I-Pad equivalent for 4 year old?

[RadioFanatic]

My savvy 4 year old was an "ipad to play music and have apps to play games" - not kidding, I quoted him. well, mama ain't buying a four year old an ipad but would love some recommendations of whether there is anything in the $50 range for a four year old that would work somewhat similarly? I tried the fisher price ixl but frankly, it stinks and kept crashing when downloading things, erasing everything that was previously on it, so I'm returning it today. thanks!

 

[tzeitel]

Other than the Fisher Price there is a Leap Pad tablet. It is $100 and they have an app store but you can't download your own music or videos like a regular tablet.

 

[NotUrsula]

You can try an Android tablet or e-reader. The Android marketplace has enough games to satisfy a 4 yo, and most of them can play MP3's and video as well. Try to get one with a fair amount of memory if there will be video; it eats memory big-time.

However, at that price point you are not going to get much; most likely you would be limited to Android 2.1, and newer apps will not run on that platform. It would probably be worth it to go a bit upmarket if you can.

I have a Nook Color that my 4 yo has endless fun with, and she also really likes the "Read To Me" Nookbooks. It would cost a bit more, but as long as you put a flipcase and a screen protector on it, it can stand up to a fair amount of abuse, and it is not just a toy. A Kindle Fire would also be a good option.

 

[MMluvsWDW]

It might be worth seeing what a first generation used iPad an iPod touch is on ebay or Craigslist. If the kid knows what he's doing why beat around the bush, you can set parental settings on these and there are so many age appropriate applications out there it will never get old!

 

[tiggger1]

my dd5 has basically taken over my husband's Ipad. so much so that I had to get my own...lol..

he loves the apps, especially the math and educational ones and is constantly on youtube. He loves watching homemade movies and videos about his favorite toys... (especially ones about trash packs, mario, angry birds and pokeman!)

that being said, the only similar tablet to do what an ipad does is either an itouch or the leapfrog leappad but they are both over $100

 

[Tea4Alice]

We gave our DGD an I pod touch for Christmas last year , she kept using my I pad and was very good on it. Now she has her own I touch and even knows how to charge it when needed.. It has helped alot, she has a bunch of kid friendly apps. Oh I forgot to mention she is 3 years old. The leap pad we got her before wasn't used much.

 

[mymeme]

Our gs 4 1/2 got an iPad 2 with WiFi only for Christmas when he had just turned 4. You would not believe what all he is able to do on it. Lots of the educational games he loves and has many interactive books. He also does the FaceTime with his cousins that live in another state. Wonderful on car trips or flights. So glad we went ahead and got it. You can check on Apple if interested about the refurbished ones. Good luck on finding something you are both happy with.

meme

 

[LJSquishy]

I don't think anything really compares to an actual iPad. I have an iPad 2 and absolutely love it. And, it CAN be an amazing tool for a 4 year old with some of the education apps available...they have some wonderful ones!

I don't really know the cost, but if you can swing it, I would try to purchase a 1st generation iPad from Craigslist or a certified refurbished one somewhere online. I'm sure it would be more than $50, but I'm afraid if you buy a non-Apple product, you might be disappointed with the available apps for the device and wish you would have gone with the iPad. I have an Android cell phone and while there are some nice apps, the majority don't compare to the quality of Apple apps. A tablet is definitely something he can continue to use for a few years before needing to upgrade to a newer one. I think the "little kid" versions are a joke, like the LeapFrog ones, etc. They would use it for maybe a year, likely only a few months, and then be too old for it and still want a real one. If you go with a real tablet, you would be able to use it also for everything you want...movies, books, games, music, etc.

 

[Disneyhayes]

My kids have the innotabs and love them! They play games on them and you can load movies and music onto an SD card for them to watch on them as well

 

[sookie]

My savvy 4 year old was an "ipad to play music and have apps to play games" - not kidding, I quoted him. well, mama ain't buying a four year old an ipad but would love some recommendations of whether there is anything in the $50 range for a four year old that would work somewhat similarly? I tried the fisher price ixl but frankly, it stinks and kept crashing when downloading things, erasing everything that was previously on it, so I'm returning it today. thanks!

We got a leap pad tablet thing my son really enjoys. But the games for it seem pricey, but it does keep him entertained.
That being said, my kid plays the crap out of his ds... *sigh*
It might be work it, at 4, to just buy a second hand DS and buy cheap games for it (secondhand). It might be cheaper, to tell you the truth! That leap pad tablet was expensive and seemed really limited in versatility.... the ds seems to do a little more. If you could get a DS on craigslist... or in a used video game store... it might be worth it.

Another tablet option might be a Kindle Fire.

 

[bdoyledimou]

Keep in mind that there is the rumored Micro-Pad coming out in a few months.. smaller than an Ipad, bigger than an Ipod Touch and rumored to be about $250.

 

[Tea4Alice]

Keep in mind that there is the rumored Micro-Pad coming out in a few months.. smaller than an Ipad, bigger than an Ipod Touch and rumored to be about $250.

Will keep a watch out for that !

 

[letsgoreds]

Look for an older generation ipod touch or iphone...or yes, the ipad. You aren't going to find anything for $50 that plays music and apps. The Leappad is $100 and only plays Leapfrog games...no functionality. There are good tablets out there for $100-$200.

 

[danceintherain]

$50 is a tough price point for anything that will do much. I have an iPhone now, so I've made up my old iPod touch for my 2 year old. It doesn't work with everything the iPad does, but it sure keeps him entertained.

 

[DawnM]

Is it an Apple product?

Keep in mind that there is the rumored Micro-Pad coming out in a few months.. smaller than an Ipad, bigger than an Ipod Touch and rumored to be about $250.

 

[Colleen27]

My almost-4yo has an Innotab and calls it her iPad. We have her music and movies on an SD card, and she's got a number of downloaded games and ebooks. She enjoys some of the apps on her sister's iPod Touch but seems to prefer the chunkier layout and simpler controls of the Innotab overall. And I like the fact that it is very durable; I wouldn't trust a preschooler with an iPod/iPad in some of the situations that the Innotab comes in handy, like at baseball practices or on long car rides.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Is it an Apple product?

Yes; I heard about it last week on a local radio show.

 

[libinatorsmom]

Buy A Numbi (I think thats how you spell it) we have one for our daughter she loves it comes with age appr games and songs already loaded! I even use it! You can get them at Toys R Us

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Buy A Numbi (I think thats how you spell it) we have one for our daughter she loves it comes with age appr games and songs already loaded! I even use it! You can get them at Toys R Us

I think you mean Nabi.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I gave up on the kids products. We tried several of the leapfrog's newer line of products and our now 5 year old shunned all of them for OUR items. He now has a ipad and it is great. We set limits of course and settings are easy to control. He also loves my nook color. A GREAT tool to encourage reading and soooo many fun and low cost apps.