Which Amazon Fire tablet is best for kids?
Parenting in the modern world presents unique challenges. Kids want more access to tech, but parents want to make sure their kids stay safe. Some of Amazon’s Fire tablets are great for kids thanks to their impressive kids content and built-in parental controls, so children can only access age-appropriate content.
But which Fire tablet is best for your child? This primarily depends on your child’s age, since a suitable tablet for a 5-year-old won’t be the same as a suitable tablet for a 13-year-old. Once you know more about what to look for in kids tablets, it will be easier to pick the best one for your child.
What are Fire tablets?
Fire tablets are Amazon’s range of tablets. They run their own operating system, FireOS, which is similar to Android. Fire tablets are popular for kids because of their affordable price and selection of tablets aimed specifically at children. Some are designed for younger children than others, however, so you’ll need to find out more to choose the best model for your offspring. For more information, see the guide to Amazon Fire Tablets at BestReviews.
What to look for in tablets for kids
Look out for some basic features that are desirable in kids tablets, both to keep your child safe and to keep the tablet going strong for longer. Although you can set parental controls on almost any tablet, kids tablets can have additional modifications to steer children toward age-appropriate content and prevent access to anything a little too grown-up for them.
Durability
Tablets designed for children should be durable enough to withstand plenty of wear and tear. No matter how many times you ask your child to be careful with their tablet, it will inevitably end up being dropped or knocked to the ground regularly. Tablets themselves are only so strong, so kids tablets often come with extra-sturdy cases designed to withstand impacts.
Parental controls
Parental controls are essential in kids tablets. These keep kids safe online and prevent them from seeing anything age-inappropriate. Airtight parental controls allow caregivers peace of mind while kids play on their tablets, meaning constant monitoring of what the kids are up to isn’t necessary. Some tablets for kids, including kids’ Fire tablets, have parental controls already built-in, which is ideal for adults who aren’t confident enough with tech to be certain they’ve locked down all potential areas where kids could see something unsuitable for their age group.
Content
Some kids tablets come with easily accessible content specifically aimed at kids, so they have plenty to see and do that they can access directly from the home screen. Fire kids tablets include a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives children access to a range of videos, books, games and educational content. It includes some popular kid’ shows like “Peppa Pig” and “Paw Patrol.”
Fire tablets for young kids
Standard Fire kids tablets are aimed at ages 3-7. They have a simple interface and only basic apps are available, making them extremely simple for little kids to use. The interface is more image-based than text-based, so young kids can see images of shows or apps that they want to access and press them, easily navigating their tablet before they can read.
The tablet only allows heavily restricted access to a small selection of hand-picked websites as kids should get most of what they need from the included apps. The case that comes with this model is extra bulky, providing excellent impact protection.
The Fire 7 Kids Tablet is the 7-inch version, which is a compact and manageable choice for young children. However, you can opt for a larger 10-inch model, the Fire 10 Kids Tablet. Bear in mind that these measurements are for the screen size only. The case adds another couple of inches to these measurements.
Fire tablets for older kids
Fire HD Kids Pro tablets are aimed at ages 6-12. There’s some crossover in the recommended age ranges between the standard Fire Kids tablet and the Fire Kids Pro, but we’d recommend the Pro if you’re buying for a 6- or 7-year-old, as it will last them longer before they outgrow the available content.
The Pro’s interface is more similar to a standard tablet or smartphone, though with a limited range of available apps and complete parental control over which apps kids can access. Users can browse the web on this tablet, though heavy parental controls are in place to keep kids safe. The included case is slimmer as older kids shouldn’t need quite as much drop protection.
The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro Tablet is a great mid-sized 8-inch tablet for kids, that’s large enough to watch videos and read books on but isn’t unmanageably large. However, some users may prefer a larger tablet with a bigger screen that’s better for watching movies and longer shows, in which case the 10-inch Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet is a great choice.
Fire tablets for teenagers
If your child has reached their teenage years, they’re too old for tablets designed for kids. They’re more likely to want to chat to their friends online and scroll through Instagram than watch cartoons. A greater range of apps and more freedom over browsing the web are required than kids tablets provide.
Teenagers are ready for regular Fire tablets as opposed to Fire Kids tablets. A regular Fire tablet doesn’t come with limited apps or other built-in parental controls, but you can set your own parental controls before you give your teen the tablet. At this age, balance is key. You can set controls to keep teenagers from accessing inappropriate content, but you must also give them some degree of autonomy and trust their choices.
The Fire HD 8 Tablet is an affordable compact tablet choice for teens, while the Fire HD 10 Tablet is a great choice for users who need a bigger screen.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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