As a WIRED reviewer, there is no shortage of screens in my house. When it comes to my 3- and 5-year-old, I try to set reasonable screen time limits. But as months of pandemic isolation wear on, I’ve had to expand those limits to get literally anything done.
If you’re a parent feeling conflicted about giving your children more screen time than usual, I hereby give you permission to use whatever tools you have at your disposal to cope with this new reality of full-time parenting and full-time working, especially when you’re without the help of school, day care, friends, grandparents, neighborhood babysitters, and other social activities. Since my daughter was 2 years old, we’ve tried almost every kid-focused tablet out there. These are our favorite picks.
If you’re still hunting for kid-related educational ideas, check out our favorite kid podcasts, ways to entertain your preschooler during quarantine, and our guide to the best STEM toys.
Updated October 2020: We added the Facebook Portal, fixed links, and added more information.