Tablets have quickly gone from bonus device to family staple, becoming more and more common as prices go down and features increase. They are a great gadget that everyone from mom and dad to kids of most ages can share and enjoy?especially when you?re on long car rides. Yes, tablets can be used for watching cartoons, but these days they do so much more. From interactive educational games to eBooks to apps that teach kids how to code, these portable powerhouses have a lot to offer. Here are our top tablet picks for families with kids of all ages.
Photo: Apple
Best portability
Good things come in small packages. The newly refreshed Apple iPad mini is a powerful yet compact tablet with a 7.9-inch Retina screen. It has all the features of the full-size version, plus its most powerful processor yet?this small but mighty tab can now even edit high-definition video. Weighing less than a pound with a battery that can last up to 10 hours, it?s a great device for on-the-go families who are passing the iPad around. The new mini is the first to support Apple Pencil ($129), which is a treat for budding artists, and can be connected to any keyboard via Bluetooth. Apple iPad mini, $529, apple.com
Photo: Microsoft
Best for homework
A great option for older kids to do their schoolwork, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is really a computer in tablet form. Like its desktop or laptop counterparts, it runs Windows 10 and the full versions of professional software like Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe ...