The best tablet for kids 2024: options to suit all ages

Our pick as the best tablet for kids overall is the Amazon fire HD 10 Kids Pro, which offers an impressive combo of hardware, kid-friendly content, parental controls, and – perhaps crucially – a two-year, "worry-free" guarantee. The guarantee promises that Amazon will replace the tablet for free if it breaks during that time period.

Hardware-wise, it has an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and an excellent 10.1-inch, 1080p full HD display. Battery life is up to 13 hours between charges – likely more than enough to last a day for even the most screen-heavy use. There's also a protective case to help keep it safe from bumps.

This particular model is designed for children between six and 12 years old. As a result, you'll get a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which gives users access to thousands of books, games, videos and apps. It costs £4.99 a month after the first year if you want to continue with it. Parents will be reassured to know that there is a filtered web browser to keep kids safe. Parents can also set screen-time limits and educational goals and approve requests for anything from the app store.

There's also a standard Fire HD 10 Kids tablet which is aimed more at children under the age of seven, which offers the exact same specs as the Pro version, plus robust parental controls. Both variants have an RRP of £199.99.

If you want something slightly smaller – and cheaper – then the Amazon Fire 7 Kids is a great option. It has many similar features to its big sibling, including a one–year Amazon Kids+ subscription, a parental dashboard that lets you filter content based on age and educational goals, and set screen time limits. That excellent two-year, no-worries guarantee also applies.

It doesn't have the same specs as the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, but we wouldn't expect it to. You can choose between 2GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, and 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. Battery life is slightly lower at 10 hours, but that will still be plenty for most young children.

The 7-inch screen makes this smaller for little hands, while the "kid-proof" case protects the tablet from drops and bumps – which can happen all too frequently.

Inevitably, there are compromises. The screen isn't amazing, and it can run quite slowly at times. But for a basic kid-friendly tablet, it has almost everything a parent would want. The RRP of £114.99 makes it a lot more affordable than many other tablets. We've seen it on sale for considerably less than this, too – sometimes as low as £64.99.

With a wallet-friendly RRP of £99.99, the Pebble Gear 7-inch tablet is a great little device that's suitable for younger children. Offering themed devices – including Frozen, Toy Story, and Cars – these tablets are secure inside a colourful bumpercase that protects against breakages. There's a two-year "no-nonsense" guarantee – by which they mean if the tablet becomes faulty, it gets replaced for free. This isn't quite as comprehensive as the Fire tablet, but it does provide some reassurance.

Content is provided by the GameStore Junior app store, with 12-month free access provided as standard. This means over 500 games and apps are available, with no ads or in-app purchases. This also includes the YouTube Kids app. You can have up to four separate child profiles on one device – ideal if you need to share a tablet between kids with different interests. Parental controls aren't the most comprehensive, but you can still set play time limits and control app access.

The design means it is undoubtedly more suited to younger children, as older kids might find it a little babyish. We've also seen it on offer for around £60, which makes it an extremely safe and affordable way to introduce kids to tablets.

For slightly older kids – roughly between six and 12 – the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is a brilliant step up from the less grown-up Fire tablets. For a start, the look and feel is more mature, with a slimmer protective case that still gives some security to the tablet, but isn't nearly as chunky. These tablets are much easier to put in a bag than the devices for younger children.

As with other Fire Kids tablets, you get 12 months of Amazon Kids+ membership included, after which it costs £4.99 a month. This gives kids access to thousands of age-appropriate books, games, videos and apps, including Audible books. The web browser has built-in controls to filter out content, while children can make voice and video calls to approved contacts over Wi-Fi. The parent dashboard also gives adults control over purchases and adds access to other apps, including Zoom and Minecraft. You can also monitor screen time, activity, calls and messages.

The 8-inch HD display isn't the brightest or sharpest but is more than adequate for watching TV or reading a book. Battery life is around 13 hours, and 2GB of RAM means this will cope with simple games, web browsing, and apps. Just don't expect it to support more demanding games without a struggle. The RRP of £149.99 makes this cheaper than the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro but a bit more expensive than the Fire 7 Kids.

If you want a tablet that your kid isn't going to outgrow in just a couple of years, then it's difficult to look past an iPad. This is one of the cheaper iPad models, while still being fast enough to cope with virtually any apps or content your child might wish to consume. It's also compatible with the Magic Keyboard Folio case and Apple Pencil (1st gen), perfect for teenagers who are using this for schoolwork or art, for example.

In addition to having an enormous selection of apps and content to choose from, this iPad will support any major streaming service or social media platform. For instance, you'll also get loads more productivity tools than other tablets on this list. Apple also has a Screen Time feature, which allows you to monitor usage, block apps, prevent unauthorised purchases, and filter content. The one drawback is that iPadOS doesn't allow for multiple user profiles on a single device. You would likely need to create a new Apple account for them on the iPad.

The iPad is superbly well built, the 10.9-inch Liquid Retina screen is spectacular and will be a step up from almost anything else on this shortlist. While you will pay more – the RRP is £379 for the 64GB model – you'll benefit from longer software support than you get from most other brands, meaning this tablet could potentially last for years and years before needing replacement.

If you're looking for an Android device that will offer a bit more longevity than some of the more kid-orientated devices on our shortlist, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ will likely tick all the boxes. Featuring an 11-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate, this is a neat, compact device that's lightweight and portable.

4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage mean it will cope with most of what a teenager is going to throw at it, making it great both for work and play. Intensive games might be a bit of a stretch, but it won't have any problems with productivity apps such as Google Docs, or streaming media. Four years of security updates from Samsung also give it some longevity.

Parental controls are available via Google's Family Link app, which allows you to set time limits, manage content access, secure a child's account, or track the location of the device. With an RRP of £239, this is definitely what we'd consider a "budget" Samsung tablet. Sure, it isn't as cheap as some alternatives, but for an affordable Android device, this is hard to beat.

If you want a decent tablet that will keep kids of all ages entertained, that isn't an Amazon fire tablet, then Lenovo's M10 Plus is well worth considering. Featuring a 10.6-inch, 2K display, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and an octa-core processor, this tablet is equipped to cope with all but the most demanding of tasks. It weighs 465 grams, and the body is pleasingly slim, making this great for taking out and about with you. 

Where it has a big advantage (for some people, at least) over an Amazon tablet is the fact that it runs on Android, rather than Amazon's FireOS. This means that you aren't as limited in terms of functionality and app selection as you are with an Amazon device. You can also make use of Google's Family Link app if you need to make use of parental controls such as setting time limits and controlling access to certain content.

This is a general purpose, budget-friendly option that will be suitable for older kids and teenagers, rather than toddlers and young children. It isn't going to blow anyone away in performance terms, and will be more suitable for casual use – like streaming video, reading, and playing basic games – than it is for intensive gaming or work. But it still offers a viable alternative to Amazon, and is priced reasonably competitively – its RRP is £219.99 for the 4GB version, but we've seen it available for much closer to £150.

This is a more specialised product, but if you have a budding artist that you want to nurture, the HUION Kamvas Slate 10 Standalone Drawing Tablet is an excellent choice. Unlike some drawing tablets, this doesn't need to be plugged into a computer to work, which means your child can use it whenever and wherever they want.

For an entry-level drawing tablet, the specs are impressive, with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage (which can be expanded to 512GB with a microSD card). The 10.1-inch full HD display is large enough for drawing on the go, without becoming unwieldy. The battery can support up to 7 hours of usage between charges - enough for even long sessions. And the digital pen that comes with the tablet is also excellent, supporting 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and up to 60 degrees of tilt recognition. The pen can go 45 hours (about 2 days) between charges.

While this is primarily a drawing tablet, it runs on Android 12.0, which means that it is possible to use it more like a conventional tablet as well. You can download apps and games as usual, meaning this isn't just a one-trick pony. 
To be clear, if you want to be able to draw but your priority is to have access to other apps, then an iPad with an Apple Pencil may be a better choice. But, if your focus is mainly on artwork, this is a brilliant choice. And with an RRP of £259, it's relatively affordable, too.