We have always used Samsung tablets and so this took a little while adjusting how to navigate.
So, far we have been using this for about a week and it does take some time to set-up. You will need to go through and make sure all the settings are correct for your kid, and this will take some time (I think the effort is worth it)
This review is specifically for the Kids Edition tablet:
The tablet:
The tablet itself, is a good size for my (almost) 3 yr old. It is not heavy and seems to be the right size for him to handle. The protective case has definitely done its job because we have already had a couple of incidents. (update: this has been thrown against a wall and landed on tile, and no cracks or breaks) The viewing quality is decent. Otherwise, it is what you would expect from a tablet. I have not had another Fire before, so I can only compare this to a Samsung Galaxy, and so far, it is what I would expect from a tablet of this class.
The features (the real reason for the purchase):
is it worth it? YES. DEFINITELY
Previously, we had been sharing our tablet and our phones with our little one, but more and more he would get into content he should not be getting into - everything from buying stuff and watching content not appropriate for his age - ie our downloads of Deadpool and Logan because these look like 'superheroes' but they are not the appropriate ones for kids - (side note: I loved how they portrayed Deadpool and Logan - we are big comic fans and they finally got their characters right!).
I have even deleted YouTube from our tablets and hidden the app in our phones in files so that he can't get at them...
But this tablet has been a game changer. It has GREAT parental controls. I love being able to hand him the tablet and not worry about what he is going to come across. (if you have a little one, you will still need to go through and filter content because there are older kid content that may be too much for the younger ones). Personally, I spent about 2 hours going through the content. I wish they had a better way to filter through the content - like have subject sections - ie math science history... Most of the content is great and educational, but some, like learning about adverbs and adjectives is just not where we are at currently. Filtering the content, I was able to let my little one get to the videos games and books that he would be most interested in faster without having to scroll through too much stuff. There is also a feature that allows you to limit how much content, which content, and for how long they can do stuff. You can have unlimited reading time, and limit the videos and apps(games) to only an hour or so. I have set the tablet to lock down 30 mins before bedtime to until mid afternoon (after nap time) which allows for real play time in the morning and then he has the tablet to occupy late afternoon as I am getting dinner ready and cleaning up around the house.
CONS: download speed. much content needs to be downloaded and that takes time. The books apps and videos are not already pre-loaded and if they want to watch read or do something new, it will need to be downloaded. We have a hotspot on our phones for road trips and I do take a lot of plane trips with the little one, so I would suggest pre-downloading favorites for the trip.
update: Does not work with Chromecast - I think this this goes for all Fire tablets. Even though they are an android, it looks like you would need a Fire stick. This is not a deal breaker for us, but it is nice to be able to mirror the content to the tv.
CONCERN: I would say at this moment, my main concern is I love the "FreeTime" feature, but how much is this going to cost me when my free year is up?
I have already been recommending this product to my friends with young kids.
There are some cool content for older kids, but depending on your child's interest, a regular tablet would most likely be more appropriate.
I paid for my product and there has not been any incentive for me to do this review. I don't work with Amazon nor am I affiliated with them.
Content kids crave
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Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is the first-ever all-in-one subscription that brings together all the types of content that kids ages 3-12 want, with over 15,000 books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games. Fire Kids Edition includes a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited at no additional cost.
Built for even the toughest kids
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Each Fire Kids Edition tablet comes with a Kid-Proof Case and a 2-year worry-free guarantee, giving parents peace of mind and kids freedom to play.
Available on the go
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Download your child’s favorite videos, apps, and books for access even when you don’t have Wi-Fi. When an Internet connection is unavailable, your child will automatically see available content that has been downloaded to their FreeTime profile.
Easy-to-use parental controls
Manage and customize your kids' experience with up to four individual child profiles. Set bedtime curfews and employ tighter controls on screen time and content. With Learn First, you can block access to videos and games until educational targets such as reading goals are met. Parents can exit Amazon FreeTime using a passcode to get full access to all tablet features including settings, apps, and Alexa in the adult profile. While in Amazon FreeTime, kids do not have access to social media, the internet or Alexa, and they can't make in-app purchases without parental approval.
Kid-safe browser
The web browsing experience keeps out the inappropriate content while still offering tens of thousands of websites and web videos. Parents can easily add any websites they would like to add.
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No more giving my toddler my IPad!
My 15 month old loves my iPad. Whether we are on a road trip or lounging in the house he is using it. He loves ABC's and number apps. He shows this love by screaming and banging my very expensive 12 inch iPad pro. That didn't bother me until one day he decided to test out the durability by dropping it. (Luckily no damage). It was at that point in time we decided to get him a tablet that could handle the "abuse". After researching online I have found the Kindle fire 7 for kids was the best deal. It functions like an android tablet but it uses Amazon's own software, so it took a few minutes to get use to. HARDWARE The padding around the tablet is so thick that when it is dropped, it just bounces. (My son decided to test this as soon as we took it out of the box) Amazon is brilliant when it comes to knowing childern; it offers a 2 year warranty on it. If your child brakes it, they replace it no questions asked. It also offers 1 year of all access kids freetime. (This is Amazon's platform so you can download games, movies, books, and more). This tablet only offers 16gb but you can remove the case and add a micro SD card for more memory. The battery life on the Kindle last 6 hours. That is plenty of time because you dont need you kid be on it all day. The speaker on it is okay. Its not the best sounding speaker but for a $100 and a kids tablet, it does just fine. The camera is a cheap camera that wont take the best photos. But again, its a $100 tablet for kids so it does a good job. SOFTWARE THIS TABLET CONNECTS TO YOUR AMAZON ACCOUNT. IF YOU HAVE PRIME YOU GAIN ACCESS TO MORE FEATURES. When you first set up the Kindle, you set up your child's account. You are asked when your child's birthday is. After you enter that in, the tablet will only show age appropriate content. If your child is under 10, the theme for the tablet is a bright blue and lots of colors. Over 10 the theme changes to a midght purple. In the parent account, you can edit whether or not you want you kids to able to surf the web, download apps, make purchases, and much more. If have the "child under 10" selected, you will have to download the app on your account then add it to your childs account. There is a setting to do that. Go to settings, family accounts, chose your child's name, then add content. You can books, apps, videos, and anything else you want. But remember you have to download it first. IF YOUR KIDS LIKE YOUTUBE-At the time of this review, I havent been able to download the actual Youtube app. I get apps that are very similar and will take you to Youtube videos but not the offical YouTube app. Once you load you child's account, they cannot get out of it. If your child tries to do anything with settings or tries to switch accounts the are asked for the parents password. CONCLUSION Overall this a great tablet for kids. It is meant to take a beating and handle anything your child does to it. Its a $100 tablet that functions and serves its purpose. You can relax knowing that your child is only seeing age appropriate content and not have to worry about handing over your phone or your tablet. I would deffinelty reccomend this tablet for parents who are tired handing over their expensive stuff.
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2017
- Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
My 15 month old loves my iPad. Whether we are on a road trip or lounging in the house he is using it. He loves ABC's and number apps. He shows this love by screaming and banging my very expensive 12 inch iPad pro. That didn't bother me until one day he decided to test out the durability by dropping it. (Luckily no damage).
It was at that point in time we decided to get him a tablet that could handle the "abuse". After researching online I have found the Kindle fire 7 for kids was the best deal. It functions like an android tablet but it uses Amazon's own software, so it took a few minutes to get use to.
HARDWARE
The padding around the tablet is so thick that when it is dropped, it just bounces. (My son decided to test this as soon as we took it out of the box) Amazon is brilliant when it comes to knowing childern; it offers a 2 year warranty on it. If your child brakes it, they replace it no questions asked. It also offers 1 year of all access kids freetime. (This is Amazon's platform so you can download games, movies, books, and more). This tablet only offers 16gb but you can remove the case and add a micro SD card for more memory.
The battery life on the Kindle last 6 hours. That is plenty of time because you dont need you kid be on it all day. The speaker on it is okay. Its not the best sounding speaker but for a $100 and a kids tablet, it does just fine.
The camera is a cheap camera that wont take the best photos. But again, its a $100 tablet for kids so it does a good job.
SOFTWARE
THIS TABLET CONNECTS TO YOUR AMAZON ACCOUNT. IF YOU HAVE PRIME YOU GAIN ACCESS TO MORE FEATURES.
When you first set up the Kindle, you set up your child's account. You are asked when your child's birthday is. After you enter that in, the tablet will only show age appropriate content. If your child is under 10, the theme for the tablet is a bright blue and lots of colors. Over 10 the theme changes to a midght purple.
In the parent account, you can edit whether or not you want you kids to able to surf the web, download apps, make purchases, and much more. If have the "child under 10" selected, you will have to download the app on your account then add it to your childs account. There is a setting to do that. Go to settings, family accounts, chose your child's name, then add content. You can books, apps, videos, and anything else you want. But remember you have to download it first.
IF YOUR KIDS LIKE YOUTUBE-At the time of this review, I havent been able to download the actual Youtube app. I get apps that are very similar and will take you to Youtube videos but not the offical YouTube app.
Once you load you child's account, they cannot get out of it. If your child tries to do anything with settings or tries to switch accounts the are asked for the parents password.
CONCLUSION
Overall this a great tablet for kids. It is meant to take a beating and handle anything your child does to it. Its a $100 tablet that functions and serves its purpose. You can relax knowing that your child is only seeing age appropriate content and not have to worry about handing over your phone or your tablet. I would deffinelty reccomend this tablet for parents who are tired handing over their expensive stuff.
Images in this review
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