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Original poster

Tablet for children.

22 replies

MacTaylorsSecretWife · 29/10/2015 11:47

What age have you/will you buy your children their own tablets? I'm in two minds about getting 4 year old dd one for Christmas.

Reasons against is that she's 4! I always swore we wouldn't surround them with too much technology. We don't even have a tablet for goodness sake.

Reasons for is that I know they use them at school and as one of the youngest I already think she has a hard enough battle. Also the laptop screen has been broken twice from accidents when she's been watching stuff on there so it would hopefully prevent stuff like this. If I get a kids one I assume I could put time limits on it and make sure in app purchases are off. I'm sure there are educational apps that she'll love.

I am really torn on what to do but have had an email from amazon about their kids tablet being £20 off and it's replaced of she breaks it by accident under their guarantee.

OP posts:
YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 29/10/2015 11:53

The parental controls on the kindle are brilliant. My 3 year old dd is getting a kindle (to stop her stealing mine)

vvviola · 29/10/2015 11:58

DD1 got one for her birthday this year. She is 8. Before that she was allowed borrow mine/DH's to play certain games.

8 is plenty old enough IMO.

If they are using them in school, fine, that means they are getting exposure to them without having them all the time.

DD2 is 4. She occasionally gets to borrow my iPad under close supervision to play a few educational games. I have no intention of getting her a tablet at this age.

I'm far from being anti-technology. I'm a bit of a geek, and DH works in IT, we love technology. But no 4 year old needs their own technology

(Oh, and if the laptop screen is getting broken by your DC, I can guarantee a tablet wouldn't survive long)

I'd hold off if I were you (or buy yourself one, and occasionally sit with your DC and play games with them on it)

tanya1312 · 29/10/2015 12:03

Following as need to replace lil ones leappad considering kurio xx

JennyOnAPlate · 29/10/2015 12:09

We have a nexus that we let the dc (5 and 7) use. They hardly ever want to go on it though so I wouldn't get them their own.

Amazon do a kids tablet now which has £20 off at the moment. I have a kindle fire which I love.

Original poster
MacTaylorsSecretWife · 29/10/2015 12:13

See I did think about a leappad but reading reviews a proper tablet would have more longevity.

I wasn't clear about the point I wanted to make with the laptop screen. We have been without for a few months as can't justify the cost of getting it replaced so none of us have use of anything. If we get her her own tablet then she would no longer use the laptop and we wouldn't all suffer if her tablet did get damaged. I'm still not sure I'm making sense.

OP posts:
tanya1312 · 29/10/2015 12:20

The kindle fire kids looks good like the idea of 2 yr guarantee as well.
Lil one only 3 1/2 so don't want him having ipad etc xx

Nearlyadoctor · 29/10/2015 12:27

Dd had a leap pad at 5 which she played on in phases up until about 7 and had some really good games. She is 8.5 now and I thought last year we would buy her one this year but she has asked for books, lush stuff, craft items and Lego mainly.

Both DH and I have iPads but she doesn't really ask to go on them very much ( they use them in ICT at school).

Had also considered an e reader but whilst she loves books I want to encourage them.

I personally would hold off as long as possible - I'm sure this time next year we will be buying one but she'll be 9.5 by then.

tanya1312 · 29/10/2015 12:36

He had leappad 3 and loved the games and learning apps , don't think I can hold off from replacing it with something , just limit his time on it xx

imwithspud · 29/10/2015 12:40

Dd1 was 3 last Saturday and we got her a tablet for her birthday. The Amazon fire for kids one actually and it's fantastic, imo it ticks all the boxes in terms of what I want in a children's tablet.

Gorilla glass screen and protective case means the tablet should withstand being manhandled a bit, definitely more withstanding than a laptop screen I think, if not though there's a 2 year guarantee in which they will replace it if it breaks.

A year's free subscription to Fire for Kids, which gives you access to thousands of Ebooks, videos and apps there are loads of educational ones, and some that are just for fun too at no extra cost. After 12 months it's £3.99 a month, which I think is great value. You can also download apps on the adult profile and put them onto the child's profile via the settings (I did this with the CBeebies apps for example).

There are parental controls as well, my 3yo is allowed an hour a day (will make exceptions for long car journeys and such like). After that it shuts down and she can't use it unless I log into the adults account, which requires a passcode, to change the settings.

I did a lot of research before deciding what tablet to get her and this one imo is by far the best. I promise I don't work for Amazon, I just believe that this one is by far the best out of all the 'kid friendly' tablets out there. If you do go for this tablet I would recommend getting the 16gb one rather than the 8gb one, some of the memory is taken up by the operating system which is around 3-4gb alone.

In short I really don't see the issue in children having tablets as long as they're used responsibly.

AMouseLivedinaWindMill · 29/10/2015 14:59

The kindle is the SAME spec as tghe other amazon tablet that costs 50, your paying the extra for the warranty and the case..

Tesco are no longer doing hudl

Original poster
MacTaylorsSecretWife · 29/10/2015 15:12

The case is £20 anyway so to buy the normal and the case you're about up to the cost of the kids one and I know a 2 year warranty is worth getting for us. Will have a chat with dh tonight and see what he thinks. I wonder of its worth holding out until black Friday.

OP posts:
hels71 · 29/10/2015 15:29

(very thick person here...black Friday??)

AMouseLivedinaWindMill · 29/10/2015 15:48

I asked about tablets though Mac and posters told me they got cases for a couple of quid...for the amazon one.

I did a lot of research before deciding what tablet to get her and this one imo is by far the best I did too and I came to conclusion hudl was best then went to buy and they stopped doing it!

People have said Fire can be crushingly slow

tanya1312 · 29/10/2015 16:00

The kindle £50 will just have to many apps on it he won't use which then brings me back to kurio choice xx

tanya1312 · 29/10/2015 16:01

hels71 Black Friday is when a huge sale/discount happens, not sure what date it falls on this year xx

AMouseLivedinaWindMill · 29/10/2015 16:03

tesco have a kindle fire ( i think for www.tesco.com/direct/amazon-fire-hd-7-7-tablet-8gb-wifi-white-2014/312-4668.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=312-4668 59?

looks good?

Bimblywibble · 29/10/2015 16:37

Hm, £3.99 a month is £48 per year, that's as much as I spend on a christmas present let alone spending it on top of an already bought present.

We are considering one for our eldest who's turning 9. They have access to the family ipad, they are not starved of tech, we just share. We use a sand timer app.

Original poster
MacTaylorsSecretWife · 29/10/2015 17:38

It's on 27th November not sure how I know but I've booked it off work for other reasons and realised I'll get chance to hopefully get some bargains.

OP posts:
hels71 · 29/10/2015 18:01

Thanks! We are debating getting some kind of tablet for DD 8. Thinking along the lines of a kindle.....

OSETmum · 29/10/2015 18:05

DS got his 1st iPad mini when he was 3.5 we replaced it this summer just to upgrade it to the iPad mini3 and there wasn't a scratch on it. You just have to set rules for it and stick to them.

oobedobe · 29/10/2015 18:19

We have held off for a while but this Christmas our DC (just turned 7 & 3.5) are getting the new Leapfrog Epic tablet (Android based OS). Probably not the best specs etc for the money, but I am choosing it for it's durability and parental controls, safe browsing etc. I know they will love the interactive home screen and I am keen for my 3 yo to do more educational learning type of games.

You can also modify it for their ages.

They don't used tablets a ton at the moment, but on occasion they are on our ipad or iphones, but I feel ipads are too sophisticated and expensive if they break.

It's a good price on Amazon right now
www.amazon.co.uk/LeapFrog-31576-EPIC-Tablet/dp/B010NMTJA6

imwithspud · 29/10/2015 19:09

No issues with dd's fire so far, but then it's only been a few days I guess. I did spend a few hours playing with it myself before wrapping it for dd1.

As far as I know the 'normal' kindle doesn't come with the kid profile with all the parental controls etc. I don't own the adult one myself though so I don't know for sure so maybe someone else can clarify. All I know is that I'm really happy with the kids one so far, I personally think £48 a year is worth it for all the ad and in app purchase free content you get so it's no skin off my nose paying it.

I very nearly got the new leappad but I thought the kids kindle would have more longevity and grow with dd.

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