The 5 Best Toddler Tablets and Kids’ Tablets, Tested by a Mom of Four

This is hands-down one of the best tablets for toddlers and kids you can buy. It comes with a 10-inch screen, a kid-proof case (in fun colors) and front and back cameras for video chatting. It also has a built-in stand, which is a nice feature to have; Meg Meeker, MD, a pediatrician and creator of the “Parenting Great Kids” podcast points out that looking down at a tablet can lead to neck and shoulder pain. When you opt for the Fire HD 10 tablet for toddlers, you’ll get a year of free access to Amazon Kids+ with over 20,000 apps, games, books, videos and other educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney and more. If that wasn't enough, this tablet was recently updated, and it makes a massive difference. The processing speed is 25 percent faster than the previous model, the resolution is higher-quality and the battery now lasts up to 13 hours on a full charge.

My family owns an older version of the Amazon Fire tablet for kids, and we always hated its clunky processing time. The Fire HD 10 tablet blows it out of the water with its zippy transitions, which minimizes the odds that my child (or I) will get frustrated with the device. Of course, if you normally use an iPad, there’s a learning curve with the Amazon Fire tablets. They don't flow as smoothly as the Apple tablet, and you need to learn to navigate it properly. That said, Amazon does a really good job of making setup easy, and use is simple, too, once you get the hang of it. The Amazon Fire 10 has settings and parental controls that parents can set up on the Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard. From there, you can limit daily screen time, manage content and control the settings.

I love how easy this tablet is to hold. It's encased in a thick, semi-soft case that makes it comfortable for little hands to grip. The tablet contains a camera with very simple controls that even my 2-year-old could figure out, even though it’s technically rated for ages 3+. All in all, it was a favorite of both my 5-year-old and 2-year-old during testing. It's easy for them both to use, and they each have profiles with their favorite apps and games. My 2-year-old mostly loves to watch Baby Shark and PBS Kids videos on it, while my 5-year-old enjoys playing games. However, it’s important to point out that this tablet ends up being what you put into it. Kids and parents have their choice of adding a range of games, videos and apps, allowing for a customized experience.

At $200 (when not on sale), this tablet isn’t cheap. But it's also sturdy and has an incredibly long battery life, which is helpful when you're on the road without a charger. Ultimately, it’s an excellent investment that can be used by multiple family members.

Screen size: 10" | Storage: 32 GB | Battery life: 13 hours

Not only is a toddler tablet an investment, it’s one more thing to have around your house. If you’re all about multi-functional devices that you and your tot can use, the SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition is worth considering. This works like a “regular” tablet but has a special kid's section. Here, little ones can take photos, save them into their own gallery, use their own browser and play with some basic included apps like “Lisa's Music Band.” That means that parents can still use the tablet for online shopping, streaming shows and other day-to-day things, all on the same device, without children being able to access grownup content or unapproved websites.

Kids can’t hop from their section to the standard tablet without entering a password, protecting things like your work email and Amazon cart from busy little fingers. The downside is that you have to step in to enter the passcode if they want to go from the kid’s section to, say, Netflix—but that's a minor inconvenience for protecting the rest of your content. The tablet allows you to set parental controls and will also give you feedback on how long your child has used it.

The setup was shockingly easy, even for a long-time Apple user like me. It walked me through the process, and my kids were able to use it in just a few minutes. The tablet is covered in a thick case that makes it easy for kids to grip and also protects against inevitable drops. It also featured crayon-shaped styluses for certain apps. The tablet has a fast processing speed and works well. We never had an issue with it crashing or freezing and it's easy to charge. The battery never died while testing, despite my children using it over multiple days and me forgetting to charge it. (SAMSUNG claims this can go for 26 hours on a single charge, and I believe it.)

My kids enjoyed using this tablet, although my 5-year-old had an easier time navigating the features than my 2-year-old. While you can put pretty much any content you want onto the tablet, my kids had a lot of fun with the included apps and enjoyed making different songs and taking photos. This tablet is about the same price as an older iPad but cheaper than the latest versions. Given that it comes with a case and a few built-in apps, along with the kid’s section, it’s an excellent value—especially since it can be used by the whole family.

Screen size: 11" | Storage: 64 GB | Battery life: 26 hours

This learning tablet for toddlers and big kids is designed to inspire school success among children 3 to 8 years old. It comes preloaded with more than 20 apps ($175 worth of content) that teach math, reading, writing, coding, problem-solving and creativity skills. While the tablet is technically designed for kids 3+, LeapFrog lets you create profiles for kids as young as 2, allowing me to set one up for my youngest. The tablet came preloaded with educational content, like “My Learning Adventure,” which prompts kids to choose different educational games that focus on math, letters and learning. There is also an app store on the tablet that has very clearly marked options, including ones that you can search by age.

This learning tablet has a high educational value, which I really appreciate. My kids enjoyed using it but weren't as impressed as they were with tablets that had apps where they could enjoy mindless fun. In fact, my 5-year-old said at one point, “this feels like school.” Still, my 2-year-old worked on her ABCs, and my 5-year-old worked on reading, writing and basic math, all while feeling like they got in some solid screen time.

This tablet is also packed with helpful features. It comes with a stylus with a blunted end—which is a nice feature with younger kids—as well as a seven-inch shatter-proof screen with a built-in stand and an included bumper case. The device is also equipped with 16 GB of storage, seven hours of battery life and dual back and front cameras for video chatting. Plus, the included parental controls mean you can set time limits and select approved websites on LeapFrog’s kid-friendly web browser. But since this tablet is really focused on education, I wasn't as worried about parental controls or safety features as I was with others with more obvious internet access.

The tablet has the lowest up-front sticker price on our list and can be used by several children under different profiles, so it offers great value for money. However, LeapFrog Academy is $5.99 a month, and you'll need to invest in a membership to continue to be able to use the tablet after the free three-month trial is up. It's not a massive cost, but it is worth considering. Overall, this is a fantastic tablet for parents who are considering screens but want to have a high educational element. Everything on it has some level of education, whether it's coloring a photo, playing math games or tracing letters. If your child has used a tablet in the past, they may not be as wowed by the lack of mindless apps on the tablet. But if they're new to tablets and you want to keep things strictly educational, this is a fantastic option.

Screen size: 7" | Internal storage: 16 GB | Battery life: 12 hours

By the age of 2, many little ones (and their parents!) are ready for a small amount of tablet time. While you may not be familiar with the Dragon Touch brand, this highly durable tablet is a great option and offers many of the same features as the popular Fire 10. A 10-inch screen and robust 32 GB of storage space allow your little one plenty of options when it comes to the content they’d like to consume on this toddler tablet. Popular apps like Disney+, Khan Academy, Duolingo and ABC Mouse are available, too.

But what really makes this tablet stand out as an option for younger toddlers is the case. It's sturdy and covers all sides and the back, lowering the odds that it will get damaged in case of falls. The built-in handle is also a nice touch since it also seems to lower the risk of drops, and there’s even a detachable shoulder strap. My children have older friends with the Dragon Touch KidzPad, and I’ve seen it used as a “bat” for playing ball while they’ve goofed around. Based on that and how my kids used it, I feel confident in saying that this tablet can hold up to abuse that younger kids will inevitably dish out.

This tablet was quick and easy to set up, although thinking of apps to download (and then downloading them) took additional time. Still, I was surprised at the quick processing speed of this tablet, given that I had never heard of the brand; the apps loaded in seconds. This is very much a tablet that you need to add to it to get anything out of it. It uses Google Play and has some built-in features, but they’re very basic. It does include a camera, so kids can take photos and videos.

When letting younger toddlers use tablets, parental controls are of course top of mind. Thankfully, this device makes it easy by allowing you to configure them from the tablet itself or the Google Play app. These controls allow you to block certain times of use and monitor your child's screen time. The tablet has access to WiFi and works just like a “regular” adult tablet. If you're looking for a highly sturdy tablet that you can customize for your child—and adjust as they grow—this is a noteworthy choice.

Screen size: 10" | Internal storage: 32 GB | Battery life: 3 hours

The Amazon Fire 7 Kids’ Tablet may not be the cheapest toddler tablet you can get your hands on, but it’s an amazing value. This tablet allows parents and kids the ability to quickly download apps and clearly see the selection of options once they’re available, making it easy for kids to flip through to find whatever they’re interested in at the moment. This device is similar to our choice for overall best, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids tablet, but at a lower price, so it’s a more affordable option for families. However, that low price does come with a slower processing speed, which can be frustrating at times. If you're okay with that, though, it's a great deal.

The Amazon Fire 7 Kids’ Tablet has an extra-sturdy case for added protection in case of drops. In fact, during testing, it was thrown across the room during a toddler tantrum and survived without an issue. It needs to be linked to an Amazon Kids profile, but once you’re up and running, it's relatively easy for kids to use this tablet. The biggest issue for my children was figuring out how to get out of an app. There is a home button that pops up—slowly—once you tap near the bottom of the screen. However, because this tablet doesn't have the fastest processing speed, kids can get frustrated when moving between apps until they understand the flow of the device.

The 7-inch screen is smaller than the Fire HD 10, but it's still a good size for a younger child. It has a camera, although my kids weren't interested in it. The parental controls are fairly simple to set up, but you have to deal with the slow processing time. With the controls, you can limit screen time, restrict access, require your permission to purchase apps and control the camera. The tablet connects to WiFi, so you'll have to have internet in your car or create a hotspot with your phone if you want to use it on the road.

While the size and processing power are lower than the HD 10, this toddler tablet is still high in entertainment value. It's packed with apps that kids can easily download, allowing them to pick and choose what they want. My daughters primarily used it to play games and watch videos, and they would have played all day if I let them.

Screen size: 7" | Internal storage: 16 GB | Battery life: 10 hours