Editor's picks
Let’s face it, childhood has gone high tech and some kids may even be just as screen savvy as their parents. According to the non-profit organization Common Sense Media, 42 per cent of children under eight have access to their own tablets.[1] Thinking about getting your little one their own device? We outline the pros and cons of the best tablets for kids under $150 at the time of publish.
If you’re shopping for yourself, check out our 7 best Android tablets and specialty models for adults.
Screen size: Nine inches
Storage capacity: n/a
Weight: 0.75 pounds
Connectivity: n/a
Automatic shut-off saves the battery life for future play.
Smaller toddlers may have trouble holding or lifting this tablet on their own due to its size.
Screen size: Nine inches
Storage capacity: 8 GB
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
The bumper around the edges and shatter-safe screen offer protection from inevitable drops and falls.
Some additional apps, games and eBooks are sold separately at a one-time cost or subscription.
Screen size: Eight inches
Storage capacity: 32 GB
Weight: 0.83 pounds
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
With 10 hours of battery life, little ones will be entertained on long car rides.
Fingerprints and smudges show up on the screen pretty easily, so it needs to be cleaned often.
Screen size: Seven inches
Storage capacity: 16 GB
Weight: 0.5 pounds
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
The size and weight are perfect for smaller hands to hold and tote around.
The battery life doesn’t last as long as some other competing models.
Screen size: 10 inches
Storage capacity: n/a
Weight: 0.39 pounds
Connectivity: n/a
There’s no charging needed. This LCD tablet can write over 80,000 times (12 to 24 months) before you need to replace the coin-cell battery.
Without storage or memory, there’s no way to save and display your little one’s masterpieces.
For children under two years old, experts suggest avoiding screen time when possible.[2] For children aged two to five, the Canadian Paediatric Society’s recommendations focus on quality more than quantity. They suggest limiting “recreational” screen time—think non-educational games, movies and television—to less than one hour per day.[3][4][5]
That said, kids’ learning tablets and tablets with interactive features can be great educational tools—and if they occupy your kiddo long enough for a little peace and quiet, well, we consider that a win-win.
Android Tablets
These tablets are powered by Google’s operating system (OS) and can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or cellular plan.
iPads
Made by Apple, these types are an alternative to Android tablets. They run on the company’s iOS software and range in cost from around $400 to over $2,000.
Drawing tablets
If you have a creative kiddo, this might be the right choice. They are often referred to as graphic tablets and they allow kids to sketch or draw on a responsive pad or screen.
- Affordability: You might want to consider saving the high-end tablet or laptop for yourself. Most kids don’t need a tablet with sophisticated software.
- Durability: Choose a tablet that will withstand your child’s rough-and-tumble lifestyle.
- Parental controls: The ability to set screen-time limits or restrict internet access is an ideal feature, but you can also purchase apps to do this work.
- Screen size: A larger screen is easier for everyone to see—especially if more than one child will be using the tablet at once—but it may also be harder to hold and heavier to carry.
- Connectivity: Will your child be downloading apps or streaming video? You might want to keep this in mind as a tablet that connects to the internet broadens the scope of what it can be used for.
- RAM: Sometimes young kids aren’t the most patient. More RAM that helps apps load faster will cut down on frustration for everyone.
- Storage: As your kid becomes more tech-savvy, they’ll undoubtedly want to expand their app catalogue. Extra storage will let them install more apps and take more pictures and videos, prolonging the life of the tablet you decide to buy.
- Battery life: Depending on how long your child uses their tablet, you may want to be mindful of how often it will need to be changed.
- Screen size: Nine inches
- Storage capacity: n/a
- Weight: 0.75 pounds
- Connectivity: n/a
This learning tablet for toddlers doesn’t have a real screen. Instead, it mimics the look and feel of mom and dad’s smartphone with a home button and 20 app icons that introduce letters, numbers, shapes, animals, colours and more. Depending on the mode you set (Explore, Learn or Music), the apps will activate a variety of fun, educational activities.
- The tablet’s surface is washable, so you can easily wipe it down if your child uses it with sticky fingers.
- Volume controls with two levels and a silent mode mean you won’t have to listen to endless sound loops if you don’t want to.
- When your tot tires of interacting with their tablet, an automatic shut-off saves the battery life for future play.
- The camera icon doesn’t really take photos so your child may be slightly disappointed if they expect to take and see a selfie.
- Smaller toddlers may have trouble holding or lifting this tablet on their own due to its size.
- Screen size: Nine inches
- Storage capacity: 8 GB
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
With access to tons of expert-approved educational games, music and apps, this LeapFrog tablet is one of the best learning tablets for kids getting ready for school. The included content, plus access to a kid-friendly web browser, can help them develop skills like problem-solving, creativity, reading and math.
- The bumper around the edges and shatter-safe screen offer protection from inevitable drops and falls, making this model a durable kid’s tablet.
- Parental controls let you set time limits so your kiddo knows when it’s time to put down the screen.
- The Just-for-Me learning feature personalizes games and content and remembers your child’s progress in order to challenge them as they grow.
- Some additional apps, games and eBooks are sold separately at a one-time cost or subscription.
- Some users say the screen quality isn’t the best when compared to other tablets.
- Screen size: Eight inches
- Storage capacity: 32 GB
- Weight: 0.83 pounds
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
This Android tablet is great for kids who like to use a tablet for streaming their favourite Netflix shows and playing games. The LCD touchscreen display has a great resolution (1,280 x 800), which means movie scenes and game graphics will show up bright and sharp.
- The front-facing camera allows kids to video call friends, grandparents and other family members.
- With 10 hours of battery life, little ones will be entertained on long car rides (and it’ll still have some juice left for the return trip.
- Kids can access hundreds of games through the Google Play store.
- Some users complain that fingerprints and smudges show up on the screen pretty easily, so it needs to be cleaned often.
- The internal processor may lag while downloading apps and streaming videos.
- Screen size: Seven inches
- Storage capacity: 16 GB
- Weight: 0.5 pounds
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
This tablet for kids is a great budget-friendly choice. Little ones will love that it comes with 25 classic Disney books (available in English and French) they can listen to and read along with. They’ll also like the 35 stickers they can use to customize the device. Parents will appreciate the included headphones for peaceful car rides.
- The size and weight are perfect for smaller hands to hold and tote around.
- This tablet gives you access to the Android app store, and you can connect to Wi-Fi so you can download streaming apps like Netflix or Disney+.
- Some reviewers found that the battery life doesn’t last as long as some other competing models.
- Some reviewers found that the touch screen display is not intuitive, and the downloaded apps may glitch.
- Screen size: 10 inches
- Storage capacity: n/a
- Weight: 0.39 pounds
- Connectivity: n/a
For the budding artist who loves to create on the go, this ultra-affordable drawing tablet for kids is the perfect portable, paperless option. With just one stylus pen, your child has access to countless colours that will look beautiful on screen—without glare getting in the way.
- There’s no charging needed. This LCD tablet can write over 80,000 times (12 to 24 months) before you need to replace the coin-cell battery.
- It’s super lightweight and easy to tuck into a backpack and be pulled out on school bus rides.
- A handy lock button prevents anyone from accidentally deleting work in progress.
- Without storage or memory, there’s no way to save and display your little one’s masterpieces.
- Once your child outgrows the doodle stage, there are no additional features to entertain them.
Shop all kids' tablets at Walmart 
- Common Sense Media. Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight.
- The Washington Post. World Health Officials Take a Hard Line on Screen Time for Kids.
- Canadian Paediatric Society. Screen Time and Young Children.
- Caring for Kids. Screen Time and Digital Media: Advice for Parents of School-Aged Children and Teens.
- Caring for Kids. Screen Time and Young Children.
Simply put, we don’t recommend any products we wouldn’t buy ourselves. Our writers leverage a number of sources as a starting point, including reputable third-party reviews, Walmart.ca user reviews, and Walmart Canada’s category specialists. theHUB editorial staff has final say for all products included in this guide.
Any product claims noted are provided by the manufacturer, unless otherwise stated. Prices shown are subject to change. Please check Walmart.ca for the latest pricing. This article is intended as general information. To be sure a product is right for you, always be sure to read and follow the label(s)/instruction(s) that accompany your product(s). Walmart will not be responsible for any injury or damage caused by this activity.
Was this article helpful?
New on theHUB
This article is intended as general information. Always be sure to read and follow the label(s)/instruction(s) that accompany your product(s). Walmart will not be responsible for any injury or damage caused by this activity.
