Kindle Fire or Nabi 2 for a 6 Year Old and an Almost 9 Year Old?

My boys love their kindle fires, but I have no experience with the other so I can not say for sure which is better. But I am also not sure I would let the kids pool their money on something so big at such a young age, I would try to save and then eventually give them each half of what they need so they can each have their own. If that means not having it for this trip then so be it. And frankly, if the other kids have tablets they are not allowed to share then I would set the rule that the tablets then need to be left at the mothers house. That their mother would take aim at your kids like that is just thoughtless and cruel. There is nothing wrong with saying that if they are not allowed to share that the tablets are not allowed to come to your home.

Nook HD

We have this.
We LOVE it.
My kids are 6 and 10.

I would, get your sons, a different tablet, than your Husband's kids.
That way, there is no confusion, about who's it is or not.
And young kids, do not like to share. And I can understand totally, how the Mom of your Husband's kids, do not want them to "share" theirs. It is an expensive gadget.

The Nook HD, is VERY good.
My kids got it for Christmas, from their Aunty.
I got mine from my Husband.
And, we all find it very good.
And my kids, at their ages, are very responsible about it and can use it, independently, very well. And we do have rules about it.

Your kids are young.
Can they even decide, for themselves, if they want to... make such a big purchase with THEIR own money?

My kids are younger and don't really have any money, so I haven't really thought about how much of their own money I would let them spend.

You could look on Craigs list. I'm sure you could find used Kindle Fire's or Nabi's for much less than the regular price (especially if you don't mind an earlier version).

Will all the kids be going on this trip? Since the other kids are your husband's kids, you'd both need to be on the same page (obviously), but if your kids do not end up buying a tablet of their own you might decide to leave all tablets at home - make this a "tablet free trip."

It's a tough decision. Our 7 year old nephew got an ipod touch for Christmas, and now our 6 year old wants one. He's been talking about it for 4 months now. Even if money were no object, we can't just buy it for him because he wants it.

Good luck with your decision.

ETA - Have you considered a Nook? I was just on craig's list (you got me curious) and Nook Colors were much cheaper than Kindle Fire's (original version). Kindle Fires are slightly better than Nook Colors, but the Nook Color is still very good and will run most of the apps your kids would want.

I'd go a completely different different direction.
Gallaxy Tab 2 7 inch.
That way you aren't locked into the amazon site, it will have a kindle app and you can get anything that's on the google android market on it. It also has a microsd card so you can expand the memory.
Lenovo ideatab is also another one. also expandable.

Also the Nook HD is a great tablet.

eta : wanted to add we are picking up the Ideatab for our kids (8 &11) when we take our next big trip they are $130 as opposed to $200.

Hi, J..

Ziggy made some good points.

My guy just turned 4 and wants a Nabi and will more than likely get one for Christmas. He loves my Kindle and would probably love his own, I think the "kid" aspect of the Nabi appeals to him, which is fine, I like that it's made to withstand falls with the bumper you can buy, the parental controls it has, and that it can "grow" with him.

I'd allow your sons to use their money for a purchase, it's a great way to teach them financial goals and using money wisely. I'd take them to a store where they can try out the two to see what they like and don't like about each, then allow them to make the choice since they'll be using it. Even if they buy off Craigslist or another store I'd do the "look and try it out" so you'll know what they like and be more apt to use.

Because you're looking at years of use I'd personally lean towards the Kindle for your boys, your older son may lose interest in the Nabi in the next couple of years or so, the Kindle, even us Gramma's love them.

My kids got the Nabi 2s for christmas and they love them (10 and 8). i like them because of parental controls and the bumper on them (both have dropped them a few times) Also they can turn off parental controls if they ask.
To be honest if your two kids can not get one then the other children should not be allowed to bring theirs.
Check out amazon, sometimes they are cheaper there.
Good luck to you

I don't think you should let your kids spend ALL of their savings to buy a tablet. Any way you and your husband can pay for half? That being said, I would also make the trip a "tablet free" one if all the kids couldn't have one.

We have the Nabi 2 for both of our girls due to the parental controls on it (plus all the free learning stuff on it!). If you're at all worried about limiting access to apps/content/purchases, the Nabi makes it really easy.

My 8 year old daughter saved her money from christmas, her birthday, and chores and bought herself an Ipod touch. She is so careful of that device since she spent her own money on it. She's also very proud that she paid for it and it wasn't just given to her. I think it's a great idea to have kids spend their own money on expensive electronics. I would recommend having your kids spend their money if THEY truly want the devices.