Set up your kids’ iPhone or iPad the right way
- jan
- 24
Keep them safe, enhance the fun, and keep the iPhone or iPad running with these kid-friendly setup tips!
Kids are receiving iPhones and iPads earlier and earlier. There are now two-year-olds who are better on an iPad than some of us will ever be. These devices help kids have fun and helps them learn and discover a whole world of tech. But there's also the bad stuff, like what's lurking on the internet, as well as your kids just spending way too much time on these devices.
Here are tips for setting up Apple devices for kids:
- Best parental controls to set up right away
- Best starter apps for kids
- Best kids accessories
- External parental control options
Best parental controls to set up right away
Thanks to Apple's Screen Time, you can monitor and restrict access across all your most important devices, including the iPhone and iPad. The tool, which first launched with iOS 12, lets you block content, limit viewing times, and more.
Best starter apps for kids
There are thousands of wonderful apps that kids can use to have fun, learn, and discover. Here are some of the ones we recommend.
Ages 3 to 5
Endless Alphabet
Endless Alphabet has been designed to teach letters and new vocabulary using sounds. To do so, your child drags the letters into a word. This app has appropriate graphics and background music and features 100 words to learn and play with.
- $8.99 - Download Now
ABCmouse
Created by teachers and education experts, ABCmouse is for kids from 2 to 8, and covers reading, math, art, music, and more. With over 10,000 learning activities spread across various age groups, ABCmouse will grow along with your child.
- Free w/in-app purchases - Download Now
Quick Math Jr.
With this free app, your kids will learn about numbers in a relaxed and fun way. Quick Math Jr. offers 12 separate math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts. There's also a built-in handwriting tool.
- Free w/in-app purchases - Download Now
Ages 6 to 9
Lightbot: Code Hour
One of the first coding apps for young kids, Lightbot: Code Hour teaches basic concepts and the logic that computer programmers use to write code.
- Free - Download Now
Toca Life: World
One of the hottest kids game brands, Toca Boca, introduced this impressive title in late 2018. Since then, the create your own world game has gotten even better with each new update. This mega-app brings all of the Toca Life apps (City, Vacation, Office, Hospital and more) to one place. Make in-app purchases to discover new places and characters.
- Free w/in-app purchases - Download Now
PBS Kids Games
This freebie offers over 100 free learning games from your kid's favorite PBS Kids characters, including those from "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," "Wild Kratts," "Super Why," and more.
- Free - Download Now
Ages 10 and up
Stack the States
Geography is front-and-center in this learning tool that's fun to use and informative. With the right answers, kids can win a state and add it to their stack. Along the way, they can unlock new games and different rounds. There's also a Stake the Countries game.
- $2.99 - Download Now
Swift Playgrounds
From Apple, this app lets kids learn more about coding by solving interactive puzzles through guided "Learn to Code" lessons. Along the way, your kids will get to experience a wide range of challenges long associated with coding. In doing so, they might create the next great app for kids!
- Free - Download Now
Duolingo
Free, fun, and effective, Duolingo helps you learn a new language with ease. To date, it offers course and games to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Irish, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Norwegian, Polish, Hebrew, Esperanto, Vietnamese, Ukrainian, Welsh, Greek, Hungarian, Romanian, and Swahili.
- Free w/in-app purchases - Download Now
Best kids accessories
Whether you're buying a device to share with your kids or buying your kids their own devices, these accessories are sure to help them last!
Supcase Unicorn Beetle Pro for iPhone
Supcase's rugged iPhone cases are perfect for kids since they're incredibly protective (thanks to a dual-layer, shock-absorbent design) and they look cool. They feature cutouts for the camera and ports, a grippy texture around the edges so that tiny hands can hold onto them tightly, and an included screen protector, so your iPhone is covered on all sides. There are five colors to choose from and pricing starts around $10, depending on which iPhone model you have.
PIXIU iPad Cases
Available in multiple styles and price points, PIXIU cases for iPad are relatively inexpensive and still get the job done. Just make sure to get one that fits your kid's tablet! Otherwise, it's back to Amazon it goes.
Osmo Super Studio Disney Frozen 2 Game
This iPad drawing game offers a fun and magical experience that helps young kids discover the creativity of drawing through connecting with stories and favorite characters such as Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from the hit movie. Designed for kids aged 5 to 11, the game teaches visual thinking and experimentation in a fun, entertaining way.
Lamicall adjustable tablet stand
Some little hands just can't handle the iPad, and it can make it especially hard to play games, even for adults. Lamicall's tablet stand keeps the iPad stationary and it adjusts to support for horizontal and vertical orientation, depending on the game or app you're using. This is a sturdy stand and the perfect alternative to a bulky case if you don't want to kids holding onto the iPad. Comes in black, gray, or silver, starting at $17.
External parental control options
Apple's Screen Time restrictions are thorough, but if you want to take device and content management even further, then consider an external parental control option like these.
Circle Home Plus (2nd Gen)
Circle pairs with your home Wi-fi network to give you control over the parental settings of all devices in the house. You can set time limits, filter content based on age or rating, and even reward your kids based on their good usage habits. You can even set limits for specific content, like Netflix, to make sure they're not just using the device purely for entertainment. Circle is $130 at Amazon and a great investment if you want to be able to remotely monitor all the devices in your home. For this, you get one year of free service.
Qustodio
Qustodio is a parental control software that lets you fully manage each device in your house by filtering web content, blocking access to specific apps, and maintaining an activity log to track your kids' usage habits. Yearly plans star for as little as $55 for five devices, and you can go with medium and large plans for 10 and 15 devices, respectively.
Net Nanny
Net Nanny minds your kids while they're online by letting you filter websites for course language and lewd material — it even has a flatout porn blocker. You can set it up to receive usage alerts for your kids, and you can remotely manage device to set time limits for certain content and apps. Pricing starts at $11 per device, per year for a family pass for five devices. You can install on up to 20 devices for $90 per year in total ($5/device).
Any questions?
Hopefully this gives you a good start on kid-proofing your child's new iPhone or iPad. If you have any questions, hit us up on Twitter, via email, or in the comments below!