The 3 Best Tablet for Kids of 2025

Budget pick

This tablet, geared toward kids ages 3 to 7, is slower than an iPad, with a worse screen and a much more limited app selection. But it includes a case and has built-in parental controls.

The Pro version has the same hardware as the Fire HD Kids but is geared toward kids ages 6 to 12 and offers access to a digital store to purchase apps, books, and games.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro aren’t as powerful or versatile as even a years-old iPad, but if your child will mainly be watching video and you don’t need a wide variety of apps, the Fire tablets cost much less than Apple’s cheapest iPad. And this tablet does have some advantageous features, including a colorful — though bulky — protective case and a two-year “worry-free guarantee” in which Amazon says it will replace the tablet if it breaks.

Both the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro come with a subscription to the Amazon Kids+ library. You have a choice between a one-year or six-month subscription to this library of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games for kids ages 3 to 12. Once your initial subscription expires, you pay $50 a year if you’re an Amazon Prime member or $80 a year if not.

The tablet is smaller than a full-size iPad. With an 8-inch screen (versus an 11-inch screen for the 11th-generation iPad we recommend), smaller kids will likely find it more comfortable to hold and carry.

It offers flexibility for multiple kids. Amazon’s Fire OS supports multiple user accounts to facilitate easier sharing among siblings (or kids and adults), with each user getting their own settings and usage restrictions. Be sure to add a “lock screen” password for each user, so siblings and others don’t sneak onto another person’s profile.

The Fire HD 8 Kids works best as a video-streaming device. In addition to Amazon’s extensive video library, you can get Netflix and Hulu, as well as kid-specific apps from Sesame Street, Khan Academy, and PBS Kids. With the Pro version for older kids, you can also purchase and download additional games, apps, and books (you can set the parental controls to require approval before purchase).

Its closed system means that kids are less likely to stumble onto inappropriate content. Unlike the iPad, Amazon’s Fire OS offers a completely separate user interface for child accounts that puts the focus on Amazon-vetted books, apps, and games selected based on the entered age of the child using the tablet. The Alexa voice assistant is disabled, and you can enable content filters and block specific websites. Its parental controls let you use time restrictions to reward kids — for example, allowing them to play games only after they’ve spent a certain amount of time reading or using educational apps. But while better than Apple’s Screen Time, Amazon’s parental controls aren’t perfect, either. We recommend removing access to the browser, as Amazon’s parental controls have limited control over it.

It offers expandable storage. Both the Fire HD Kids and Fire HD Kids Pro tablets come with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, but you can easily expand that using cheap microSD cards (Apple does not support microSD cards on the iPad).

Amazon also sells the larger Fire HD 10 Kids and Fire HD 10 Kids Pro. Like the 8 series, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is designed for kids ages 6 to 12, and the regular Fire HD 10 Kids for kids ages 3 to 7. Both have 10.1-inch screens, bigger than the Fire HD 8 Kid’s 8-inch screens. Unlike the Fire HD 8 Kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids only comes with 12 months of Amazon Kids+ included (Amazon does not offer a six-month subscription for the Fire HD 10) and 32 GB of storage. Both tablets cost $190. It’s a good option if your child prefers a larger screen, though, especially with its case, the Fire HD 10 feels much bulkier than the Fire HD 8.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Fire can be painfully slow. The octa-core processor is less powerful than the A16 chip in Apple’s iPad 11, so don’t expect the same level of responsiveness. If your child, say, plays Minecraft on the Fire versus the iPad (including earlier generations of the iPad), there will be a noticeable difference, with the Fire lagging in responsiveness and speed. Even switching between user profiles or loading a game or app can feel like you’re moving at a snail’s pace.

Compared with the iPad’s screen, the Fire’s screen is much lower in resolution and brightness. It may not be as easy to read in bright lighting conditions. (The Fire’s resolution contains 189 pixels per inch; the 11th-generation iPad has 264 pixels per inch).

You have limited access to content. If you have Apple devices, you can’t access your Apple media library on Fire tablets, and the lack of any Google apps on Amazon’s tablet platform means no easy access to YouTube Kids (though you can access it via the browser). The selection of educational apps and simple games isn’t bad, but it’s nowhere near as varied as what you can get on an iPad. And although the Kids+ subscription does give you access to many apps at no additional charge, we found that the selection isn’t huge, and many of the apps lack substance or quality. In addition, many of the books your child may want to read — say, the graphic novel series Dog Man or other new and popular titles — are not included in the subscription and require a separate purchase.