2024's hottest tablets for kids: A parent's guide

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2024's hottest tablets for kids: A parent's guide
So, another year has come and gone and our little ones continue to grow. Hey, hey, it's easy to get nostalgic, but consider it like this: good job! You're making a proper human being, a techie no less. I mean, why would you be looking to equip your kid with a tablet otherwise? 

And that only makes sense. A huge part of all things hip with kids are digital now, even most toys come with some sort of digital mechanics, accessible through an app. But hey, look at it from the bright side: digital comics don't take up space! Plus, it would be easier to stay connected if you're travelling, so that's neat. 

But getting your kid their first tech product is a huge deal for techies. I mean, you'd want to get a quality product that ticks all the right boxes, but still that tablet has to be affordable, because kids... Well, they sometimes have accidents. So getting a kid the latest iPad doesn't make much sense.

So what does? Well, don't worry about that: we've done the thinking beforehand. And we've made the list out of the results! Because in today's market, it's really difficult to pick out a kid-friendly tablet that is worth your money. And we here at PhoneArena really like to help out with things like that. 

Are you ready to check out the best tablets for kids in 2024? Here are our picks: 


Best tablets for kids on this list:



  1. Apple iPad mini 6 (2021)
  2. Amazon Fire HD 8
  3. Apple iPad (2022)
  4. Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)
  5. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  6. Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
  7. Apple iPad Air (2022)
  8. What to consider when choosing a tablet for your child?


Best small tablets for kids



Small tablets are lighter and cheaper, and they are easier to hold. They are just like large smartphones but without the ability to make phone calls on them (most of the time). If a smaller size is important to you or your child, below are some suitable devices to choose from.


Apple iPad mini (2021)



Apple iPad mini 6
9.0

Apple iPad mini 6


The Good

  • Perfect size and weight for reading and jotting down notes
  • Unrivaled performance on a small tablet
  • Punchy stereo speakers
  • USB Type-C
  • 2nd-gen Apple Pencil support

The Bad

  • Unimpressive display, wavy scrolling in portrait mode


Picture the iPad mini 6 as a smaller version of the iPad Air (2022). It has a thin bezel design, stereo speakers, and a fingerprint scanner in the power button. It's... cute and kind of looks like a mix between an ebook and a tablet.

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The iPad mini 6 supports Apple Pencil Gen 2 — the one that attaches to the tablet magnetically and charges this way. There's a USB Type-C port, instead of lightning, making it readily compatible with a wider range of accessories. Under its hood hums an A15 Bionic chip, which still offers top-tier performance.


Apple iPad 10.9 (2022)



Apple iPad (2022)
8.0

Apple iPad (2022)


The Good

  • Refreshed design
  • Fast and reliable Touch ID
  • Super performance thanks to A14 Bionic
  • Dual-stereo speakers
  • Reliable battery life
  • USB-C port, goodbye Lightning
  • 5G and Wi-Fi 6 support

The Bad

  • Non-laminated screen that's just okay
  • No more 3.5mm audio jack
  • A serious price hike


The all-new 2022 iPad is a great choice for kids, pre-teens, and teens, and it’s the perfect device if you want to buy your kid a more grown-up tablet compared to the iPad mini 2021. With a new, more modern look and a slightly larger display than its predecessor, this tablet is perfect for video calls, binge-watching TV series, movies, cartoons, and anime.

But when your pre-teen or teen needs to do their homework, the iPad will turn into a workhorse that can deal with whatever comes its way with added support for a Magic Keyboard folio and Apple Pencil gen 1. The latest generation of the iPad comes with Apple’s A14 Bionic chipset, which is the same silicon found in the iPhone 12 series. And although it's no match for Apple’s latest chipsets, this SoC is still pretty powerful and also good for serious gaming.

Of course, since we are talking about the latest generation of the iPad, the price is hefty. Apple’s 10th Gen iPad starts at $449 for the base 64GB Wi-Fi model and tops up at $749 for the 256GB cellular model. But if you are willing to pay the price, this tablet will be a faithful companion to your child.


Apple iPad 10.2 (2021)



Apple iPad 10.2-inch (2021)
9.0

Apple iPad 10.2-inch (2021)


The Good

  • The full iPadOS experience at a low cost
  • TrueTone display
  • 64 GB base storage
  • Has a headphone jack
  • Dependable battery life

The Bad

  • Dated design
  • One-sided speakers
  • Lightning port
  • Non-laminated screen
  • Camera is not great


In case you don’t want to spend at least $449 for a new tablet for your kid, but still want to buy an iPad, then the 2021 iPad is also still a good choice. It’s powerful, affordable, comes with a 10.2-inch screen, and is perfect for entertainment and even education—thanks to its support for the first-generation Apple Pencil. The device is also suitable for gaming.

Despite its low cost, it runs popular games such as Fortnite, Minecraft, PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile on mid to high settings with no problems.

If size isn't an issue, as it's quite a large device, and weighs 483 grams, about as much as two large phones put together, this iPad may be the best match for most uses and users, and the best bang for your buck on this list.

Like with other Apple devices, parental controls are available, as is the option for an Apple Arcade subscription.



Amazon's super affordable 8-inch tablet features easy-to-use parental controls, and with an optional subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, kids can enjoy over 20,000 kid-friendly titles, including books, games, educational apps, movies, TV shows, and more.

Instead of the usual Android, Amazon's Fire tablets run on Fire OS, which is based on Android, but has a more user-friendly UI and its own app store. This particular offer includes two kids tablets for a very low price.

Best gaming tablets for kids


When it comes to high-quality mobile gaming, the options are more expensive compared to other entertainment-oriented tablets. The tablet you purchase must have top-tier specs in order to run heavy games at their highest quality settings.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE



Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G


View full specs


Although the Galaxy Tab S7 FE has the same size as its cousin, the Galaxy Tab S7+, it's slightly downgraded, which allows it to start at a much lower price.

The tablet is powered by a Snapdragon 750G chipset, which isn't exactly top-shelf but is definitely an "upper midrange" chip and will surely run any game or learning app on the Play Store your kid has been loving recently.

The Galaxy Tab S7 FE also packs an S Pen, which makes it great for drawing or writing, and supports Samsung DeX and keyboard cases, which let you easily turn it into a computer. The tablet also supports Samsung Kids, which has a plethora of useful parental controls.


Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite



Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite
8.0

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite


The Good

  • Affordable tablet with excellent stylus experience
  • Light, comfy design for on-the-go work
  • Great speakers

The Bad

  • Performance is choppy
  • No DeX, no Themes, no Game Launcher
  • Don't expect a Keyboard Book Cover for this one
  • No secure biometric lock


Just like the Tab S7 FE, the Tab S6 Lite also includes an S Pen, perfect for your kid to unleash their creativity and doodle on their tablet. The device also has a great battery life and features a 10.4-inch screen, making it ideal for watching Netflix.

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with a Snapdragon 720G chipset under the hood and 4 GB of RAM. The tablet has decent performance and is good for gaming.


Apple iPad Air (2022)



Apple iPad Air (2022)
9.0

Apple iPad Air (2022)


The Good

  • Unrivaled performance at this price
  • Premium build quality
  • Solid speakers
  • Supports iPad Pro (11-inch) accessories

The Bad

  • 64 GB of base storage is a bit stingy, the only other option is a costly jump to 256 GB
  • Expensive accessories


The 5th generation iPad Air has been called an "iPad Pro killer" by many, for good reason. It takes all the things that make the iPad Pro a powerful and diversified tool — keyboard and Pencil support, powerful hardware, all-screen design — and cuts some corners to offer them in a more affordable package.

The absolute killer deal here is that the iPad Air 5th gen comes with an Apple M1 chip — the same chip that powers the iPad Pros, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Mac mini, and even the most recent iMac. Yeah... all that... in a tablet.

Obviously iPadOS doesn't make use of the full M1 power, but rest assured that buying an iPad Air (2022) today is a great future-proof investment. It will take a long, long while before these tablets are obsolete!

With Notes and iCloud sync, taking notes in class is easy, and with support for DualShock and Xbox controllers — playtime is on. iPad OS has the ScreenTime perk, which opens it up for parental controls, there's access to Apple Arcade and AppleTV+, of course, and pretty much anything else in the iOS ecosystem is opened up for exploration.


What to consider when choosing a tablet for your child?



What will your child use the tablet for?


  • For entertainment - If your child is going to use their tablet mostly for watching videos, movies, etc., then you should purchase a larger tablet with HD resolution and good battery life. One example of such a tablet is the Galaxy Tab A8. Yes, it’s not powerful, but features a 10.5-inch LCD display and thanks to its 7,040mAh, has an impressive battery life.

However, if your kid intends to play games as well, then the tablet you intend to buy must also have decent performance specs, like a faster and more powerful processor, more RAM capacity, and more storage space.

  • For education - If the device will be used for education, you can get a smaller tablet with good battery life. Smaller tablets are usually lightweight and easy to carry. And if your kid will mainly read on their device, they won't need a tablet with a huge resolution.

  • For both - In case you want your child to have a tablet for school and for watching movies and playing games, we suggest you get a device with a long battery life, an HD display, good performance, and a large storage capacity.

Storage capacity and battery life


Another thing that you must take into consideration when buying a tablet is the device’s battery life and storage capacity.

If the tablet will be used mainly at home, where you can charge it at any time, then you can choose a device with a decent but not great battery life. But if your child is going to use their tablet somewhere where they won't be able to charge it — for example, at school — you'll need a device with a longer battery life.

You should also purchase a tablet with a long battery life if your child intends to play games on it, even if you plan to use the tablet mainly at home. Playing games while charging a tablet could overheat the device. Also, a longer battery life equals more playtime between charges.

As for the storage capacity, if your child intends to use their tablet to watch videos and cartoons, you won't need to purchase a device with a large amount of storage. But if the tablet will be used for studying and playing games, then you should pick a tablet with a good amount of storage.

Since games are usually huge, if you buy a tablet with a small storage space, your child may not have enough free space for pictures, videos, or school assignments. Also, it would be better if you choose a tablet with a microSD card slot. This way, your child will have even more storage space.

Screen size and resolution


You must also take into consideration the screen size and resolution of your kid's future tablet. Tablets with big screens usually weigh more, need more power, therefore have higher battery consumption, and are more difficult to carry. On the other hand, they are perfect for consuming content and playing games.

As for the tablet's resolution, if your child will watch videos, movies, or play games on it, the higher the resolution, the better. Tablets have small screens, and a higher resolution means that the tablet will offer sharper details and better picture clarity.

Your child's age. Can it handle a more advanced model or should you go for something more basic?


Another thing you should consider before buying a tablet is your child's age and whether they will be able to take good care of their new device. If you have a small child who is very likely to drop, hit, drown — if the device doesn't have good water resistance — or somehow break the tablet you intend to buy, it is better to buy something cheap and basic. However, if you have an older kid who knows how to take care of their belongings, you can purchase a more expensive tablet with better specs.

Tablet durability and build quality


Now, even if your kid can take good care of their belongings, accidents do happen. For example, your child could accidentally drop their tablet on the floor or spill their favorite fruit juice on their new device. And if the tablet you have bought isn't durable enough or doesn't have a good IP rating, then the device will break, and the money you have spent on it will basically go down the drain.

So, before choosing a tablet, you should also ask yourself: is the tablet durable enough to withstand drops and spills? How sturdy is the build quality of the device I am going to buy?

Parental controls and security features

If your child is old enough, you probably won't need such features. But if the tablet will be used by a small kid, then you definitely want the device to have useful parental controls and security features.

For example, if you buy your kid an iPad, you will be able to do things like:
  • restrict the use of built-in apps or features
  • setting up Screen Time
  • restrict explicit content and content ratings
  • limit access to adult content
  • restrict Game Center features such as preventing your child from playing multiplayer games
  • restrict Siri from searching the web when asked a certain question

Amazon also has something to offer in the parental control department. On its Fire Tablets, you can restrict access to websites, specific content types or titles, some apps, access to the device's camera, and location-based services. There is also a curfew option, which lets you schedule when your child can use the device.

Apps and games compatibility


The final thing that we recommend you consider before buying a tablet for your child is whether your kid wants or needs specific apps or games. If there are such apps or games, we encourage you to do some quick research to see which operating systems they are compatible with.

Most software companies make apps for both Android and iOS, but there are also apps and games that are available only on a certain operating system.

Furthermore, Amazon's Fire Tablets run on Fire OS and have their own app store rather than using Google's Play Store. Sadly, Amazon’s app store has fewer apps when compared to the Play Store.


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