10 Best Kids' Tablets for Learning and Gaming

With the latest Fire Kids Edition Tablet, your child can play games and watch videos with less worry about breakage; the 10-inch display comes with a durable case in either blue or aquamarine. One tester said, "The thick bumper makes it easier for my 4-year-old to grip, so I don't worry about it slipping from his hands."

Our experts and testers especially like that this tablet provides access to curated kid-appropriate books, games and shows on Amazon Kids+ which is free for the first year when you buy the tablet. After that, the service is $5 per year. (You can cancel the service anytime, and non-Amazon apps on the tablet will still work.) There are thousands of ad-free children's ebooks on Amazon Kids+, Audible books that kids can listen to plus shows from Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, National Geographic and more. Parents can set educational goals and enforce time limits depending on the content (you can allow unlimited ebooks, for example, but limit game time to half an hour) — you can even choose to allow specific content down to the episode. You can also choose to give your child access to popular apps including Netflix, Disney+ and Zoom via the Amazon Parent Dashboard.

You can get the 7-inch version of the Fire tablet for almost half the price of our top pick. It has a smaller screen size, lower battery life and lessened storage capabilities, but this version of the kids' tablet still has many of the same features we love about the Fire HD 10. For instance, you still get a free year-long subscription to Amazon Kids+ with its rich trove of ebooks, audiobooks and shows. With these Amazon tablets, kids can also access over 1,000 pieces of content in Spanish. The case comes in red, purple or blue. One more note: There is also a Fire 7 with 32 GB of storage for $130, which is worth it if your child likes to download games.

Our experts think this 7-inch LeapFrog tablet is a great tool to help set kids up for school success. The educational device comes pre-installed with 20 apps for kids, with subjects ranging from reading and writing to math and coding, and you can also download more games and apps using the Android operating system. It comes with a three-month free trial of the brand's learning program, also called LeapPad Academy, which features thousands of pieces of learning content. (After the trial period, the service costs $6 per month.)

Testers raved over the stylus pen, which is attached to the device so it doesn't get lost. Kids can practice writing their letters with the stylus, and it's great for doodling and art games as well. Finally, the hardware is built to be super kid-friendly, so you can worry less about the screen shattering (especially since it has a bumper and kickstand). Our Lab found this to be very durable against regular, everyday use.

This is a for-adults tablet that also happens to be a great one for kids, especially children who like to game. The giant 10.4-inch screen, vivid graphics and Dolby sound will appeal to kids. The Samsung Kids settings come pre-installed with little-kid-friendly content (more than 20 apps with everything from STEM lessons to Sesame Street content). There's also the option to set parental controls, so caregivers can monitor learning progress and set limitations on what their kids can access. Bonus: Samsung Kids automatically blocks ads and in-app purchases. It currently comes with two free months of YouTube Premium and six months of free Spotify Premium. And parents: It's got a headphone jack if you prefer silence while your kids listen.

There are three situations in which an iPad might be the best tablet for your child: 1) You want a device that can be used by the entire family. 2) You already have an iPad in your household and want to give it to your child as a hand-me-down and use this one for yourself. 3) You're an iOS die-hard and don't want to learn another operating system. If you use an iPhone or are familiar with iOS this will be a snap for you to set this up and use it out of the box.

And it's got some kid-friendly features too. Don't forget to set your "Find My" feature to track this tablet's whereabouts from your other iOS devices, so you can quickly see if it's in the car or left at Grandma's. You can also share subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ across devices. The iPad is equipped with Touch ID and you can enable parental controls by using a passcode for certain apps. This one has a 10.2-inch screen and costs another $69 if you add AppleCare+ protection. Also, note that iPads don't come with a protective case, so you'll want to purchase one to make it more durable.

A Lenovo tablet is a solid Android choice that is a little less expensive if you're okay with a slight dip in battery life. It's slim for easy travel, though you'll want to buy a case for it so it's easier for young children to grip. The graphics and sound quality match those of more-expensive devices, and the nearly 10-inch screen is a satisfying size for watching shows. A setting called Kids' Mode opens with a four-digit code that you set. It houses kids' content including coloring pages and a section called "Monster Class" that pulls in kid-safe YouTube videos. (Just know that the kid content is nowhere near as rich as Amazon Kids+, which comes with the Fire tablets.) Eye Protection Mode allows you to use a sliding button to filter the amount of blue light coming from the tablet.

Because it is an Android, you can utilize the Google Play store to download popular games. It's another solid choice if you plan to share the tablet with your kid to do your own grown-up things such as web searching, cooking from online recipes and watching movies.

This "tablet" is really a battery-operated toddler toy, so choose it as your child's first opportunity to learn to press buttons as they reach the age where they're always trying to steal your phone. It features original songs and phonics plus vocabulary words and number lessons. There are 28 buttons to push and more than 100 songs, sounds and phrases, so caregivers hopefully won't get tired of hearing the same things over and over again. It levels up through stages 1, 2 and 3 to expand lessons as your toddler gets older. And you can't beat the price!

Made for toddlers 12 months to 3 years, you don't need to know how to read to use this small tablet — it's hands-free, ad-free learning. Most content is just for a toddler to watch and learn; they are not expected to swipe, press or choose pictures on the screen. When it's time for screen time, parents set up the Aila to go through a 10-minute learning module. It comes with 60 preloaded stories plus a bunch of songs that focus on letters, numbers, vocabulary and STEAM concepts for the littlest kids. You can also download an app on your phone that uses Bluetooth to connect to the toy and tracks your kid's progress. For just $5 more you get an additional storybook to read to your child to help boost their vocabulary.

This screenless toy "tablet," designed for kids 3+ but frequently gifted to younger toddlers, is another internet-free toy made to entice any Baby Shark fan. It won a Good Housekeeping Toy Award in 2019, and testers were impressed by the amount of content the tablet came with — including educational games about letters, words, counting and music. And yes, it does play the "Baby Shark" song, doo doo doo doo doodoo. Try it as a car toy; with the volume low, it shouldn't bother the adults up front. Note that this takes three LR44 batteries.

Use Osmo kits to enhance the learning opportunities on an iPad or Fire tablet. Each one comes with brightly colored accessories that work with educational games, giving kids the chance to take part in a hands-on exploration of topics like letters, shapes and creativity. As they age, different kits can go deeper into topics like math, coding, STEM and pretend play. This is a good starter kit for literacy skills, and many more are available, including ones for kids up to age 10. Check here for a list of compatible iPads and Fire tablets.