The 9th Gen iPad is my kid’s favorite toy and just hit its lowest price ever

If seeing this image upsets you, I understand. But believe me when I tell you that this is the image of a beloved and well-used part of my daughter Emma’s life. This ninth-generation iPad has been with her through her early years and has been a constant source of joy, education, and enlightenment for her, and it can also take a beating. Right now, it only costs $199the lowest price it’s ever had, and honestly every other tablet is worthless in comparison.

One caveat to the rest of this post: a good thing is essential if you want your 5 year old to use an iPad. We have the OtterBox Made for Kids Case and have broken a million screen protectors, but in the three years we’ve had it, nothing has broken on the tablet itself. Emma wears it on her head, which results in drops, and more than once it’s jumped down stairs. She spills milk on it, and all the sticky stuff a child can get on it, but the case has kept it safe.

I know some people worry about screen time, and I do too, but Emma uses the iPad for more than just YouTube (just the kids version, people!) and Minecraft. She uses it for her school math programs — she’s very proud of her Lexia score — and games like Pok-Poka calming game with endless ways to entertain yourself on long journeys. She grew up playing Pok Pok, which helped her learn problem solving and introduced her to ideas of diversity and community.

We recently moved to Virginia from California and thanks to the iPad, Emma can talk to her cousins ​​on the west coast while playing Minecraft and FaceTime her older sisters in the UK. It’s a great communication tool and I can tell you that her grandparents love talking to her at random times of the day. And because it has Apple’s excellent parental controls, it can be locked down by us parents to make sure she’s safe.

I’ve tried other tablets, believe me. I’m an Android guy through and through, but even the best android tablets not in the shadow of the iPad. The same goes for the Amazon Fire Kids Edition. The biggest reason — the only reason, honestly — not to get an iPad for a kid was the price, and with this new deal price of $199, that problem all but disappears.