As a WIRED reviewer, there is no shortage of screens at my house. When it comes to my 3- and 5-year-old, I normally try to set reasonable screen time limits. But in the past few weeks, those limits have completely gone out the window.
If you’re a parent who has felt conflicted about giving your young children more screen time, I hereby give you permission to use whatever tools you have at your disposal to cope with your new reality of full-time parenting, full-time working, all without the help of school, daycare, friends, grandparents, neighborhood babysitters, and social activities. Since my daughter was 2 years old, we’ve tried almost every kid-focused tablet out there. These are our favorite picks.
If you’re still hunting for kid-related educational ideas, be sure to check out our favorite kid podcasts, ways to entertain your preschooler during quarantine, and our guide to the best STEM toys.
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Photograph: Apple
Best for All Ages
Apple iPod Touch
We’ve been testing last year’s iPod Touch for a few weeks—yes, it’s not a tablet per se—but it’s currently my 5-year-old’s device of choice. It has a bright, great-looking 4-inch Retina display, access to Apple Arcade, and an A10 Fusion chip that makes playing games fast and seamless (even if that game is Fruit Ninja).
More importantly, it fits comfortably in her tiny hands and iOS is easy for both of us to operate. Apple Arcade gives us a wide variety of engaging games to choose from (she likes watching me play Sayonara Wild Hearts). It also frees up my phone as a device. I have her nap app, Moshi Twilight, and her favorite podcasts (But Why, Circle Round) on the Touch too, which I connect to a Bluetooth speaker so I can free up my phone while I work from home. It’s also easy for her to hold when she FaceTimes her fellow housebound preschoolers.
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Photograph: Apple
Best for Movies
Apple iPad Mini (7.9-Inch, 2019)
In her review of 2019’s iPad Mini, senior writer Lauren Goode referred to it as an “aluminum unibody babysitter”, which is … exactly right. I have an older Mini 4, which is still a very serviceable iPad with 128 GB of storage. Prices are all over the place for the older models though, so stick to buying the newest one.
With a simple stand, the Mini is compact and perfect for watching the wealth of online kids content. Amazon Prime, PBS Kids, and Disney+ all have iOS-compatible apps (this is a matter of taste, but I very much dislike all the advertising on YouTube Kids). She can also watch Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! and draw at the kitchen counter while I make dinner. It’s still a little big for her to easily FaceTime grandparents or friends, though.
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Photograph: Amazon
Best for Reading
Amazon Kindle Kids Edition
Like most of Amazon’s devices, I find the kid devices to be clunky but worth it for the price, the content, and the warranty. The Kindle for Kids may have a quirky homepage and grayscale screen, but it also comes with a two-year worry-free replacement guarantee, a cute case, and a year’s subscription to Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited, which sorts through Amazon’s huge selection to present your kid with age-appropriate characters and themes.
It also comes with Bluetooth for Audible books and has content in Spanish as well. And unlike videos or games, it’s very easy to whitelist free library books into your kid’s profile. With tons of free books available, a safe, secure Kindle might actually save you and your bookish kid money in the long run.
