Best Tablets for Kids - Kurio, MEEP, LeapPad 2, Inno Tab 2

28/10/2012
Tweet
1 Comments

Average:

79,910 Reads

Kids love touch-screens and if you are like most parents, there is a very good chance that you are tired of your child(ren) sneaking your smartphone so they can play with it - not to mention that a lot of young children know how to use them, better than their parents! We have compiled a roundup of the kids tablets for 2012.

You may be thinking about getting them a tablet of their own and there are a lot of tablet computers designed just for kids. This can make it difficult to come up with which one is going to be the best, however there are a few computer tablets that dominate the kids computer market, so we have gathered them here with videos and photos so you can make up your mind which one is the best computer tablet for your child's needs.

LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explore Tablet

Amazon Price - £64.79 Argos €100.49 Smyths Toys €90.49

Suggested Age : 3 - 9 years old

The Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer was one of the most sought after toys last Christmas, and won various Mum’s awards. While the LeapPad 2 looks nearly identical to original LeapPad Explorer, there are some notable improvements.

Here’s what you get with the LeapPad 2. and we've highlighted the main differences between the original LeapFrog LeapPad and the LeapPad 2:

LeapPad2 Explorer Learning Tablet (4GB Memory, double the original)
2 Built-in Cameras & Video Recorders (the LeapPad 2 has a front and back camera; the original has only one camera in back)
Extended battery life (about 1 additional hour)
Faster processor (550 MHz, compared to 393 MHz on the original)
LeapFrog Learning Songs App (5 Songs Included)
Pet Pad Writing App
Cartoon Creativity App
Art Studio App
Free App Download
USB Cable

There is also a recharger available separately for purchase, a welcome change to the original since these devices are total battery drainers.

The only drawback to the LeapPad 2 is the cost of cartridges and apps. But you could always trade or re-sell the cartridges

Vtech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet

Argos €94.99, Smyths Toys €83.99, Amazon £60.60

Suggest Ages : 4 to 9 years.

Similiar to the LeapPad 2, the Innotab 2 is the 2nd generation of VTech’s learning tablet.

It has a touch screen, camera, tilt sensor and downloadable apps but no WiFi – so your kids can have all the fun of a grown-up tablet computer, at a fraction of the price, without the need to monitor Internet usage.

The InnoTab 2 is available in blue and pink. Argos also have an exclusive silver model, which, no doubt will be the most sought after, since it is gender neutral but with limited availability this will make you one of the lucky ones if you get your hands on it, in the run up to Christmas.

MEEP!

Argos €181.99, Amazon, Smyths Toys €149.99

Suggested Age - 6 and Over

Oregon Scientifics MEEP! features is a 7-inch touchscreen with built-in camera and Wi-Fi enabled tablet designed just for kids. With durable, colourful and sturdy silicon sleeve the MEEP! Tablet is perfect for little hands.

The MEEP! Tablet is preloaded with over 50 games, apps, ebooks and music, plus there are 1,000’s more age-appropriate apps available to download from the MEEP! marketplace.

The Parental Control gives parents total peace of mind, providing complete parental control.

MEEP! allows parents to successfully gain access to the MEEP from any PC, iPad, smartphone or other device with a browser and internet connection. Without their children knowing, parents can manage the way their children access the internet, approve friend requests on the Kids Communicator and monitor spending on their MEEP! marketplace account.

Kurio

Argos €209.99 Smyths Toys €199.00 Amazon €149.99

Suggested Age - 6 years and Over

The full-featured tablet has a high-resolution, ultra-responsive 7" touch screen, a built-in mic, Wi-Fi and Flash 11 support, an HD video player, a music player, an e-reader, front- and rear-facing cameras, HDMI and USB connections (HDMI cable not included) and 4 GB of internal memory.

The tablet comes packed with preloaded kids’ content, including popular apps, e-books, educational material and interactive activities, and offers access to the Android marketplace. The big advantage of a Kurio is it's Advanced Web filtering, block and safe lists and the easy-to-use, password-protected Parental Area ensure content is appropriate for the whole family, and the included soft silicon rubber bumper skin gives the tablet some drop protection while not looking too childlike.

Final Tips !

These things are vulnerable and need protecting.

Do have a look at the covers and cases available for the models you are interested in.

A silicone cover offers some protection against bumps and scrapes, and makes the tablet more grippable so it is less likely to drop in small hands.

When you get the tablet home - charge it, download the apps, play around so you know it works. You don't want to have your excited child, having to wait while you do this on Christmas morning.

Have you already bought one of these tablets for your child? Would you like to share with us, what you like about it / dislike ?

Did you like this article? Sign up for our free newsletter and join us on facebook and follow us on Twitter

Comments

by: Anonymous

13/03/2013 - 05:50

I purchased the Kurio 11/11/12. Long story store by 3/11/13 Our 4th tablet was not working. Kurio has email or chat help only. And after a total of 4 tablets we never had a tablet that preformed like it should have. Amazon app store would not load and the apps kept disappearing from the profiles. The time and set would not stay set so the parental controls would not work. Trouble shooting the tablet with tech support was frustrating and time consuming. Kurio kept replacing the tablets under warranty but we never did have a fully functional tablet. After explaining all our issues to the store manager where that tablet was purchased I was allowed to exchange it for a Kindle fire. (for only 10.00$ more) Kindle products are great and I love their support team.
Please save your self time and frustration Do not buy a Kurio!

Add Comment

Please note: unless you chose a username when registering at MyKidsTime.ie (this was not possible on our old website), your username is your email address. To retain your anonymity, you should update your username before posting comments on the site. Click the Profile button at the top of the page to edit your profile and update your username.

Your name: *

E-mail: *

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Homepage:

Comment: *

Input format

Full HTML

Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Filtered HTML

Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>

More information about formatting options

Enter the code above: *

Enter the code without spaces and pay attention to upper/lower case.

Kildare Puzzles - Handmade and personalised jigsaws

Kildare Puzzles specialise in handmade wooden and board jigsaw puzzles. Our range consists of educational jigsaws labelled in Irish or English, jigsaws made using customers own photographs and small 5 piece starter wooden jigsaw puzzles. Contact Rory 0876818043, www.kildarepuzzles.ie