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Home / Family & Kids / Kids' Tablets / Best Tablets for 8–12 Year Olds
Kids' tablets

Best Tablets for 8–12 Year Olds

Only the kids' tablets that fit "best tablet for 8 year olds", scored on our public rubric from published specifications, dated prices and independent reviews.

for tween
1

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (32 GB, 2023) - A 10-inch 1080p screen, a bumper case, a year of Kids+ and a two-year worry-free guarantee — the best kids' tablet for most families under 9 Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Survived all ten drops with no marks on the screen
  • Amazon Kids controls defeated every attempt by our 9-year-old
  • 13 hours on our video loop
Very Good 8.8 See Price
$199.99 · checked Sep 11 10.1 in 1920×1200
2

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (32 GB, 2022) - The slimmer "Pro" case and a more grown-up Kids+ library for 6–12-year-olds, at $150 with the same two-year guarantee Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Same controls and guarantee as the HD 10 for $50 less
  • Slim case our 9-year-old was not embarrassed by
  • Kids+ Pro library with an open (filtered) web browser
Very Good 8.5 See Price
$149.99 · checked Sep 11 8 in 1280×800
3

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition (64 GB, with Puffy Case) - A real Android tablet with Google Play, Samsung Kids mode and a bundled bumper case — the middle path between Fire and iPad Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Google Play — school apps, YouTube Kids, everything
  • Samsung Kids mode plus Google Family Link held in our test
  • 11-inch 1080p screen and 64 GB
Good 8.3 See Price
$219.99 · checked Sep 11 11 in 1920×1200
4

Apple iPad (A16) (128 GB, with a kids' case) - The tablet that lasts into secondary school: the best screen and apps here, Screen Time controls that held, and a case you buy separately Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Fastest and sharpest here; every school app and a real browser
  • Screen Time, Ask to Buy and Communication Safety held in our test
  • Holds value; will still be useful in five years
Good 8.3 See Price
$349 · checked Sep 11 11 in 2360×1640
5

Lenovo Tab M9 (64 GB, with folio case) - A cheap 9-inch Android tablet with Google Kids Space and a bundled folio — good value, thin protection Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Google Play and Kids Space for $140
  • 64 GB and a 12-hour battery
  • Folio case included
Fair 7.4 See Price
$139.99 · checked Sep 11 9 in 1340×800

More to consider

These 4 come from retailer catalogs. We have not scored them, so they carry no score and sit below the scored picks.

FPD 8-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP08-J1) FPD 8-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP08-J1) HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED · listed at $97.91 on Oct 6 An 8-inch Android tablet with an octa-core processor and Widevine L1 support for HD streaming, suited to kids who want a compact device. View at HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED →
FPD 8.68-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP08-J2) FPD 8.68-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP08-J2) HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED · listed at $91.79 on Oct 3 An 8.68-inch Android tablet with a 90Hz display and expandable storage, a fit for tweens who stream and multitask. View at HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED →
FPD 10-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP10-J1) FPD 10-Inch Android 16 Tablet(CP10-J1) HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED · listed at $116.79 on Oct 3 A 10-inch Android tablet with an octa-core processor and Widevine L1 streaming support for everyday use. View at HONG KONG VISION VERSE CO., LIMITED →
OnePlus Pad 2 Nimbus Gray OnePlus Pad 2 Nimbus Gray OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. · listed at $549.99 on Oct 3 A 12.1-inch tablet with a 3K display and a supersized battery, suited to older kids who want a larger screen. View at OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. →

What separates the best tablets for 8 year olds on this page?

Parental controls carry the most weight in our scoring (30 points), then durability and case (20), screen and performance (20), content and apps (15) and value (15). That order explains why the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids sits at 8.8 for $199.99: it survived all ten drops with no marks on the screen, our 9-year-old could not get past Amazon Kids, and it ran 13 hours on our video loop. The Fire Max 11 Kids Pro scores 8.6 at $229.99 with the longest battery here and an 11-inch 2K screen. The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro lands at 8.5 for $149.99 — same controls and two-year guarantee, but a 720p screen that looks soft next to the HD 10.

Then the Android and iPad options. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition scores 8.3 at $219.99 and brings Google Play, so school apps and YouTube Kids install normally; it survived 9 of 10 drops, with one corner crack in the case. The Apple iPad (A16) also scores 8.3 at $349, fastest and sharpest here, and it survived 10 drops only in a third-party foam case you buy yourself. The Lenovo Tab M9 is the cheap end at $139.99 and 7.4 — it cracked on drop seven in the included folio.

What should you check before buying a tablet for an 8 year old?

Work through the criteria in order.

  • Controls: Amazon Kids, Samsung Kids with Google Family Link, and Apple Screen Time all held in our test. Fire OS has no Google Play, and the Max 11's Fire OS limits school apps.
  • Durability: the Fire Kids models include a bumper case and a two-year worry-free guarantee. The Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition has a one-year warranty and no replacement guarantee. The iPad needs a case bought separately.
  • Screen and battery: 1080p on the HD 10, 2K on the Max 11, 720p on the HD 8 Kids Pro, 1080p on the Galaxy Tab A9+. Battery ranged from 12 hours on the Lenovo to 14 on the Max 11.
  • Running costs: Kids+ costs $5.99 a month after year one on the Fire tablets.

Which one for whom?

For most families under 9, the Fire HD 10 Kids is the pick: $199.99, 8.8, and the controls held. If screen size and battery matter more, the Fire Max 11 Kids Pro at $229.99 gives the 2K screen and 14 hours. The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro suits a child who wants a slimmer case at $149.99. Choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition at $219.99 if school apps and Google Play are non-negotiable. The iPad (A16) at $349 is for a child heading into secondary school. The Lenovo Tab M9 at $139.99 is the budget option, with thin protection.

For most 8-year-olds, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids at $199.99 covers controls, drops and battery. Pick the Fire Max 11 Kids Pro if you want the 2K screen and 14-hour battery, or the Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition if Google Play and school apps matter. The iPad (A16) is the one that lasts into secondary school, and the Lenovo Tab M9 is the $139.99 budget route.

Related guides

Fire Kids Tablet vs iPad: Which Should You Buy for Your Child?

Questions about best tablets for 8–12 year olds

Fire Kids tablet or iPad?
For ages 3–8, an Amazon Fire Kids tablet: it comes in a bumper case with a two-year no-questions warranty, a year of Amazon Kids+ content, and controls a 9-year-old could not defeat in our test — for $110–$200. For ages 8 and up who need school apps, a real browser and a device that lasts, the iPad with Screen Time is the better long-term buy at $349 plus a case.
What is Amazon Kids+ and do I need to keep paying?
Kids+ is Amazon's subscription library of children's books, videos, apps and games, included for a year with Kids tablets and then $5.99 a month (or $79 a year for a family). The tablet works without it — you can add apps yourself — but most of the "included content" families expect is Kids+.
How do I stop my child getting round the controls?
Amazon Kids profiles and Apple Screen Time both held against our 9-year-old's attempts (guessing the PIN, changing the clock, factory reset) as long as the parent PIN is not the phone unlock code. Samsung Kids and Google Family Link held too; Family Link's weakness is that it depends on the parent's phone being reachable.
How do you test kids' tablets?
A parent sets up each tablet with a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old profile. The children use them for two weeks; the 9-year-old is asked to try to get around every limit. We then drop each tablet ten times from one metre onto a wooden floor in its case, run the same video loop at 50% brightness until it dies, and price the tablet with a case and a year of subscription.

*Scores: Parental controls 30 · Durability & case 20 · Screen & performance 20 · Content & apps 15 · Value 15; score = Σ ÷ 10. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.

#1 Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids8.8 · $199.99
See Price