6 of the Most Popular Android Tablets for Kids

Picking the right Android tablet is not an easy job these days. It’s especially difficult if you are buying it for someone else. And, it’s even trickier again if that someone happens to be a kid! With over 11,000 devices now running the worlds most popular mobile operating system, it can be a mammoth task to review, understand and compare them all.
So, to try and make the decision a little bit easier we have narrowed the decision down to six of the most popular Android tablets for kids. By focusing on three distinct age groups: Young Kids (4-7), Older Kids (8-11) and Young Teens (12-15), we hope the choice can be a little clearer and you can put your kids on track to some happy tapping!

6 Android Tablets for Kids
Kid Specific Tablets (ages 4-7)
Although many kids are very at home and comfortable using technology and tablet devices, there can be a number of challenges in the design, use and safety for younger children. Whether it be durability, app lockdown, device time limitations or usage analytics there are some great options for parents looking at Android tablets.

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition – $189
he brand new ‘Kids Edition‘ of the extremely popular Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 offers a fantastic balance between modern tech, child-friendly design and price. Taking the solid foundation that is Android, Samsung have created a fun and friendly child specific skin for the OS. This gives younger a children a simplified and engaging experience as well as providing parents with the option to block certain apps and put time limits on the device’s use.
On the outside, the 7-inch tablet comes ready to go, wrapped in a bright but durable case to protect from those inevitable drops and spills. On the inside, the tablet comes pre-loaded with a number of children’s apps including games, camera, paint tools and more. And, as a real parent bonus, the ‘kids edition’ transforms from ‘kid mode’ to ‘standard mode’ so you can enjoy the exact same features as a regular Galaxy Tab 3.
2. Apad 7-inch Dual-Core Kids Tablet – $139
Great Value Tablets (ages 8-11)
As children get older and become more familiar with technology and tablets (more familiar than adults in a lot of cases) the tightly restricted ‘kids’ interface can start to frustrate and limit experimentation. This is why for the older age groups I would recommend focusing on tablets that are not specifically designed for kids.
Children are starting to use the device for more than simple tap and touch, and will want to start playing more involved games, explore apps themselves and choose their own media to watch, read and listen to. With all this in mind it can be easy to spend big dollars, so it’s important too keep things in perspective and remember that this is still a tablet for kids and there are plenty of good value options out there.
3. Kindle Fire 7″ HD Tablet – $139
4. FastTouch White Android Tablet – $99
Higher End Tablets (ages 12-15)
In technology terms, teenagers use tablet devices in much the same capacity as any adult. With that in mind the below two options are really at the higher end of tablet devices and the focus is on broad use rather than customization for kids.
By early teens, device needs have broadened greatly and social media, gaming, research and potentially content creation (be it for school or for fun) is the main focus. At this level, a larger financial investment may be a more reasonable option as the device can be seen as a cheap laptop replacement or a school or work based device.
5. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1-Inch Tablet – $299
6. Google Nexus 7 Tablet – $234