As a father of four, I’ve come to realize that my kids (ages 3 thru 11) can easily spend more time on my Android Galaxy S or my wife’s iPhone than doing other activities like watching TV or playing on their Wii.

So it makes perfect sense to me that parents would be looking into purchasing tablets for their kids this holiday season.  But if you are anything like me, then the thought of laying out $500 for an iPad for my 5 year old is not a very appealing thought.

In fact, it’s not gonna happen!  Most of the parents I know wouldn’t pay $500 for an iPad for their kids, but they may be inclined to spend $200 or less – or even less than $100.

When we are traveling, or have a doctor’s appointment, etc… I can tell you that  having a device available for the kids to play on has been a huge help.

Tablets for Kids Under $200:  Best Deals & Tablets For Kids

And if the kids had a tablet, especially while traveling, then they’d be able to not only play games via apps, but they could also watch movies and listen to music – all from their very own tablet.

App developers are starting to realize this as well and there’s a huge market opportunity growing around the tablets for kids genre.

So, I decided to do some digging around and I came up with 5 tablets that I could see myself buying for my kids, and that are all priced under $200.  Like I said, spending $200 or less on a tablet for my kids makes a whole lot more sense than spending $500 or more for an iPad for my kids.

5 tablets for kids under $200

#1:  Amazon Kindle Fire,  Price:  $199

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B0051VVOB2]

 

I would be remiss if I started this list out with anything other than Amazon’s very own Kindle Fire.  With the shear amount of apps, videos, music, movies, and other content, the Kindle Fire, priced at $199, is a great buy for you kids.

There’s even 8GB of local storage on the Kindle Fire so that you can download games and movies for those long road trips where you know you may be without WiFi for a certain period of time.

#2:  Barnes & Noble Nook Color eBook,  Prices starting at $165

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Nook Color eBook product description

• Get social, surf the web, play games, even listen to music
• Over 2 million titles at your fingertips
• Kids’ books come alive
• Magazines & newspapers in rich color
• Stunning 7-inch color touchscreen

#3:  LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet,  Price:  $194.70

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B004Z7H07K]

 

 

Although the LeapFrog LeapPad isn’t official a tablet like all the others, it is a great “tablet” that has a lot of games and interactive learning for kids.

• Introducing LeapPad Explorer, the personalized learning tablet just for kids! Appropriate for children ages 4 to 9 years
• A library of 100+ cartridge games, apps, digital books, videos and flash cards (sold separately, works with all Leapster Explorer games and apps)
• Includes a built-in camera and video recorder, 5″ touch screen for use with finger or included stylus and 4 apps (Pet Pad, Story Studio, Art Studio and one app of your choice)
• 2GB of memory, enabling it to host a robust suite of apps including: innovative ultra eBooks  that provide word-by-word support, a Story Studio to combine art, audio and writing, Art, Animation and Photo studios to inspire imaginations
• A broad curriculum including reading, mathematics, science, geography, art, music, language and culture, health and more – skill levels automatically adjust the challenge to match each child’s pace and remember progress from game to game and book to book

#4:  PanDigital 72-70FW 7 Inch Tablet,  Price:  $119.17

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B004QRIUOG]

 

The PanDigital price has actually gone up a bit over the past week or so – it was priced at around $89.  But still, being priced at $119 is still a great deal for a fast 7 inch Android tablet.  And with access to the Android market, your kids still have a near unlimited choice of games, puzzles, and interactive activities to chose from.

• 7 inch Tablet
• General Specifications: Screen Size: 7 inch, Panel: Digital TFT LCD, Resolution: 600 x 800 Pixel
• Storage: Internal Memory: 1 GB, Card Reader: 2 in 1, Expandable Memory: SD/SDHC, MMC/MMC+ upto 32 GB
• Connections: WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, USB Port: 1 mini-USB 2.0, Headphone jack: 1 stereo mini headphone jack
• Power: Built-in rechargeable Li-ion Battery (AC adaptor included)

#5:  Coby Kyros 7 Inch Android Tablet,  Price:  $125.99

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B005HUH88K]

 

The Coby Kyros 7 inch Android tablet is actually available right now for pre order, with a ship date of December 17th.  Even during the pre sale phase, the Coby Kyros has already exploded to the #2 hot new selling item on Amazon.

Again, here you have a great 7 inch Android tablet for the kids with access to all the apps you’ll want.  Interactive games, puzzles, movies, games, and music are all accessible on this great 7 inch Android tablet with a price that is perfect (in my opinion) for kids.

• Browse the web, watch Youtube videos, checking e-mail, and much more with Android 2.3
• 7 inch LCD intuitive touchscreen
• Connect to the Internet wirelessly with high-speed
• AppsLib marketplace
• Plays popular video, music, and photo formats

What about you?

So that’s my list of the top 5 tablets for kids.

What tablets did I miss that you think would be a great buy for your kids?