The best tablets for kids in 2026, tried and tested by real families

Kids tablets can be hugely helpful for everything from education and schoolwork to keeping your child occupied long enough for you to take a breath. The challenge is that they can get expensive and, with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to work out which ones are really worth buying.

To help, we’ve tested a range of popular kids tablets and family-friendly tablets to find the models that offer the best mix of value, content, usability and parental controls. With tech now an unavoidable part of family life, we also took a closer look at how easy each tablet is to set up, how child-friendly the software feels and what you can do to keep screen time safer and more manageable.

Best kids tablets at a glance

Jump to:

• Best overall tablet for kids: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids, £149.99 at Amazon
• Best tablet for teenagers: Apple iPad 2025, £329 at Very
• Best for students: Lenovo Idea Tab 11" with Lenovo Tab Pen, £209 at Lenovo
• Best for robust parental controls: Lenovo Tab M10, £179 at Amazon
• Best budget option: Pebble Gear Disney 7” Kids Tablet, £118.50 at Amazon
• Best for younger children: Amazon Fire 7 Kids, £114.99 at Amazon
• Best for older children: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, £149.99 at Amazon
• Best small-screen iPad: Apple iPad Mini, £499 at Very
• Best tablet for the whole family: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, £139 at Currys

We asked The MadeForMums Club – our community of more than 4,000 parents – what tablets and devices they were already using at home. We then tested the models parents recommended most often, including Amazon Fire tablets and Apple iPads, looking closely at value for money, build quality, content, usability and parental controls.

After that, we sent selected tablets out to parent testers so children could use them in real-life family settings. Their feedback helped us understand how each device performed day to day, and we’ve included that insight throughout this guide.

• Best tablets for kids in 2025
• What age is it appropriate to give a child a tablet?
• How to choose the best tablet for kids
• Should you buy a tablet designed for kids?

For more kids tech, check out our roundup of all the best kids music players and best kids smartwatches on the market, as well as our list of the best headphones for kids. We’ve also got our guide to the best phones for kids, best Switch games and our best Pokémon games for Switch. We’ve also created a parents’ guide to Minecraft to help answer the question what is Minecraft? We touch on everything from cross-play to safely playing online. There’s also our which Nintendo Switch is best for kids guide to the current Switch line-up.

The best kids' tablets in 2026

Best kids tablet overall

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids, £149.99

Best for: Overall value

Why we chose it: It offers the best balance of price, durability, content and child-friendly features of any tablet on this list.

What we like

• Great display
• Robust case
• Wide selection of apps
• No plastic in packaging

What to keep in mind

• Fire OS is limited
• Some strange UI bugs
• No Google apps

The internal specs and price of the HD 8 Kids are very close to the Pro model, but the standard Kids version comes with a much chunkier kid-proof case. It’s bulky, brightly coloured and textured to make it easier for children to hold securely.

That sturdy case is a big part of why this is our best overall pick. While Fire OS is more limited than iPadOS or full Android, the HD 8 Kids still gives you solid parental controls, plenty of content and a good-quality screen at a price that feels much more manageable for family use.

If you want a tablet that doesn’t cost the earth but still covers reading, games, streaming and everyday use well, this is the strongest all-rounder here.

Available from: Amazon, John Lewis

Best tablets for kids for different needs

Apple iPad 2025, £329

Best for: Teenagers

Why we chose it: It’s a premium but long-lasting option for teens who want a tablet for school, streaming, gaming and everyday use.

What we like

• Fantastic screen
• Great range of apps
• Solid battery life
• Great range of accessories
• Easy to use

What to keep in mind

• Expensive compared to comparable tablets
• Storage can’t be expanded
• Might be too delicate for younger kids

The Apple iPad remains one of the most popular tablets on the market, and the base model is still the one to look at for many families. The latest version brings a slightly larger display, a new A16 chip and more base storage, making it a strong option for teens and tweens who need a tablet for homework, gaming or staying organised.

Apple’s Family Sharing setup also makes it possible to manage what your child can access, and the parental controls are robust once everything is in place. You can manage screen time, content restrictions and in-app purchases, though the settings aren’t always the easiest to find at first.

It is one of the more expensive picks here, but you are paying for a premium product that should last much longer than many cheaper alternatives.

Available from: Very, Apple, OnBuy

Lenovo Idea Tab 11" with Lenovo Tab Pen, £209

Best for: Students

Why we chose it: It’s a great-value pick for schoolwork and note-taking, with strong stylus support and a very good screen.

What we like

• Fantastic screen
• Wide array of apps
• Pen support is excellent
• Fantastic sound

What to keep in mind

• A little bit slow at times
• Android isn't the most polished opperating system on tablets

For schoolwork, note-taking and general family use, the Lenovo Idea Tab is one of the strongest value picks in this guide. The combination of a sharp display, good battery life and included pen support makes it especially appealing if you’re shopping for a child or teenager who will use their tablet for learning as well as entertainment.

Add in strong sound and access to Android’s wide app selection, and it becomes an easy recommendation for families who want a capable tablet without spending iPad money.

Available from: Lenovo, Argos, Amazon, Very

Lenovo Tab M10, £179

Best for: Robust parental controls

Why we chose it: Google Kids Space and support for multiple profiles make this an excellent family tablet with strong child-safety features.

Our 2 and 5 year olds have Lenovo tablets. Kids profiles are perfect and they grow with them. They both have educational games and apps on them, with the 5 year old having access to other games like Lego Marvel.

What we like

• Great screen
• Access to Google apps
• Fantastic parental controls
• Great for the whole family
• SD card slot

What to keep in mind

• Not much in-built storage

The Lenovo Tab M10 is particularly popular with our Top Testers thanks to Google Kids Space, Google’s child-friendly software environment that helps parents create safer profiles for children.

It works especially well as a shared family tablet, as you can set up multiple profiles for parents and children and restrict access to different content depending on who is using it. That flexibility, combined with the screen quality and access to Google’s wider app ecosystem, makes it one of the most useful family tablets on this list.

Overall, this is one of the easiest tablets here to recommend if parental controls are high on your priority list.

Available from: Very, Argos, Currys

Pebble Gear Disney 7” Kids Tablet, £118.50

Best for: Budget

Why we chose it: It’s an affordable first tablet with a simple interface, cheerful design and child-friendly content built in.

I’d say this would be a great tablet as a toddlers first one. I love that it has its own App Store with games that are suitable for them.

What we like

• Exclusive Disney content
• No in-app purchases
• Simple interface
• Quick setup
• Low cost
• Easy to use

What to keep in mind

• Minimal parental controls
• No accessibility options
• No power brick included

Of all the tablets we tested, the Pebble Gear 7” was one of the biggest surprises. From the rounded, easy-to-hold design to the solid build quality, it feels like good value for the money. The version we tested was themed around Disney/Pixar’s Cars, but there are other Disney-themed versions available too, each with a bright protective bumper case and preinstalled themed content.

Setup is guided step by step and only takes a few minutes, with support for up to four child profiles. The tablet runs a version of Android and uses a cut-down app store called GameStore Junior, which includes child-friendly content and preinstalled YouTube Kids, although a parent still needs to set that up.

There are also bundles available that include themed headphones, plus matching accessories if your child likes the branded look.

Available from: Amazon

Amazon Fire 7 Kids, £114.99

Best for: Younger children

Why we chose it: This is a sturdy, straightforward first tablet with a simple interface and strong parental controls for younger kids.

If you are looking for something small and travel a lot this is the ideal tablet for your child. It folds away easily and battery life lasts 5 days if playing 2 hours a day or so.

What we like

• Well built
• Simple interface
• Wide variety of content

What to keep in mind

• Low resolution screen
• Quite sluggish at times
• Packaging includes a lot of plastic
• No Google apps
• Accessibility options difficult to use

Amazon remains one of the biggest names in kids tablets, and the Fire 7 Kids is easy to understand as a first tablet for younger children. It comes with a sturdy case designed to handle bumps and drops, although we’d still suggest adding a screen protector for extra peace of mind.

The parental controls are one of its biggest strengths. You can manage everything from location services and camera access to individual apps, and when setting up a child profile you enter their date of birth so content can be filtered automatically by age.

Fire OS and the Amazon Appstore offer a broad mix of games, educational apps and streaming services, including Netflix and Disney+, while Prime Video is built in and filtered for children. Overall, it’s a particularly good fit for younger children thanks to its simple layout and protective design.

Available from: Amazon, Very, John Lewis, JD Williams

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, £149.99

Best for: Older children

Why we chose it: It keeps Amazon’s child-safety features but packages them in a more grown-up design for older kids.

This tablet is a fantastic buy for children. As a parent I've felt very confident letting my child use it without constant supervision due to it's safety parameters. I've never felt that way with any other device.

What we like

• Excellent display
• Improved battery life
• Sleek design
• No plastic in packaging

What to keep in mind

• Case is less protective
• Interface is still a bit sluggish
• No Google apps

The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro shares a lot with the Fire 7 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids, including similar parental controls and access to Amazon’s family-friendly content. The big difference is the overall presentation. The interface feels more grown up, and the design of both the packaging and the case is less bright and bulky.

That makes it a better fit for older children who still need a protected environment but don’t want a tablet that looks too young. You can also enable or disable an expanded app selection, which helps parents decide how much freedom their child has with apps like Netflix, Spotify, Minecraft and Roblox.

If your child does more reading for school or simply wants something that feels a little less childlike, this is a strong step up.

Available from: Amazon

Apple iPad Mini, £499

Best for: Small-screen iPad

Why we chose it: It combines Apple’s excellent app ecosystem and parental controls with a more compact, child-friendly size.

My 3 1/2 year old has an iPad Mini. It’s connected to our phones so everything is restricted, she can’t download any apps without us etc. She then has Netflix on it and children’s YouTube. Youtube is the completely restricted, she can only watch videos we allow and certain channels, like CBeebies.

What we like

• Great app selection
• Fantastic screen
• Easy to use
• Excellent battery life

What to keep in mind

• Storage not expandable
• Still expensive

If you want access to Apple’s wide app selection but prefer a smaller screen size, the iPad Mini is the obvious choice. It’s expensive, but it gives you strong performance, an excellent display and access to a huge range of educational apps and games.

Combined with Apple’s parental controls, it makes a lot of sense for families already in the Apple ecosystem or parents who want something compact without moving into a more limited kids-tablet platform.

Available from: Very, Amazon, John Lewis, Apple

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, £139

Best for: The whole family

Why we chose it: It’s a low-cost Android tablet with Samsung Kids built in, making it a flexible option for shared family use.

What we like

• Great screen
• Access to full Android
• Samsung Kids app
• Excellent battery life

What to keep in mind

• Still not much built-in storage
• No case included
• Confusing product lineup

Outside of tablets designed specifically for children, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 is a strong low-cost family option. It may not be the best fit for very young children, but the sturdy design, bright screen and long battery life make it a versatile tablet for mixed family use.

The main drawback is the built-in storage, which starts at just 64GB, although you can expand that with a microSD card if needed. It also includes Samsung Kids, which creates a child-friendly environment with screen time controls and content limits, helping it bridge the gap between a standard tablet and a dedicated kids model.

That mix of flexibility and price is what makes it such a useful shared tablet for the whole family.

Available from: Currys, Samsung

What age is it appropriate to give a child a tablet?

There isn’t a single strict age at which it becomes appropriate to buy a child a tablet, but many kids tablets are designed for children aged 3 and over. As ever, what works best will depend on your child, how they’ll use the tablet and how involved you want to be in managing that use.

While the NHS doesn’t have detailed guidance specific to tablets, the general recommendation referenced by many parents is to aim for a balanced approach to screen use. As the NCT notes, “The UK’s Chief Medical Officer suggests a ‘precautionary approach’ balanced against the potential benefits of using screen devices.”

It’s also worth remembering that any rough daily limit includes all screen time, not just tablet use at home. Schoolwork, TV and other devices all add up. In a recent Top Testers Club poll, 86% of 124 respondents agreed that it was okay to buy a tablet for a child aged 3 to 4.

How to choose the best tablet for kids

Choosing the best tablet for your child will depend on how they’re going to use it. Is it mainly for homework? Reading? Watching TV? Playing games? For most parents and carers, the main things to think about are:

• App store selection
• Screen size and quality
• Parental control options

App store selection and availability

Making sure your child can access the apps they actually want or need is important. Some kids tablets use their own app stores, while others offer a stripped-back version of the Google Play Store designed with children in mind. That can mean some popular apps are missing.

One example is Amazon’s Fire tablet range, where the app selection is broad but still more limited than a standard Android tablet or iPad. That’s why it helps to think about your main use cases before you buy, so you can choose the device with the right content for your family.

During our testing, we paid close attention to app availability so we could give a clearer picture of what to expect from each model.

Screen quality

Screen quality matters more than many parents expect. Cheaper tablets often use lower-quality components, and that can make a noticeable difference to how clear text, icons and videos appear.

Screen technology can be confusing, but there are a few basics worth focusing on. Screen size is important: a larger display gives you more room for reading, video and games, but it can also make the tablet less comfortable for small hands. Resolution matters too, especially on larger displays, because lower-resolution screens can make text and images look softer or more pixelated.

That doesn’t automatically rule out a lower-resolution tablet. If your child mainly wants something for games and entertainment, it may be perfectly fine. But if you expect them to do lots of reading, homework or educational tasks, a better-quality screen is worth paying for.

Parental controls

Parental controls are one of the most important things to look at when buying a tablet for your child. Tablets designed specifically for kids often place these controls front and centre, making it much easier to manage screen time, app access and online safety.

These controls can include child profiles, time limits, content filtering and restrictions on purchases, browsing, cameras and other features. They’re especially useful if you want your child to be able to use a tablet more independently without giving them unrestricted access to everything on the device.

When testing, we spent time exploring the parental controls on each tablet to see what tools were available, how easy they were to find and how straightforward they were to use in practice.

Should you buy a tablet designed for kids?

This is one of the biggest questions for parents, and the answer depends on what matters most to you. The main advantage of buying a tablet designed specifically for kids is that the parental controls are usually easier to access and use. Child-friendly tablets are built around helping you manage content, screen time and online safety.

By comparison, a standard tablet can require more setup and may make those controls harder to find, even if they are technically available. That can make day-to-day management feel more fiddly, especially if your child is younger.

That said, generic tablets such as the iPad often have better components, wider app stores and a broader choice of models and price points. That means you may be able to find a higher-quality device that will last longer, especially for older children.

Kids tablets also tend to foreground child-friendly content from the moment you switch them on. Amazon Fire Kids tablets are a good example of this, with filtered entertainment and age-appropriate content built into the experience. For some families, that convenience is reason enough to choose a dedicated kids model.

Pic credit: Product websites

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