You understandably want to keep toddlers and their sticky fingers away from your expensive computer, tablet, and other devices.
Thankfully, there are little kid-friendly laptops that offer educational apps and features to keep them learning and entertained.
Three brands dominate the toddler laptop landscape: LeapFrog, VTech, and Fisher-Price. Each company offers a variety of toy tablets.
We’ve rounded up our favorites below!
Best VTech Toddler Laptops and Tablets
The VTech Lil’ SmartTop, the VTech Tote and Go Laptop, and the VTech PJ Masks Learning Tablet all offer a full keyboard from A-Z, making them more appropriate for an older toddler or preschooler to work on more progressive learning features. However, the VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop and the VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop are more suited for younger baby’s and toddlers with shapes and fun keys to push and learn.
VTech Lil’ SmartTop
Ages: 18 months to 4 years
Requires: 2 AA batteries (included)
The VTech Lil’ SmartTop is the perfect beginner laptop for your toddler. It comes with a working screen, A-Z letter buttons, piano keyboard, mouse, and four hotkey buttons for easy access to games.
The SmartTop has four modules for play that teach toddlers about letters, phonics, music, shapes, and stories. It also includes 20 sing-along melodies.
The SmartTop fosters creative play with Cody the VTech Smart Cub. It includes 10 interactive learning activities. The kids’ laptop can be customized with your child’s name, stories, songs and personalized e-cards.
Once your child’s name has been downloaded, he or she will be greeted by name with a personalized message every time the VTech Lil’ SmartTop is turned on. Kids will also hear their name in some of the stories and e-cards, which they’ll love!
VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop
Ages: 6 months to 3 years
Requires: 2 AA batteries (included)
The VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop is an adorable, brightly colored toy laptop that will definitely keep your little one’s attention!
This VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop is designed for infants and younger toddlers to develop gross motor skills. Instead of a traditional alphabet keyboard, this device includes nine bright buttons in various shapes and a movable mouse that interacts with a light-up screen.
There are three modes to choose from:
- The animal mode teaches about different animals and the sounds they make.
- The shape mode explores different colors and shapes.
- The music mode plays songs and melodies.
The VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop plays more than 115 songs, melodies, sounds, and phrases.
Parents love that the toy is durable and includes an automatic shut off if the laptop isn’t being played with. This helps to preserve battery life. The laptop toy also features volume control for quieter play.
VTech Tote and Go Laptop
Ages: 3 years to 6 years
Requires: 2 AA batteries
The VTech Tote and Go Laptop will truly feel unique to your child with its personalization features. You can personalize the toy device with your child’s name, age, favorite food, avatar, and more!
This learning laptop includes 20 learning activities that teach a variety of subjects, including:
- Five spelling activities that explore letters and more than 60 words and teach children how to spell their own name
- Five basic math games that explore shapes and numbers, as well as teach children how to count to their age
- Three animal and food activities that help your toddler identify animal sounds and footprints and categorize food into fruits and vegetables
- Three activities that strengthen problem-solving skills through puzzles and logic games
- Three music activities that explore instrument sounds and play 30 melodies in rock, country, and jazz styles
The activities and games all have a progressive learning approach, which means levels will gradually increase in difficulty once they’ve been mastered.
The VTech Tote and Go Laptop includes a mouse to help improve hand-eye coordination. Other developmental benefits include language development, basic math skills, and science concepts.
VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop
Ages: 6 months to 3 years
Requires: 2 AA batteries (included)
The VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop introduces baby to computer play from the start! The colorful keyboard triggers the bright light-up screen to keep little minds stimulated and entertained.
This toy laptop features three different modes of play to teach shapes, feelings, common objects, and music.
- In learning mode, little ones will hear a short tune once they press a shape button. When that shape button is pressed a second time, babies will hear an object identified alone with a related sound.
- In discovery mode, babies will hear friendly phrases, sounds, and songs when they push the shape buttons.
- In music mode, the shape buttons will play fun, upbeat melodies when pressed. The screen also lights up in patterns when the music is playing.
In total, the three different modes combine for more than 90 sing-along songs, music, sounds, and phrases.
The mouse is perfectly sized for small hands and moves in eight directions. Light patterns on the screen correspond to each mouse move, teaching your baby cause and effect.
The VTech Baby’s Learning Laptop automatically powers down after 30 seconds of no activity to preserve battery life.
VTech PJ Masks Learning Tablet
Ages: 36 months to 6 years
Requires: 2 AA batteries
If screen time is becoming a battle, give the VTech PJ Masks Learning Tablet a try. Your child will get the fun out of watching his favorite show while learning at the same time.
The VTech PJ Masks Learning Tablet features Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko as they go on adventures to save the day against Luna Girl, Romeo, and Night Ninja! The tablet includes six educational activities that help kids explore letters, phonics, vocabulary, rhyming, typing, and problem-solving skills. Some examples of games include:
- Choose doors with matching shapes to help Catboy rescue Owlette and Gekko
- Repair the picture player with Owlette to learn letter and phonics knowledge
- Help Gekko hide by matching his pattern to the pattern on the wall
All games and activities include the real characters’ voices! Your kids won’t miss the TV show when they are playing and learning with the VTech PJ Masks Learning Tablet!
Best LeapFrog Toddler Laptops and Tablets
While the LeapFrog My Own Leaptop offers four learning modules such as the ABC’s, Messages, Games, and Music, the LeapFrog My First Learning Tablet includes 20 different app icons to teach letters, numbers, shapes, animals, colors, plus weather, sports, health, and music. It also has a pretend camera and you can pretend to use it as a phone.
Ages: intended for kids ages 2 to 4 years old
Requires: 3 AA batteries
Your little one can be just like mom and dad with his own LeapFrog My Own Leaptop.
The Leaptop has four different learning modules: the ABCs, Messages, Games, and Music.
- When learning in the ABCs mode, toddlers will hear a letter, the letter sound, and a word using that letter to help build their alphabet recognition skills.
- In the Message mode, your little one can send and receive pretend emails with Scout.
- When exploring in the Games mode, children can play animal trivia and letter games. The Leaptop features 26 animal animations.
- Kids can dance and sing along to 16 different songs and melodies in the Music mode.
The Leaptop’s keyboard is the perfect size for little hands but comes with a large screen. Parents love the Leaptop because it fosters independent play. The different learning modules ensure that busy, easily distracted toddlers won’t get bored too easily.
See more of the best gifts for 3-year-old boys and best gifts for 3-year-old girls.
LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch
Ages: 24 months to 5 years
Requires: 3 AA batteries (included)
The LeapFrog 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch includes two playing styles in one toy. Little ones can use it as a keyboard laptop with the letters A-Z and numbers 1-10 or simply swivel and close the screen to use it as a touch screen tablet.
This LeapFrog tablet includes five learning modes: the ABCs, numbers, games, music, and messages. It features a large screen and easy-to-grab handle to take the device on a long car ride, plane ride, or anywhere!
Parents can also customize the 2-in-1 LeapTop Touch to display their child’s name to help familiarize them with the letters and correct spelling.
LeapFrog My First Learning Tablet
Ages: 12 months and up
Requires: 3 AAA batteries (included)
If you simply can’t use your smartphone or tablet around your curious toddler without getting their tiny fingerprints all over the device, then getting them their own LeapFrog My First Learning Tablet will be a welcome distraction.
This tablet comes with many of the features, such as a home button and app icons, and functions, like pressing on buttons or swiping the screen, on your own grown-up device. Each touch of a button triggers some sort of sound, light, and colors!
Kids just might prefer their My First Learning Tablet over your own because it includes a lot of entertaining and educational apps. The 20 different app icons introduce and teach letters, numbers, shapes, animals, colors, and more. They can hear about weather, sports, health, and music.
And just like on mom’s smartphone, kids have access to five home screen icons, including a pretend camera and music function. They can even talk on the phone with Violet.
In true kid fashion, these tablets are built to withstand tough play. The device will automatically shut off after 45 seconds of no activity to preserve battery life.
While young babies will enjoy the different lights and sounds included with this tablet, toddlers who have developed hand-eye coordination will be able to take full advantage of all this toy has to offer!
Best Fisher-Price Toddler Laptops and Tablets
The Fisher Price Smart Tablet includes fun with letters, phonics, numbers, and music. The tablet also teaches kids how to count to 10 in both English and Spanish. The Fisher-Price Click & Learn Laptop introduces 40 songs, sounds, and phrases about the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers but is suited for younger children. The Fisher-Price My Home Office is a pretend home office with wooden laptop, wooden smartphone and headset, and even tiny coffee cup for the littlest home employee.
Fisher-Price My Home Office
Ages: 3 years and up
Requires: none
For the toddler who really wants to copy mom and dad, the Fisher-Price My Home Office is a fun, realistic option.
Little ones can “work” from home with this 8 piece pretend office playset. It includes a wooden laptop, 4 fabric “apps” and “projects” that attach to the computer screen, a wooden toy smartphone, and a headset. You can enjoy coffee with your new tiny coworker, who will also have his own to-go cup to “sip” his favorite drink!
Your toddler will have a blast hopping on those all-important phone calls to meet about their new project. At the end of a long day, simply toss all of their work from home essentials in the included gift-ready package that doubles as storage.
Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet
Ages: recommended for ages 12 months to 3 years
Requires: 4 AA batteries
Your little one will love the Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet because it looks like a real “adult” tablet!
Kids can personalize their own tablet by changing their desktop background to their favorite color, just like mom’s laptop.
The Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet comes with six game modes, including fun with letters, phonics, numbers, and music. The tablet teaches kids how to count to 10 in both English and Spanish and features 20 different mazes.
The letters on the keyboard are laid out like a real computer keyboard, which is a bit advanced but can give your child a head start in learning how to type and transitioning to a laptop. The Fisher-Price Smart Tablet can be used right on your little one’s lap or on a flat surface using the attached, flip-out stand.
One feature parents will love is the volume control feature. It’s perfect when it’s quiet time in the house.
The manufacturer recommends the Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Tablet until 3 years of age, but some parents said their older preschoolers loved this toy.
Fisher-Price Click and Learn Laptop
Ages: 6 months to 3 years
Requires: 3 AAA batteries (included)
The Fisher-Price Click & Learn Laptop is a great option for baby’s first laptop.
The interactive toy is suited for infants as young as 6 months old. They will love pushing, sliding, flipping, and spinning the rattle. It is great to use at tummy time!
The Laugh and Learn Click and Learn Laptop comes with more than 40 songs, sounds, and phrases to introduce baby to the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, and more.
Parents said this specific Fisher-Price laptop is more suited to younger toddlers. Many agreed that the toy is well-made and durable for rough toddler play and engaging enough to hold their fleeting attention!
Best Toddler Learning Laptops and Tablets
The Learning Pad looks like a smartphone but teaches letters, words, spelling, and numbers as well as has quiz games and many sounds and songs. However, the Fire 7 Kids Tablet offers endless opportunities for learning with books, music, apps, games, videos and much more. It has parental controls which help keep it safe for your little ones.
Discovery Kids Teach & Talk Laptop
Ages: Manufacturer says 6 years and up, but many parents said it was perfect for their 3- and 4-year-olds
Requires: 2 AA batteries
Your child will feel like a big kid with the Discovery Kids Teach & Talk Laptop!
This learning computer features 60 games and activities that will challenge and teach your child skills, such as math, spelling, geography, music and more. It comes with a large LCD screen that pivots. You can easily turn the screen left or right to give multiple users a chance to learn at the same time. Parents can also engage with their children using the laptop.
Parents can rest easy because all the games, activities, and software come pre-installed. All the content is safe and family-friendly.
The Discovery Kids Teach & Talk Laptop is set up with a standard keyboard and dual-button mouse to allow children to familiarize themselves with a traditional device.
The manufacturer says this laptop is suited for children 6 years and older. However, many parents said their older toddlers were able to use this device with ease.
Boxiki Learning Pad
Ages: 18 months to 6 years
Requires: 3 AA batteries (not included)
Toddlers will love theBoxiki Learning Pad because it looks like a large smartphone!
The educational tablet includes three learning modes: letter and word identification, spelling, and quiz mode. The Boxiki Learning Pad also features six different activities, including learn letters, learn words, learn spelling, learn numbers, “where is?” quiz games and fun melodies. The tablet comes with more than 100 songs and sounds.
The Boxiki Learning Pad is portable and easy to take on the plane, car ride, and more. It has an automatic shut off to preserve battery life.
Even though it looks like an expensive smartphone, it’s not as fragile as one. Boxiki says the high-quality learning tablet is sturdy and engineered to withstand daily use throughout your child’s developmental years.
Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet
Ages: 3 years to 12 years
Requires: Amazon Kids+ subscription service after one-year free trial
The Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet is different from many of the others on this list because it is not considered a toy. The Fire 7 Kids Tablet is a full-fledged device with access to the internet. That being said, the Fire 7 Kids Tablet is a favorite among parents for the many learning and entertainment options it provides.
This tablet includes limited-time access to Amazon Kids+. That comes with more than 20,000 apps, games, books, videos, audiobooks, and educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more. After one year, your subscription will automatically renew every month starting at $2.99 per month. You can cancel at any time.
Amazon Kids+ also includes thousands of Spanish language books, videos, apps, games, and audiobooks. Parents can allow access to additional apps, such as Netflix, Minecraft, and Zoom. Amazon Kids+ offers parental controls to put mom and dad in the driver’s seat of setting time limits, filtering content, and creating educational goals.
The device connects over Wi-Fi or you can download content if you’re on the go. There are 16 gigabytes of internal storage and up to seven hours of reading, streaming videos and music, and browsing the web.
The Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet includes a kid-proof case with built-in stand, one year of Amazon Kids+, and a two-year guarantee. If it breaks, you can return and replace it for free.
Best Toy Laptop for Dolls
HH-Eason 3 Pack Dollhouse Mini Laptop Set
Ages: Manufacturer recommends for children ages 6 years and up
Requires: Play dolls
The HH-Eason 3 Pack Dollhouse Mini Laptop Set is perfect for busy Barbies who need to get online.
The laptop is geared toward older kids who want to give their dolls some electronics to play on.
Next, the set includes more than just a laptop but also a dollhouse-sized phone and tablet too! Even Barbie and Ken need smart devices!
Each of the products is geared to look like an Apple device. Sadly the screens do not have a Retina display. Have no fear though, the devices do not actually work so even if Barbie does get a hold of your credit card, she can’t shop online for more clothing to fill her Dream House closet. Keep your wallet away from Barbie though.
Finally, the fake electronic devices are scaled 1:12 making them perfect for dollhouses.
Toddler Laptops and Tablets Compared
FAQs About Laptop, Tablet, and Device Use for Babies and Toddlers
What are the official recommendations regarding how much screen time a toddler should have?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has specific guidelines for appropriate use of screen time depending on a child’s age.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has studied the impact of media on the health and development of children from 0 to 5 years of age, which is a time that is critical for brain development and for establishing healthy behaviors. In short, these are the recommendations:
- Discourage use of any screen time for children under 18 months old and preferably up to 2 years old, except for supervised video chatting with an adult
- If parents want to introduce digital media for toddlers between 18 to 24 months old, choose high-quality programming and apps, and make sure you use them together. Do not let toddlers explore media alone.
- Children from 2 to 5 years of age should be limited to no more than 1 hour per day of quality programming
- No screen during meals and 1 hour prior to bedtime
- No computers, phones, tablets, TVs, and other devices in kids’ bedrooms
- Avoid fast-paced programs, apps with distracting content, and any violent content
- Do not use media to try to calm a child who is upset. It could lead to the inability of children to develop their own emotional regulation.
- Parents should monitor their own TV, phone and media use when children are present
What are the risks associated with too much screen time?
The American Academy of Pediatrics has identified serious developmental and health concerns for young children who consume too much digital media. Some of those risks include obesity, sleep disruption, attention problems, and cognitive, language, social, and emotional delays.
Children younger than 2 years old learn best from hands-on exploration and social interaction with parents and caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, motor, social and emotional skills. Screens are not beneficial or necessary at this age.
For older children, online and digital programming can be helpful learning tools. However, setting time limits is important to avoid health and developmental risks. Experts recommend no more than 1 hour per day for kids between 3 years to 5 years of age.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said a recent study of a group of 2-year-olds found that their body mass index increased for every hour per week of media consumed. Researchers believe that eating while watching television, which diminishes hunger cues, and exposure to food commercials added to the weight gain in the children. In addition, time spent watching television or playing on a tablet means kids are usually sitting down and not physically active.
Sleep is very important for the healthy development of young children. However, studies have shown excessive exposure to media and the presence of screens in the bedroom have been associated with fewer minutes of sleep per night in early childhood.
We parents also need to be held accountable for how often we are on our phones or watching television around our kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics said a caregiver’s heavy use of screens is associated with fewer verbal and nonverbal interactions between parents and children. Experts said that could be associated with more parent-child conflict and negatively impact kids’ social and emotional development.
What counts as screen time?
With many children attending school from home during the coronavirus pandemic, you may feel overwhelmed and guilty with how much screen time your child is getting. No shame!
According to Dayton’s Children, screen time should be counted as time on a device that includes no face to face interaction with an adult and time that encroaches on family time. This would not include your child utilizing computers, tablets, or instructional videos that involve teacher interaction. In other words, experts say remote or distance learning does not count as screen time.
We live in an increasingly digital world and kids these days are inundated with options. But even the American Academy of Pediatrics admits that there are well-designed television programs that can improve cognitive, literacy, and social outcomes for children ages 3 to 5 years old. Such programs include Sesame Street and other programs on PBS, according to pediatric experts.
How can we decrease screen time in our home?
According to MedlinePlus.gov, the world’s largest medical library that is part of the National Institutes of Health, the following tips can help decrease and discourage screen time in young children:
- Make sure to remove the television, computers, and any other devices from your child’s bedroom.
- Do not allow screens during meals and homework.
- Eliminate the television as background noise. Turn on music or the radio instead.
- As the parent, decide which programs to watch and for how long ahead of time. Turn off the television when those programs are over.
- Keep a record of how much time the family is spending in front of a screen, and spend the same amount of time being active.
- Encourage other activities, such as family game nights, puzzles or getting some fresh air.
- Challenge your family to go 1 week without watching TV or other screen time activities.
- Be a good role model as a parent.
What age is appropriate to introduce a laptop or tablet?
While young babies are attracted to the bright colors on a device, parents should try to wait until kids are preschool age or 3 years old before introducing a laptop or tablet, according to PBS.
Children under two years old still benefit from social interactions and hands-on activities. When kids turn 3 years old, experts say they can benefit from educational apps.
A great resource for parents to know which apps and programs are appropriate is Common Sense Media. The non-profit organization rates movies, TV shows, books, and more. It offers the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based ratings and reviews.
What are the benefits of a toddler-appropriate laptop or tablet toy?
Let’s face it. Kids will need to learn how to navigate computers, laptops, and tablets when they enter school. More and more school districts are replacing traditional textbooks with tablets and online learning.
Introducing a laptop or tablet toy to toddlers can give them a head start, no matter how different they look from a traditional device!
Many of the options on our list include buttons and icons that interact, correspond, and yield specific actions, which teach children cause and effect. Some laptop toys also include keyboards to reinforce typing skills. Playing with a toy will familiarize your toddler with using a traditional computer, laptop, or tablet when the time is right.
Most importantly, all of the laptop and tablet toys on our list are educational and offer learning modes that teach letters, numbers, phonics, and more.
