a combination of Android and LeapFrog to provide limitless apps and games for children’s exploration and education. It constantly adapts to fit your child’s developing mind, making it a device they can grow into rather than grow out of. 
 

✔Grows and expands alongside your child, changing its interface and apps/games to suit all ages

✔Includes cameras to encourage your child to capture memories 

✔Small and portable

✔Includes a stylus to help children with dexterity struggles, or simply as another option to interact with the screen

This Leapfrog-Android model comes with auto-levelling learning games and a playable home screen your child can redesign as their thoughts and feelings shift.Access educator-approved games and apps that cover maths, science, reading, writing, creativity, and life skills. 

The best iOS tablets for kids

There are less options out there for iOS tablets for kids. After all, Apple are only one company (compared to the 100s that use Android), but they also don’t specifically design any with young children in mind. Therefore, Apple tablets (iPads) are typically more expensive and better suited for older children. 

Whilst none of the following are necessarily designed with children in mind, you can download parental control software onto any device, so can easily change these into kid-friendly tablets. 

• Best overall
• Best for a small screen
• Best for creativity

Best overall - Apple iPad 

A fairly modern 2020 release, the Apple iPad is the best tablet to buy for a child, as it’s one of the cheapest compared to the other models, but still has a whole host of features on it for your child’s developing mind. As we’ve said, these would probably be better suited to older children who you’re starting to trust more with electronics and the internet. 
 

✔Big screen for gaming and other creative activities like virtual drawing

✔Clear 2160 x 1620 pixel resolution makes the screen vivid and detailed

✔Good quality camera for pictures and video chat

Apple tablets are typically quite easy to use, so a child aged 10 or above would be fine navigating the large interface. This iPad, in particular, can transform into a Smart Keyboard, essentially a mini computer, so children can use it for their schoolwork too. 
 

Best for a small screen - Apple iPad Mini

If you’d prefer to buy your older child a smaller, more travel-friendly iPad, why not go for the Mini? It’s designed with portability and functionality in mind, and will allow children to complete tasks on a bigger screen than their smartphone. 
 

✔Good quality camera for pictures and video calling

✔Portable size with screen that fits comfortably in the hand

✔Up to 128GB of storage, which is ideal for storing photos, videos, files, games, and apps

The Mini is an ideal option for children looking for a smaller, more smartphone-sized tablet that still packs all the power of a computer. Good for schoolwork as well as for entertainment, the Mini can still be adapted into a more kid-friendly device by downloading your parental software of choice. 
 

Best for creativity - Apple iPad Pro

If you want to buy a tablet for a child who loves gaming, watching videos or movies, drawing or painting, or reading eBooks, this is the perfect choice to harness their creativity. It has the speed and clarity of a computer, but in a smaller format. 

But be aware, these prices aren’t for the faint-hearted. With two sizes to choose from, this is definitely the priciest tablet on offer. 
 

✔Huge storage options up to a whopping 1TB, which is probably more than your child would ever need

✔Powerful pixel resolution screens for the clearest, most detailed, and vividly colourful displays of all the choices on here

✔Smartphone-level camera quality

✔Superfast processor will rival any computer, ensuring the tablet can keep up with heavy demands like live-streaming and playing videos offline

The iPad Pro is definitely for the older kids, with a host of features and impressive specs. If your child is nearing or in their teenage years and you want to get them a tablet that can do almost everything they’d want, look no further than the iPad Pro if you have the budget for it.
 

Now that’s it for our tablet recommendations. Once you’ve found the perfect device for your child, you can read up on the right parental control software for you. 

If you opt for an iPad, you can insert a nano SIM to turn it into a smartphone too. If you’re looking for a great deal on data, check out our monthly SIM only bundles, starting from just £5.

For the parents

You may be interested in reading about the best apps for parents, from expecting mums and dads to parents of teenagers. 

Not sure what these new acronyms and text slang mean? Stay up to date with the newest mobile speak with our easy breakdown of children’s online language.
 

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