As an artist, I believe that drawing tablets are a great way to encourage kids to explore their creativity. With a tablet, they can draw, paint, animate, and create projects that can inspire and motivate them. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for parents to bond with their children and participate in their creative journey.
So in this post, I share tips and resources to help you make an informed decision when getting a drawing tablet for your kids. Together, let’s support the next generation of artists and foster a love of creativity in our children.
Overview: Best Drawing Tablets for Kids by Age
10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB, Different colors available, Kids apps preinstalled
Pro processor, 10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB, Kids apps preinstalled
Best premium drawing tablet for kids with Procreate
Apple A15 Processor for Best-in-Class Performance :: 8.3 inch Liquid Retina Display for Superior Color, Contrast, Brightness :: Light and Extremely Strong :: Premium Fit and Finish :: Up to 10 Hours Battery Life :: Late 2021 model
Best Android Drawing Tablet for Kids
Beautiful 10.4 Inch TFT WUXQA Touchscreen :: 2000 x 1200px :: 4GB RAM :: 128GB Storage :: Exynos 9611 processor & Mali-G72 Graphics :: Great Work Surface for Drawing :: Includes S-Pen :: Android 10
Master the digital drawing software, learn the digital illustration techniques, improve your workflow and grow your creative business. Watch on Skillshare!
★ Click below to get a FREE Month of Skillshare (look for "redeem" on top)
Best Drawing Tablet for Kids Ages 3-7
I recently had the opportunity to test out the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids tablet and was impressed with its features and functionality. I think it’s an excellent choice for parents of the little ones.
The tablet is specifically designed for children, with a sturdy case and built-in parental controls to ensure a safe and age-appropriate experience. It also comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which provides access to thousands of books, videos, games, and educational apps.
For young artists, the Fire HD 10 Kids tablet has a variety of creative apps that can help them explore their artistic side. I was impressed with the quality of the screen and the responsiveness of the stylus, which allowed me to draw and sketch with ease. The tablet is also great for other activities, like watching videos, playing games, and browsing the web, making it a versatile device for kids of all ages.
I was impressed with the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids tablet and would recommend it to any parent looking for a safe, reliable, and affordable tablet for their child.
Best Drawing Tablet for Kids Ages 6-12
As an artist who loves to explore new technology, I recently also got my hands on the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids PRO tablet and was impressed by its features for drawing.
The tablet comes with an improved stylus that has a fine tip and pressure sensitivity, allowing for more precise and nuanced drawing. It also has a larger and brighter screen than its predecessor, which is perfect for creating detailed digital artwork.
One of the things I loved about the Fire HD 10 Kids PRO tablet is that it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, providing access to a wide range of apps and games, including several creative and drawing apps.
The tablet is also designed to withstand accidental drops and spills, which is a huge plus for parents of young artists. And with built-in parental controls, parents can rest assured that their child is having a safe and age-appropriate experience.
While the Fire HD 10 Kids PRO tablet may not be as powerful as some of the more expensive tablets on the market, it’s a great choice for kids who are just starting to explore digital art.
The tablet is affordable, easy to use, and has all the basic features needed for digital drawing. Overall, I highly recommend the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids PRO tablet for any young artist looking to explore their creativity in a fun and safe way.
Best Android Drawing Tablet for Kids Ages 8-15
Best Budget Android Tablet for Artists
Beautiful 10.4 Inch TFT WUXQA Touchscreen :: 2000 x 1200px :: 4GB RAM :: 128GB Storage :: Exynos 9611 processor & Mali-G72 Graphics :: Great Work Surface for Drawing :: Includes S-Pen :: Android 10
As an artist who has tried several drawing tablets, I discovered the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a great option for kids interested in digital art.
The tablet has a large and vibrant display that is perfect for creating beautiful artwork, and it comes with an improved stylus that is comfortable to hold and provides a natural writing experience.
The tablet also runs on a powerful processor, which ensures that it can handle even the most demanding drawing apps.
One of the things that set the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite apart from other tablets is its affordability. While many high-end tablets can cost upwards of $1,000, the Tab S6 Lite comes in at a much more reasonable price point, making it accessible for families on a budget.
Additionally, the tablet is lightweight and easy to carry, making it a great option for young artists who want to take their creativity on the go.
Overall, I highly recommend the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as a great option for any young artist interested in digital art.
I am excited to see what kind of amazing artwork young artists can create with it.
Best Premium Drawing Tablet for Kids Ages 8-15
Best cheapest and smallest iPad I recommend for drawing and Procreate
Apple A15 Processor for Best-in-Class Performance :: 8.3 inch Liquid Retina Display for Superior Color, Contrast, Brightness :: Light and Extremely Strong :: Premium Fit and Finish :: Up to 10 Hours Battery Life :: Late 2021 model
Second Generation Apple Pencil :: Best Drawing and Painting Experience :: Compatible with: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st generation), iPad Air (5th and 4th generation) and iPad mini (6th generation)
As an artist, I highly recommend the Apple iPad Mini as an excellent choice for any kid.
With its stunning retina display and pen-to-screen feel, it’s perfect for creating beautiful digital art. I remember the first time I used an iPad for drawing, it felt like a whole new world of possibilities had opened up to me.
Even for kids, using an iPad is incredibly intuitive, thanks to the simple and easy-to-use Apple iPadOS. Whether they’re just starting to explore their artistic side or are more experienced, the iPad Mini is a great tool for developing their skills. Especially the Procreate app is one of the best art apps available for iPad, offering a wide range of features and tools that allow artists to create stunning works of art.
While the iPad is sold without a stylus, I highly recommend investing in the original Apple Pencil 2 for the best experience. Not only is it essential for creating art, but it’s also incredibly convenient for everyday use. With the Apple Pencil 2, kids can enjoy a more natural drawing experience and take their digital art to the next level.
What Kind of Drawing Tablets for Kids are the Best?
We’re not going to get into a whole technical discussion of the different tablets, like resolution, processing speed, RGB gamut, all of that – I figure that if you’re interested in that you probably already know what’s good and what’s important, and if you don’t already know you might not even care.
Either way, you’ve probably come here for help in finding one of the following:
- The Best Drawing Tablet for Young Kids
- The Best Drawing Tablet for Older Kids / Tweens
- The Best Drawing Tablet for Teens
- Best Drawing Tablet for Art Students
- Best Drawing Tablet for College Students
- Best Drawing Tablet for Young Adults
- The Best Drawing Tablet for Kids Overall
I will take into consideration all of the important technical stuff, like specifications around screen quality, memory and power, as well as the ruggedness of the tablet, the ease of use, the art programs it might come with (or have available to it), how well the touchscreen monitor and stylus work together, and the price – I do not necessarily think that a lower price is always better, but I understand that you may be on a budget and still want to get the very best art tablet you can possibly afford for your daughter or son, so I will make sure to include the best art tablets overall as well as the best budget art tablets.
And even the best budget art tablets are actually high quality high tech art tools that your kids will be super-stoked to have. Just don’t use the phrase “super-stoked” around them – they may not say that anymore.
Apple, Android, Windows – Which OS Should You Choose?
The least expensive tablets, specifically the ones aimed at small children, don’t even have an operating system as such. You turn them on and draw or paint. But for older kids and teenagers you do have three basic choices:
Basic Tablets for Young Children – Cheap, Rugged and Super-Simple
This is a no-brainer if there is still a chance your kid may spend more time chewing on their new art tablet than drawing on it – simple, tough tablets that do nothing more than encourage your child to draw, paint, use beautiful colors, observe the world around them and explore their own creativity.
Android – Often the Least Expensive “Serious” tablets
An Android tablet uses the same operating system as most phones, and so if your kids are already using Android smart phones they will be immediately comfortable with an Android tablet. Android tablets can be a great choice for drawing, painting and other creative endeavors because they have an enormous amount of (often completely free) software available, including many art apps. They are, ultimately, not as powerful as an iPad or Windows tablet, for art or other uses, but can still be great choices.
Windows Tablets – Normal Computers that are also Tablets
Windows is another good choice for older kids, teens and college students, and especially if you want your child to have a normal, full function computer as well as a great artist tablet. Yes, the Apple iPad is a full-function tablet, and may do everything even a college student may want or need, but a Windows tablet is in fact a Windows computer, and will run the entire range of Windows 10 software – and this includes probably the biggest range of art programs available, from super-simple, basic just-draw types of apps to Adobe Creative Suite.
If you are already on the Windows platform, or if you want your kid to have access to the entire Windows world, a Windows 10 tablet is a smart choice, and the right ones will have a superb display screen and that controlled yet expressive pen-to-screen experience that any artist would love.
Apple iPad – From Inexpensive to Expensive, the Artist’s Choice
Apple is arguably the brand most identified with artists and creativity (Windows users, don’t be hatin’ – I did say “arguably”), and does have a wonderful variety of really great art programs, from so simple a child could use them to so advanced they could be (and are) used by top-level commercial and fine artists around the world. You can be absolutely sure that your child, at any age, will never be limited by an Apple iPad, which will stay right with them as they grow.
Apple also has, IMHO, the most beautiful display screens, and to me this is very important. Not only are the best screens better on the eyes, they also make more advanced and complex drawing and painting possible, and they simply look better, which will make your child’s art look better, which will make them feel happy and encouraged.
If you are already on the Apple platform, and it’s in your budget, I would definitely get them an iPad. And if you, or your kid, aren’t really set on one type or another – that is, Apple, Windows or Android – I would also recommend the wonderfully intuitive and inspiring iPad, which is a brilliant tablet in every other respect as well.
How Can You Make Sure to Buy the Best Tablet for Your Kids?
If you have some idea, on your own or from the information above, which type of tablet you want to get, you will find my age-based recommendations below for the best choices in each of those categories. I will consider not just if it is a good tablet for a budding young artist, but also the build quality and reliability, the price and value, the quality of the display screen and how it feels with a pen, and overall performance – not just for art apps, but for anything your child, teen, young adult or college student might want to use it for.
And if you have decided on the “Other – Cheap, Rugged and Simple Drawing Tablet for Kids and Youngsters” category, I will make absolutely certain that all of my recommendations for the best drawing tablet for Kids are fully drool-proof.
To make it easier, and to direct you to the very best choice for your kids, I am going to break this down into four age categories (which will have some overlap)
- Best Drawing Tablet for Young Kids (5-10 Years Old)
- Best Drawing Tablet for Older Kids / Tweens (10-15 Years Old)
- Best Drawing Tablets for Teens (13-19 Years Old)
- Best Drawing Tablets for Young Adults, College & Art School Students (18-25 Years Old)
In every category (except the first) I will give my recommendation for the best iPad, the best Windows 10 tablet and the best Android tablet overall, as well as the best budget alternative for each.
I hope this buyer’s guide for the best art and drawing tablets for kids of all ages is helpful to you in making a decision, and I really hope that you feel as proud of yourself as you do of your young artist – a new drawing tablet for kids is an incredible present, for sure, but encouraging their talent and interest is the best gift you could possibly give them.
Yay you! Giving Your Child the Support and the Tools They Need!
Learn from my easy-to-follow online classes such as Making Money as an Artist, Color & Light, Color Palettes, Perspective & Composition, Instagram for Artists, and more!
I don’t really have anything else of importance to say about finding and buying the best art tablet for your child, and I think, and hope, that this has been a very complete, thorough and helpful buyer’s guide, and that you are able to get just the right tablet for your family’s newest artist.
I would like to say again, though, how commendable I think it is that parents support their children in this way. Not every young artist is so lucky, but to have parents who support them and their talents and ambitions, and even go as far as to give them the tools they need to really explore themselves as an artist, their talent and their creativity, and to see where, and how far, it will take them – well, it may seem to a good parent like just what you do for your beloved children, but from where I sit it seems extraordinary!
Thanks so much for reading my latest article – Best Drawing Tablets for Kids: A Buyer’s Guide to the Best Art Tablets for Kids of All Ages – and I encourage you to visit my blog – Art Side of Life – for other guides, online courses, articles and lots of other resources.
Other articles in the Drawing Tablets series:
- Best iPad for Drawing
- Best iPad for Procreate
- Best Drawing Tablet for Beginners
- Best Tablet for Drawing and Artists
- Best Standalone Drawing Tablet
- Best Animation Tablet
- Best Tablet for Photoshop
- Best Android Tablet for Drawing
- Best Samsung Tablet for Drawing
- Best Drawing Tablet with Screen for Artists
- Best Cheap Drawing Tablet with Screen
- Best Tablet with Pen Stylus for Drawing
- Best Large Screen Tablet for Artists
- Best Note Taking Tablet
- 7 Best Digital Notepads & Smart Notebooks
- Wacom Tablet vs iPad Pro
- Huion vs Wacom – Which Tablet is Better?
- XP Pen vs Huion – Which Tablet is Better?
- Best Drawing Tablet Stand for Artists
- Best iPad Pro Accessories for Artists
- Best Drawing Stylus
Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
