It's pretty easy to set controls over your child's content:
Select the child's profile from the people symbol in the top right corner
When it comes up with a 'Grown-ups' tab, tap on Time Limits
Tap your name and enter your PIN
You will then have the option to toggle on 'Daily Goals & Time Limits'
From here (should look like the above image) you can set screen time limits, educational goals, restrictions, etc.
Is Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids a good kids' tablet?
Yes, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids is an excellent kids’ tablet. Aimed at children aged 3 - 7 (but perfectly capable of handling the basic needs of an older child's profile, just with slightly more limits than may be useful for school work) it is a brilliant tool for education and entertainment. My favourite feature is the ability of allowing up to four kids’ profiles, meaning our kids take it in turns and there are minimal arguments over someone messing up someone else’s game, etc.
I also love the fact that you can control screen time, set content goals and restrictions (ie they must spend 30 mins on reading, maths and educational video content before they can access the less educational content). While this may not be such a handy feature for long-distance travel, it’s ideal for everyday use.
Not everyone loves the Fire tablets and there are some excellent alternatives available from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo and more so it's definitely worth doing your research to figure out what you are looking for from a kids' tablet. For us, the Fire series does the job - they aren't too expensive considering how well they last, they support the changing educational needs of the child and they are incredibly reassuring for peace-of-mind.
What is the difference between Fire HD 8 and kids?
The Fire HD 8 and the Fire HD 8 kids are essentially the same tablet, with differences being the Kids’ tablet has added restrictions and tailor-made kids’ content, parental controls and the kid-proof case. The Fire HD 8 is also cheaper.
Can you get Netflix on Fire HD 8 Kids tablet?
Yes, but this can only be installed via a parent account and you will need a subscription to Netflix. You will also need to set up your parental controls via your Netflix account as it isn’t part of the Amazon Kids+ subscription.
Can Amazon Fire Kids tablet be used as a normal tablet?
Yes, you can use this tablet as a normal one through the adult profile. However, the normal Fire HD 8 tablet is actually cheaper, so if you’re looking to purchase a tablet, you might as well get the regular version. If you’re looking to re-purpose a kids’ tablet, there’s no reason why you can’t use the Fire HD 8 Kids as a regular tablet (you can even keep the chunky rubber case if you’re accident-prone!)
Can I use the Fire kids tablet without a subscription?
Yes. If you choose not to renew your Amazon Kids+ subscription after your year of free access runs out, you can still use the tablet but you will no longer have access to the Amazon-curated kids’ content. You can use it with other streaming services such as Disney and Netflix, and can download other apps and games through the App Store.
If you do choose to continue the Amazon Kids+ subscription, it costs £38 per year (£3.99 per month) for Prime members and £68 per year (£6.99 per month) for non-Prime members.
Final Verdict: Are the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablets worth it?
Overall rating: 5/5
Yes. In terms of kids’ tablets, the Amazon Fires just tick so many of the boxes that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.
Sure, if you’re not buying while there’s an offer on the initial cost is quite high (though lower than most other kids' tablets) and you will need to pay per month or year if you want to carry on the Amazon Kids+ subscription, but as my family can attest, the tablets last really well (our 7s are still very much a back-up option, just not when the WiFi is down!) The separate child profiles are a great way of ensuring each child has tailor-made content for their age and stage of development, and the parent dashboard ensures you can make sure they’re only accessing material you’re happy with.
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About the author
Mum-of-three Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy care and child play content pages.
Before joining the content team at Mumsnet, Jenny worked as a journalist for newspapers, radio, TV and b2b trades magazines for over a decade. She is also a bestselling sci-fi author (writing as J M Briscoe) and parenting blogger.
As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in buyers' guides and reviews such as this one, as well as sourcing expert advice on all things pregnancy and child play related.