Tablet for 3 year old? Too young?

[totallycluelessoverhere]

DH wants to buy our 3 year old a tablet for Christmas. Possibly the amazon kids one. Is this too young to have a tablet of his own?
And does anybody have any preference over which kids tablet is the best in the market. We won’t be spending more than £100 on it.

[Stompythedinosaur]

My dc had tablets from around that age (we got them for a long flight). We got a regular nexus tablet but put it in one of the rubber cases to protect it.

We have never needed to limit screen time as the dc don't seem to want to play for long periods. They are handy for travelling though.

I would recommend games by Toca Boca.

[Prinstress]

I thought about getting my 3YO a tablet for her birthday last week, but got her a leapstart 3D instead. It's fantastic, I'm hoping to put off getting a tablet for another couple of years.

[LupinsNotBluebells]

For me that's too young. Our DC used a parent's tablet from about 5 but not before then. It's too vulnerable to damage and there are better gifts for a 3 year old. How about a balance bike?

[OhLemons]

There are lots of educational apps available, I don't see them as being a totally bad thing at that age if screen time is limited.

A lot of the apps have noises and fanfares when a task is completed. My child loved this and was always more excited than when I clapped because she'd completed a jigsaw!!

[E20mom]

I don't think it's too young.

[Fraula]

I agree with MarilynSlumroe

Paints, orchard games, puzzles, books, playhouse, play kitchen... interactive toys that she might enjoy. It's so hard to get them off screens when they're older, but a real shame to encourage them onto one when they should be learning through playing with real-life things, not stuff on a screen.

[Bigonesmallone3]

My DD is nearly two and for Xmas I have got her a amazon tablet, we spend a lot of time in the car as I have an older DC so with school runs and club runs and waiting outside it'll just keep her occupied..

[Veterinari]

The evidence is that children should not have screens until the age of at least 2 and that their screen time should be limited after that, so i’d Say no.

The things that they need to learn (verbal sounds, social skills, dexterity) are learned by interacting socially with people, watching how mouths move and enunciate, and interacting with the world around them. Not from screens.

www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjsvcCQkqffAhUIbBoKHZMiCKwQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fhealth-45651725&psig=AOvVaw0_xgGEarUKsHhskczCjtAM&ust=1545145621651960

[Veterinari]

academic.oup.com/pch/article/22/8/461/4392451

[Whyisitsodifficult]

God that is just depressing! Seriously??

[Worieddd]

My 3 year old has one he loves it.
He’s not on it all the time - can’t get on it himself as I have the pin code. He does puzzles and assorts on it.

[Camomila]

Why not get him something like a leapfrog kids laptop? Lots of educational stuff on it and the screen isn't so shiny and hypnotic.

DS has one we got at a nearly new sale and he loves it...he uses it as a doctors computer, a shopping till, and to play offices.

[LittleLlamaontheduskyroad]

My 3 year old is having my older DC's old Amazon Fire tablet in a protective case.

[totallycluelessoverhere]

He has a leap pad leapstart pad and hardly uses it. He has a balance bike and a tricycle. He has lots of Woden toys, traditional type toys, wooden kitchen, doll and Pram, train set and hundreds
Of books. He uses an iPad at nursery (all the kids have access to it from age 2). He has also used our iPad occasionally. We (well dH) were hoping to get a kids tablet where screen time can be limited and it’s in a kid friendly rugged case. I think DH hopes it will be useful for the two car journeys we have to do every week which takes 2 and a half hours each time.

[Didiplanthis]

Mine got tablets at 6. At 4 DD had an innotab but the boys have been more screen obsessed from an early age so I held off on any tech. The kids fire is good as they only get 45 mins a day and it turns off.

[Didiplanthis]

Because that's what I set it too - not because that's all it does !

[missmouse101]

Why would a 3 year old actually need one? Awful. Hold off as long as possible.

[TimeWoundsAllHeals]

I didn't want to be the kind of parent who gave their kid a tablet, somehow though it happened - I was just showing him how cool something was and then he became a regular tablet user.
I do regret it BUT he is not even 2 ½ yet and it did teach him how to read (like he can read a large number of sight words and he can blend sounds to make 3 letter words). I have to say I am quite impressed with that. He was already interested in letters before though.

He only has educational games (endless reader, endless numbers, starfall and khan academy kids) and kids iplayer on it.

[NEMSparkle]

My 3 year old has a tablet just the lenovo basic one. We downloaded a few apps for her to use and that's all thats on there. Everything else she can't access. We did get the children's Kindle but found it a lot more complicated to navigate. She doesn't use it every day in fact it can sit for weeks without been touched. It is handy for rainy days and long journeys. Also some really good phonics apps out there.

[Philomensapie]

They start using them at school at 3. I think it's fine. The EE Robin's good, you can set a timer and their access stops.

[Ihopeyourcakeisshit]

I agree with Marilyn.
Can kids not play eye spy and stuff on long car journeys.
I think it's a bit sad that kids can't just be these days, without having to be entertained constantly

[Sleephead1]

for me it's too young and my little boy is 5 and doesn't have one and I would not get one yet I don't feel he needs it he had loads of toys , watches tv , we read lots , colour , do activity books , plays outdoors and i think these things are more important but i know some people would disagree but i honestly believe its a personal choice. He uses one at school sometimes and I think that's enough we sometimes play a phonics game on my phone his teacher recommended aswell

[melissasummerfield]

My eldest dc didnt have one and when he went to nursery they looked at me like i was nuts when i told them he doesnt go online at home ( had homework one week about the internet )

They do use a lot of technology at school so i dont think 3 is too young as long as they are not just sat on it all day. My dc has the amazon one and its great, very robust and he only plays the games and reads the kids books on it.

[Bicnod]

Too young imo. My eldest is 9 and doesn't have his own tablet. Not necessary. He plays minecraft etc on family laptop for limited periods of time, so does the 7 year old. My youngest is 3 - she loves listening to audio CDs on long car journeys - how about a portable CD player and set of Julia Donaldson story CDs instead of a tablet?