Best Android tablets for kids

While tablets aren't as popular with some adults these days as they once were, the tablet market continues to thrive in other areas — including the kids tablet market.

Parents who want to give their young kids a tablet are usually looking for a product that's easy and fun to use for their child. They are also looking for an affordable tablet that's pretty rugged, while also featuring parental controls that will keep their kids from checking out content on the internet that's inappropriate for their age. The good news is that there are a number of Android tablets for kids that have all of these features, and many more.

In this feature, we take a look at the best current Android tablets for kids, primarily younger children in particular. Keep in mind that even though these tablets are made for kids, it's ultimately up to their parents to make sure the content and interactions their children have on the devices are appropriate.

• Best Android tablets
• Best cheap Android tablets

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Amazon Fire 7 Tablet for Kids

Amazon recently refreshed its entire lineup of Fire tablets, including its devices made for children. The new $99 kids version of the Fire 7 tablet has a 7-inch 1,024 x 6,00 display, along with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage, with a microSD card slot to add up to 25G GB of storage. It has a quad-core processor running at 1.2 GHz. It also has a VGA front-facing camera. a 2 MP rear-facing HD camera and a battery that is supposed to last up to 8 hours on a single charge. It uses Amazon's Fire OS, which is a fork of Android, and its own app store.

The Fire 7 Tablet for Kids includes a rubber "kid-proof" case, which color options of blue, pink, or yellow. Parents can set up to four individual profiles for their children, and the tablet comes with parental controls, that let them block access to videos and games until their kids reach certain educational goals. They can also set up bedtime curfews, along with ways to block access to social media and in-app purchases.

Purchasing this Android tablet for kids comes with a pretty big perk: a free year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, with access to over 15,000 books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games for kids aged 3-12. The web browser in the tablet offers access to a curated and appropriate list of over 56,000 websites, videos, and YouTube videos. Finally, the tablet has a two year hardware guarantee. Simply put, if the tablet breaks for any reason, Amazon will replace it for free.

Get it at Amazon

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Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet for Kids

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet for Kids costs $129.99. It has an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 display and 32 GB of onboard storage, along with a battery that lasts up to 12 hours on a single charge. It also has dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support and Fire OS. Otherwise, the hardware specs for the 8-inch tablet's processor, microSD card slot and the choices of the "kid-proof" case are the same as the ones found on the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet for Kids.

The 8-inch version also has the same two-year guarantee, the free year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the parental controls and all of the other features found on the 7-inch model. Basically, you get a few hardware upgrades on this version for $30 more than the 7-inch tablet.

Get it at Amazon

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Leapfrog Epic

The Epic tablet comes from Leapfrog, which has been releasing educational electronic toys for year. Designed for kids age 3-9, it has a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 resolution display inside a hard bumper case, a quad-core processor running at 1.3 GHz, and 16 GB of storage, along with a microSD card slot to add more storage. Finally, it has 2 MP cameras on the front and back. The big negative about this tablet is that it runs on the very old Android 4.4 KitKat OS.

If you can deal with buying an Android tablet for kids that has an OS that's older than some of the kids that it's designed for, the Leapfrog Epic might be for your children. It comes pre-installed with over 20 apps that are made specifically for kids, and contain no in-app purchase features. It also features a kid-friendly web browser with parental controls, and the tablet also allows parents to get very specific on which apps and features can be used by kids. For example, it can set the tablet to let kids play with apps for 45 minutes a day, followed by 30 minutes of educational videos. Amazon is selling the Leapfrog Epic for $89.49.

Get it at Amazon

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Leapfrog LeapPad Platinum

Another kid-friendly tablet from Leapfrog, the LeapPad Platinum is also designed for children aged 3-9. It has a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 screen but it has less onboard storage than the Leapfrog Epic at 8 GB, but still has a microSD card slot to add more storage. It also has an 2 MP camera on the front and back and has a battery life of about 5 hours. As with the Epic, the LeapPad Platinum has lots of educational apps and games pre-loaded, along with a kid-friendly and safe web browser.

Get it at Amazon

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PBS KIDS Playtime Pad

This tablet, as the name suggests, comes from the PBS TV channel and has a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 display, 1 GB of RAM, a quad-core 1.3 GHz processor, 16 GB of storage, with the option to add more storage via the microSD card slot. The tablet uses Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is still getting close to two years old, but not quite as long in the tooth as the Leapfrog Android tablets.

The PBS KIDS tablet comes pre-loaded with over 23 games, along with 120 video clips, songs, and music videos. The case of the tablet is made of silicon, along with grips on either side so kids with small hands can firmly grip it. As with all of the tablets in this list, the PBS Kids tablet also comes with easy-to-use parental controls. It also with full access to the Google Play Store, in case you might want to use the tablet for your own needs. Amazon is currently selling the tablet for about $85.

Get it at Amazon

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Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite Kids Edition

While Samsung has a number of Android tablets targeted towards adults, the company has also released a few of the best android tablets for kids over the years. The 7-inch Galaxy Tab E Lite Kids Edition has a 1024 x 600 display, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage, with a microSD card slot to add more storage. The battery is supposed to last up to nine hours on a single charge. The tablet comes with a soft bumper case that's also easy to grip to help protect it from any drops from their owners.

The Galaxy Tab E Lite Kids Edition also comes with a starter pack of more than 20 apps, along with a free three month subscription to Samsung Kids, which includes content from DreamWorks Animation, Sesame Street, National Geographic, and more. Of course, the tablet comes with parental controls so they can set time limits for their kids. Parents can also select specific app categories that their children can access, and the tablet does not show any ads or in-app purchases. The only really bad part about this device is that it uses the old Android 4.4 KitKat OS. Amazon is currently selling the tablet for $127.99.

Get it at Amazon

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Dragon Touch Y88X Plus Kids Tablet 2017 Disney Edition

Who doesn't love Disney? If you and your kids love to check out all of the great Disney and Pixar animated movies, then you might want to check out the 2017 Disney Edition of the Dragon Touch Y88X Plus Kids Tablet. It has a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage, with a microSD card slot to add more storage. Unfortunately, the battery life is pretty poor at just 3.5 hours. and it uses Android 5.1 Lollipop.

However, many parents might overlook these flaws because this tablet has official content from Disney that's pre-loaded on the device. That includes 10 Disney audio e-Books based on movies like Monsters University, Big Hero 6 and Brave, along with three educational game apps. The tablet also has a silicone cover that not only protects it from falls, but also includes a kickstand to let kids watch and play content without the need to hold it. Parental controls give parents a way to choose which websites, videos or other Android apps their kids can access. Amazon is selling it for $68.99.

Get it at Amazon

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Verizon Gizmotab

If you are signed up to use Verizon Wireless already, and you have kids, you might want to look into getting the Verizon Gizmotab tablet for your children. This tablet has a lot of higher end hardware and software compared to many of the tablets on this list, but it also has a much higher price tag. The Android 6.0 Marshmallow tablet has an 8-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor running at 1.5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage, with a microSD card slot to add more storage. It also has an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front facing camera, and a 5,100 mAh battery that is supposed to last up to 14.5 hours on a single charge. Finally, it is the only tablet on this list that includes LTE wireless hardware, in case a Wi-Fi hotspot is not available.

The tablet is protected via a rugged and removable bumper case. It also comes pre-installed with a number of educational apps, and its UI lets kids open those apps inside a customizable 3D world, with a virtual clubhouse, arcade and school. Parental controls allow them to set time limits for their kids, and reward them with additional playtime for each hour they spend using the Gizmotab for learning time. There's also a dashboard to keep track of a kid's tablet usage. As we mentioned, all of this comes at a higher price than the other tablets on this list. Verizon is selling the Gizmotab for $249.99 without a contract, $99.99 with a two year contract or for payments of $10.41 a month for 24 months.

Get it at Verizon

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Conclusion

There are certainly no shortage of Android tablets for kids, but with the exception of the Verizon Gizmotab, they tend to be on the lower end of the scale in terms of hardware and software. However, this is balanced by their lower cost, along with features like parental controls and kid-friendly UI and cases. If you are a parent, which of these tablets would you consider to buy for your kids? Which do you feel is the very best Android tablet for kids on the market right now? Let us know your picks in  the comments!

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