Hello!

“My almost 3yr old loves playing games on my android tablet. I was thinking of getting him a Leap Pad for his birthday. Has anyone tried them? Should I buy a cheap tablet instead?” Do you have any recommendations for a tablet/ipad?

Posted by Nicole, 01/05/13

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  • You can get these great kids tablets now that are designed for children called Smart Tabs.
    They come with built in apps & parental controls & are designed to tolerate the expected wear & tear from kids.
    I’m pretty sure they are available in Big W & Kmart.
    I’ve included a picture so you can see what I’m talking about.
    Best of luck.


  • I know this is an old question but for others who are wondering, I have a Hisense sero pro 7 tablet and it’s brilliant. They are around $110 so I feel OK letting my 4 year old use it (rather than a more expensive one) I’ve had no problems with it at all and plan to get a Sero 8 when I upgrade.


  • As it is being used to occasionally play games only; I would suggest something cheap. At this age; the amount of time and concentration playing on a tablet will be limited as kids are running around being busy! busy! Maybe go along to a store that allows you to test the devices and test them out. Good Luck.


  • leapfrog make a leappad ultra tablet for kids I’m getting my daughter one as she likes using mine


  • You shouldn’t even let her play with yours, what is wrong with you reading books to her or letting her play outside in the sun. Studies are proving little kids who access these devices are having more eye problems later on.


  • Leap pad is really great, though the apps can be very expensive. If you do get one, look out for discounted app cards at places like Kmart, this can cut down on the expense a bit. The actual leapster is perfect for small hands, it’s made kid tough and can provide hours of fun.


  • I feel three is young for any of these devices, he needs to be playing, exploring, imagining and interacting with other children and with nature but if you are going to get either of these devices I would recommend only SHORT periods on these.


  • I wasn’t at all impressed by the leap pad. We also twice brought a cheap tablets (1 from aldi and 1 from kmart, you get what you pay for with those. So we brought master 3 a Samsung galaxy and a trade tough case. He is now 4 and still uses it every morning for up to 1 hour, and when he wants quiet time out he will ask to take it to his room. The rest of the time it is on top of the fridge.


  • I think they are a great idea!!!


  • Hi there, although we live in a technical society – I would recommend that you remove all computer related devices from your children. In these early years they need to learn to play and be exposed to lots of different natural experiences and learn to have real relationships with real people. If they are exposed to computers too early, they will become the teen who spends every waking moment on the computer – and you will be the very frustrated parents trying to get them off and have a relationship with them. Pls consider the consequences of exposing your children to computers at this young age.


  • We have an ipad mini for my daughter (BTW they are on sale for $289 at Target at the moment) and she loves it. I don’t think they are that expensive, and the apps are either free or you can buy an hour of Peppa Pig for $11 :) She doesn’t really play many games on it (ourside the car),we mainly just have it for car trips.. I’ve bought the cheaper Aldi tablet (the 7”) one and returned 2 so my thinking behind an Ipad is a lot of schools now need them so why not get them used to it now and I use the phones so I know what they are doing and what to expect.


  • I do have ipads but always keep a close eye on my kids when they use it. I did buy leapfrog leappads for them and they love them. alot cheaper than the ipads but you do have to be prepared to pay for the apps from $10-$50 each which can be quite expensive. at least the leapfrog ones the kids cannot get onto the internet.


  • I saw the Leap Pads and wasn’t too impressed by the quality of them. They got a flexible plastic screen that makes them look so cheap. Doesn’t look very strong for rough handling of kiddies. My youngest has an ipod. Cheaper than a tablet and he’s been happy with it. My eldest has an ipad with retina display. He just loves it. U can download plenty of free educational games for them via ur itunes accound (for which ya need to put at least $20 in to start off, using an itunes card from shops). We do plan to get our younger fella a Sony tablet via Coke Rewards for free. Saving the codes for it from Coke labels…. Up to u hun. I do recommend an ipad or similar, so that ya can download free games for ur 3yo. My kids are 5yo and 7yo. Plus, if you worry that he will be on it too long, then just limit his time on it. Let him know how long he can play for, then get him to do other things. That’s what I do with my boys. As they are both in school, they only play their games on fridasy nights, all day on weekends, if not out and about. Plus I do limit times on weekends too, if they are on them too much. On school holidays I get very strict with when and how long they play for too. I hope this helped a bit…. Good luck with ur decision…


  • Leap pads are great and educational and you can buy games to suit each developmental level, but they also need to know how to use iPads etc as they use them in school


  • I bought my 3 yr old twins a leapfrog ultra they love it
    It\’s very educational for preschool to 9 yr olds


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