Tablets for 5-7 year olds

and smith must score · May 20, 2013

I know there have been threads in the past but I couldn't find one for young kids aged nearly 5 and nearly 7 (more for the oldest).

I was going to get a Nexus 7 but although that would be better for me, I read a review which said that "it doesn't have any features that are specifically aimed at kids and is a full-featured tablet for adults, but it's getting very good reviews so it's an option for older kids and teens particularly. You can install parental control apps to make the tablet more suitable for use by children." I also wonder whether it would be more likely to get broken than a tablet specifically for kids..

Any comments from parents much appreciated.

KZNSeagull · May 20, 2013

My only comment as a parent would be that I have personally not found a good reason why 5 to 7 years require a tablet at all. But each to their own.

PS - When I saw the thread title, I thought is was going to be about drugs!

StonehamPark · May 20, 2013

Anyone under the age of 10 does not need a tablet!
They need a bike, a football and a pair of trainers!

:rant:

and smith must score · May 20, 2013

Fair point, and none of my kids are always on computers or on a DS etc but I thought / think that kids learning tablet such as the LeapFrog LeapPad or VTech InnoTab may help their education.

Learning Tablet Pros
Learning tablets are less expensive than most full tablets
Learning tablets are designed to be easy to hold and durable
There's a good selection of educational titles available
The tablets allow fun activities like drawing and taking videos and they are all easy to access
You can give your child freedom to use a learning tablet and know they can only access appropriate content

Learning Tablet Cons
Learning tablets will only appeal to younger kids - Mom and Dad won't be able to borrow it!
The unit runs on batteries or plugged in to an electrical socket. Less convenient that a tablet with a rechargeable battery built in. (Though it does mean you can take spares rather than waiting until you get home to recharge.)
Kids will grow out of a learning tablet faster than a regular tablet (though technology movies on all the time so tablets do become outdated.)

and smith must score · May 20, 2013

StonehamPark said:
Anyone under the age of 10 does not need a tablet!
They need a bike, a football and a pair of trainers!

Got the bikes and trying my best to get them interested in the football without a great deal of success. Took them to the under 15 game against Millwall at the Amex yesterday whih was more successful than previous visits to the BHA womens games.

(By the way, all girls 2, 4, 6 and 15, eldest now has a season ticket)

jgmcdee · May 20, 2013

My 6-year old uses my tablet whenever I let him and has no problems at all with it. Not sure I'd bother with the built-for-kids tablets, although they're fine for what they do they cost lots of money, both initially but also as every game you buy is (major) additional spend. There are so many educational games out there for tablets, and pretty much anything with a timer and a score is going to get them interested (my son knows so many flags of the world it certainly puts me to shame!)

The Nexus 7 is pretty hard-wearing, you might want to look at a case and/or screen protector but I never bothered and it's not suffered any permanent damage. The screen is rather mucky, but that's about it.

BTW when I started taking my kids to football I gave them sweets every 15 minutes, as long as they told me when it was. Started them watching the board, which got them reading the player names, and hence paying more attention to what was actually happening on the pitch.

tinx · May 20, 2013

My kids have Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 which they both use regularly, one is 5 the other 8. If you go for Android you can pretty much set up any of the tablets with things they want like games movies etc.

Oh and they also play football ride bikes etc etc. Its all about balance, the tablets teach them some good stuff like how to use the internet and technology at an early age. My youngest has loads of apps to help with her reading which are games but with learning. Its also handy for long car jounrey and flights as well as they can settle down and watch a movie on them.

TheFatBallBoy · May 20, 2013

stonehampark said:
anyone under the age of 10 does not need a tablet!
They need a bike, a football and a pair of trainers!

this but under 25

RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased) · May 20, 2013

StonehamPark said:
Anyone under the age of 10 does not need a tablet!
They need a bike, a football and a pair of trainers!

Very much this, my 2 (aged 5 and 6) are always on their bikes, scooters or playing in the garden. But for those tired times when they need to chill, we got them both leap pad 2 for their birthdays recently. It's aimed for the 4 to 8 year age range and all the games and apps are strictly educational based, my 2 love them. I wouldn't ever go for and adult tablet for them, far too expensive and even though there are educational apps, they would probably be more tempted with angry birds and the like.

beefypigeon · May 20, 2013

and smith must score said:
Fair point, and none of my kids are always on computers or on a DS etc but I thought / think that kids learning tablet such as the LeapFrog LeapPad or VTech InnoTab may help their education.

Learning Tablet Pros
Learning tablets are less expensive than most full tablets
Learning tablets are designed to be easy to hold and durable
There's a good selection of educational titles available
The tablets allow fun activities like drawing and taking videos and they are all easy to access
You can give your child freedom to use a learning tablet and know they can only access appropriate content

Learning Tablet Cons
Learning tablets will only appeal to younger kids - Mom and Dad won't be able to borrow it!
The unit runs on batteries or plugged in to an electrical socket. Less convenient that a tablet with a rechargeable battery built in. (Though it does mean you can take spares rather than waiting until you get home to recharge.)
Kids will grow out of a learning tablet faster than a regular tablet (though technology movies on all the time so tablets do become outdated.)

My 5 yr old son has a Leappad and I have an iPad.

The Leappad is a great piece of kit, however even at his age he is bored of it now and hardly plays it. The batteries drain so quickly, a couple of long car journeys and the batteries would need changing again.

He goes on my iPad now rather than the Leappad. There are endless amounts of apps available for kids, for both education and recreational purposes, and many of them are free or 69p to download. Unlike the Leappad you can also use the iPad for your own needs.

The downside however is the initial outlay, obviously costs a fair amount compared to many of the alternative tablets out there.

jgmcdee · May 20, 2013

Mustafa Kemal said:
Be a good parent, and teach your kids the importance of enjoying a real childhood outdoors! Internet and gadgets can wait for when they are stuck in an office later in life

You didn't mention teaching your kids the importance of education. You can't be a good parent.

Oh, and you didn't mention teaching your kids the importance of reading. You can't be a good parent.

Oh, and you didn't mention teaching your kids the importance of courtesy to others. You must be a terrible parent!

Or perhaps, just perhaps, all of these things are independent and allowing a child to have a tablet doesn't mean that you don't go outdoors with them or suggest that they go outdoors. Technology is part of life and there's no harm in letting kids use them, as long as it's balanced with everything else.

Although if I wanted to be picky, your assertion that when your kids grow up they should aim to be stuck in an office job in which they are obviously unfulfilled, and more that they waste both their and their employers' time by playing with gadgets and the internet when they should be productive, is by far the worst way to inspire children that I've seen on any thread for a while. For shame.

jgmcdee · May 20, 2013

TheFatBallBoy said:
this but under 25

Or over 18 perhaps?

sydney · May 20, 2013

dont agree with digital gadgets for kids under 8......one of the main reasons the streets are crawling with mal-adjusted, pissed up mongs every week-end wanting to CAVE eachothers heads in..........books , bikes , swingball, footy... :thumbsup:

jgmcdee · May 20, 2013

Mustafa Kemal said:
With all due respect, parents have been teaching those things to children for centuries and to a far higher standard than many parents do these days. What's wrong with teaching literacy with books? Wd pcs ur mr lykle 2 tch dem dis

Someone asked for recommendations on a tablet and you tell them they're a bad parent and should teach them the importance of going outdoors. I was just pointing out that the two are not exclusive.

Mustafa Kemal said:
It's essentially an adults toy being marketed at children - you'll see that it will be all they want to do, for the wrong reasons - games, social networking etc - things that don't even come close to a real childhood in the outdoors -and are also heavily linked with depression, anxiety and social disorders.

Well as I mentioned my kids have full access to tablets and I haven't seen that it's all they want to do. So sorry but your point just doesn't stand up.

StonehamPark · May 20, 2013

Should be more than enough tech:

jgmcdee · May 20, 2013

sydney said:
dont agree with digital gadgets for kids under 8......one of the main reasons the streets are crawling with mal-adjusted, pissed up mongs every week-end wanting to CAVE eachothers heads in..........books , bikes , swingball, footy...

There are people out there caving each others' heads in with swingball? That's pretty hardcore, I could never hit the damned ball at all so being able to hit it with the power and accuracy to fracture a skull takes some serious practice. Well done them!

TonyW · May 20, 2013

jgmcdee said:
There are people out there caving each others' heads in with swingball? That's pretty hardcore, I could never hit the damned ball at all so being able to hit it with the power and accuracy to fracture a skull takes some serious practice. Well done them!

Played Swingball with my little boy last summer.
He let the sodding bat slip out of his hand and almost destroyed my happy sacks

Couldn't walk straight for most of that weekend.

He found it rather amusing though.

But Back to the question....

I don't see anything wrong with allowing little ones to have a tablet if they are interested enough in one.

My Swingball assassin, has his own iPad mini (keeps him off my iPad) and he loves it.
Plays games, watches the Albion highlights and is often glued to Sky Go.

By the way, he also plays football twice a week, goes to swimming club twice a week, gymnastics once a week and 2 after-school sports clubs.
Quite fond of riding his bike in the park too.

Not difficult to find the right balance if you try!!!

Herr Tubthumper · May 20, 2013

Ritalin?

brakespear · May 20, 2013

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8141215.htm

Not that I know much about this particular tablet but I saw it advertised yesterday, Andriod 4.0 and a Tegra 3 processor so should be OK :thumbsup:

emphyrian · May 20, 2013

My two (4 and 6) both have an LB01 7" tablet that cost us £60 each. Its mainly used for car journeys and like someone else said when they just need a quiet 15mins.

Its an Android so they can get most apps and some are quite educational.

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