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5 Kid-Friendly iPad Alternatives For Kids Ages 4 – 13 And Up

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Ever since it first came out the iPad has proved popular with kids as well as adults. There are hundreds, if not thousands of apps aimed at kids as young as 6 months old. However, the iPad is not a toy.

Anyone who’s let their small child near an iPad or any other piece of expensive tech knows just how fast a gadget can go from pristine to utterly destroyed or at least significantly damaged. Products like this baby-friendly case from Mattel go a long way toward solving that problem, but then your kid has your iPad and they’re not letting go.

Plus, if the child in question is a little older, then you have to worry about them racking up charges with in-app purchases or accessing inappropriate websites on the web, among other concerns. While there are some parental controls on the iPad, they aren’t comprehensive.

Instead of risking your expensive tablet or dropping $499 on one for a young child, consider one of these tablets made for kids. They’re not only less prone to breaking but also offer much better parental controls so you can let kids play and learn without having to look over their shoulder every minute.

LeapFrog LeapPad -- Ages 4 - 9 ($99.99)

LeapFrog LeapPad -- Ages 4 - 9 ($99.99)
Since the LeapPad is made for kids as young as four, it privileges safety above slick looks. The chunky tablet is only a little smaller than the iPad overall but only has a 5-inch display. It’s drop proof to a point and easy for small, uncoordinated hands to hold. Since there’s no Internet connection kids can’t accidentally wander into inappropriate areas or rack up charges inside of games. Parents can load apps and games to the tablet via their computers or with cartridges. The USB connection also allows parents to track a child’s progress in learning games and apps, all designed to expand the mind while also letting kids have fun.
Visit Leapfrog.com for more on the LeapPad

 

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. melissitah

    11/26/2012 at 7:52 pm

    Hi KT, my question is that I notice the Nabi 2 didn’t make your list, why is that? I’m considering this one for my 7 year old, what is the difference in your opinion compared to the ones you chose? Thanks, Melissa~

  2. Marsha

    11/27/2012 at 5:08 am

    I bought this for my toddler aged granddaughter. I was very impressed witht the design, features and software. Nonetheless, I am going to return it. Why? The battery storage compartment on the backside of the Innotab 2s is way too easily accessible for young ones. The cover pops off easily, so easily I inadvertently popped it myself while test driving the software. I am really sad to return it because it is an awesome children’s tablet. At age 3, I am not 100% certain that that she would not put the batteries in her mouth. The risk of her choking on them or worse is just too high.

  3. KAsey

    11/28/2012 at 11:35 am

    The innotab is a waste of money. The battery life is about 15 minutes. I have tried several rechargeable kind and no last llonger than 15 mimutes. My son has to sit by a outlet so that he can play with his Innotab cause that is the only way to play with it while it is connected to the wall.

  4. Frank (Oldenzaal, NL)

    07/21/2013 at 6:20 am

    I’ve seen and test driven some ‘childrens tablets’. They are without exception all crap. The way to go for the technical savvy is to protect your network gateway with url filtering capabilities (can be had for $0 with IPcop and free url fitler). Default security on the tablet or pc is than enough to protect the toddlers from any harm. So my youngsters have an iPad 1 with protective case. Protection settings are all on and browing is done with K9. Great.

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