I'm interested in buying one of those kid tablets or e-readers for my daughter for my Christmas. She is not very techy but she has had a Mobi-Go for a few years that she really enjoys. Prior to that, we had the Tag Jr but she never really liked it and the Click Start My First Computer which she never got the hang of. I'm due with #2 in two weeks and just don't have the time to do the research - can you guys give me any info on what you think is best and why?
Thank you!!
Mine is only 3, but we are looking at a Nabi 2 for her to grow into. It's essentially a tablet, but I *LOVE* that it has all these "kiddie controls" built in so they're not accidentally buying stuff. Plus, it comes loaded with tons of kid friendly apps (books, video/music streaming, learning apps, chore chart, etc). It also comes with a food grade silicone bumper so it's somewhat protected from drops....
I have done ALL the research. Last year when my son was 4 we bought the leap pad. I do not have an i phone, ipad, wii, or any other device and I was trying to buy us as much time before we had to get a real device. My son loved the leappad. He has played with it for hours at a time. We had to buy batteries that recharge to keep up. The downside of the leappad is the price of the games and apps. They are not cheap and we have about 10 of them already. I don't mind the investment because I have a younger child who it will be passed off to.
THIS YEAR we bought the NABI2 after much research. PC magazine gave it a great review and said it is really give the kindle and nexus and run for their money. It is not like any other kid marketed android tablet. It has a quadcore proccesor. It is more durable than a kindle and has two modes, one that is kid friendly and one that is a typical android tablet for adults. You need to read about it, I cannot even come close to providing all the details and educational software that comes preinstalled. Order before it is sold out.
my daughter (5) plays on my samsung galaxy and loves it. she is one that gets bored with electronics for her actual age. shes been working my droid since she was 3 with no problems. and with a tablet you can download multiple games (educational and fun).
the tablet is the wayto go.. dont get something she will be bored with in a year.
We like our LeapPads and they are very age appropriate for a 5 yo.
Whatever you get - make sure it has color! I have a basic kindle (it was just for me) and my kids hate reading the few books for them I have on it because it is "old timey" (their words for black and white, not mine).
they actually prefer actual books to computer, readers or nooks, though.
I have looked into some of the kiddie tablets. My kids will be 5 & 7 at the beginning of December, we have decided to get them a kindle each (so they don't fight over it) for their birthdays. My neighbor whose daughter turned 7 during the summer she bought her the LeapFrog Leap Pad, needless to say it wasnt really worth it because she hardly uses it. I was agaisnt getting my kids the kindle for their birthday but their cousins have one each and every time their together they play with them. The more I've looked into it and thought about it, yeah its a lot of money to spend on them at such a young age but it is something that they can grow with them. Also we have other family members buying them things like a case and gift cards for them to purchase apps.
After much research, I decided to pass on the 'kiddie' tablets and purchase a NOOK Tablet for my 5-year-old daughter. I wanted something that she could use for several years, and the NOOK seemed to have more to offer for a wider age range than the 'kiddie' tablets. Although it cost a bit more than the others, I felt that it was worth it because of all of the things she could do with it (explore educational websites on the internet, use kid-friendly/educational apps, interactive storybooks, games). It's definitely not as good as/doesn't offer as much as an iPad, but I didn't want to spend THAT much on a first tablet for her.
Like the previous poster said, get an e-reader...it'll grow with her, not like the kiddie tablet.
I like my Nook Tablet 16G...its fast! And you can take it into any Barnes and Noble for tech support and they take care of you for free. I like the size...portable and slim enough to fit in most of my purses. I've bought a few educational apps for my kid from $1-$5 but they entertain him for an hour or two. We have things like telling time, drawing and art, pragmatics ("what if" and "if then" questions) for home and school, blends, math fun, plus a bunch of language apps for kids (my son can say, read and write hi in 25 different languages!). I've compared colors, videos and pictures with my friends who have an iPad and Kindle and they are all the same...clear and bright.
It depends on how much you want to spend. A Kindle is probably a better buy then a "kid tablet." We are going to buy our almost 5 year old either a netbook or a Nexus tablet. My issue with the kid tablets is that they really charge you a fortune for apps and games, they are a marketing ploy. Also, my kids play on my Ipad all the time, so I know that wouldn't be happy with a kiddie tablet, they will want a real tablet or computer.
