Vtech Reader

Although the V Reader is similar to the Kindle in many ways, it looks very different. Made with a durable and tough plastic exterior, the V Reader will easily survive any of the little mishaps that are common in homes with small children and, unlike the Kindle, it is easy to wipe clean in the event of dropped food or spilled drinks. The Kindle is all grown-up sleek lines and plain colors while the Vreader is bright and bold, with chunky buttons and a solid handle that are easy for little fingers to grasp.Vtech makes a pink vreader as well. 

The V Reader downloads can be bought in the same way as adults buy their books for Kindle. There is a V Reader store where all the different books and activities are to be found, allowing Mom, Dad and children to browse and choose the ones they want to buy. Once they are purchased and downloaded onto the PC or laptop, the V Reader can be connected via the USB port and the relevant programs transferred to the child’s own machine. Parents can also buy games and books on cartridges, which are easily loaded into a slot in the V Reader itself.

This product is really designed for children between 3 and 7 years old, and the V Reader applications use all the tricks they can muster to get young ones interested in reading. The stories are read/about familiar characters from films and TV shows, including many Disney movies. They will also see the characters in animated images complete with sound.

These days, a kid would expect an eReader to have a touchscreen (even though some Kindles still don’t have that feature). The V Reader comes equipped with one which makes the gadget that much more useful.  A special animated word dictionary comes with every V Reader as standard, so if the child comes to a word they do not understand they can simply touch it and be taken to the animated definition – a perfectly fun way to increase a child’s vocabulary.

There are currently over 40 e-books available online to download onto the V Reader, most of which feature well known cartoon characters and animations of their own. If the V Reader’s young owner has a favorite character, they can even get V Reader downloads that will give their machine their own personalized theme. Once you get registered online, you will also be able to get 3 vtech reader free downloads.

They will probably want to draw as much attention to their fancy new gadget as possible, so buying (or making) a kids kindle cover is probably top priority. Let’s review your options …

Protective Kindle Covers

If your child tends to drop things, you might want to max out the protective options for the Kindle. A screen protector isn’t really necessary for an adult’s Kindle, but for a Kindle for kids?  It could be a wise decision. In addition, a sleeve or cushion-y case will prevent it from being cracked when dropped or crammed into a backpack full of textbooks.

In terms of giving the Kindle some cushion, the Belkin Pleated Kindle Sleeve is highly recommended. It is a soft cover that users love because it also has a small pocket to store the charging cord. Kids are notorious for losing things like this so the more convenient it is to store, the more likely they will have it longer. It comes in a variety of colors too.

Waterproof Your Kindle

If water is your biggest foe, a KlearKase is a great idea. We love the idea of kids using the Kindle to read because it makes books more mobile, but when the device is frequently used around water, you want to take some steps to protect it.  Books by the pool are what summers are all about! The last thing you want to do is put more obstacles in the way of their reading.

Personalization is key

If personalizing the Kindle is numero uno, then a decal skin for your Kindle is a great way to go. You probably won’t find a better selection of skins for your Kindle than you can at Decal Girl. Everything from horses to fairies … you can find it here.

The one thing to keep in mind with this option is that the skin will protect it from scratches, but it doesn’t do much in the way of impact cushioning.

Protect + Personalize

Use a store bought case, then personalize it with decals! This is ideal for the kid who needs a book light in the case. The standard lighted Kindle case will work really well, and then you can apply the decals to personalize it. You could also buy the case and do a re-upholstering job to the exterior. If you’re not up for the job of making a custom protective cover, order one from Etsy.

Make it a Kids Kindle Cover Craft Project

Some great craft blogs will show you how you can make your own kindle cover. My two favorites for kids are using a physical hardback book, ripping out the pages, and using it for a cover. You can find step by step instructions with pictures here.

This next idea is my favorite because these days duct tape comes in so many patterns and colors. Kids are using it to make all sorts of jewlery, bookmarks and headbands … why not a Kindle cover? This blog shows you the how-to to take your duct tape craft skills to the next step.

Take a minute to read through our guide for Kindle for Kids

Should you have separate or shared Kindle Accounts?

Parents that already own a Kindle of their own already have an account established with Amazon that allows them to purchase books directly from the device. In order to do this, you must have the 1-click Buying option activated and attached to a form of payment.  You can imagine that this could cause a problem if your child suddenly goes on a buying spree.

This can be managed by deactivating any credit cards attached to the account and then establishing the 1-click buy option with a gift card. The adult will then have to enter the cc billing information anytime a purchase is made and you don’t want to use the gift card balance.

Kindle Parental Controls

There is no parental control check box on the Kindle device itself, or in the Kindle store. That can be a big problem.

If you choose to simply add another Kindle device to your current account, another problem can pop up. All of the content that you currently own in your library, and anything you buy in the future, will be visible and readable on your kids Kindle as well.  For instance, if you have purchased any romance novels (or other ‘adult’ books), they will show up in their library on their Kindle as well. On the other hand, if the two of you like to read the same Young Adult books, it could be a plus because you wouldn’t have to buy the book twice or use your one lending option.

Thinking long term though, once your child matures to an age when you don’t need or want to share an account, those books will stay in your library. They won’t be able to take them and shelve those books in their library like they would be able to take a physical book.

How to set up a child with their own account?

Amazon’s official policy

                Amazon.com does not sell products for purchase by children. We sell children’s products for purchase by adults. If you are under 18, you may use Amazon.com only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.

So how do you set up an Amazon kindle for kids account? Lie about their age? No, that is not recommended! The best way to go about this is to create another account in your name. Amazon doesn’t let you create two accounts with the same email address, so you will have to use a secondary email for this account. They are perfectly okay with you having two accounts, as long as you submit two different emails. You may have to initially connect this account to a credit card, but then you can switch it over to use only the gift card balance. This way, you have control over how much is being spent.

What you don’t have control over in any option is the content that is searchable and downloadable. If you have been looking for the Kindle Parental Controls option, you won’t find it because it isn’t there. However, you won’t be completely clueless as to the books they are reading. As soon as a purchase is made, there is a receipt sent to the email address that is registered to the account. From this you can remotely monitor the books they are downloading to their Kindle.

If you do find that a purchase of theirs is unacceptable, you do have the option to return it. Simply contact Amazon within 7 days of the purchase. Once the refund is issued, you will not be able to read the book any longer. It will disappear from your Kindle library.

This option also makes it easy for the kid to truly ‘own’ the ebooks that they have purchased forever. When they turn 18, it is easy enough to simply change the email address on the account. Then you won’t be forever monitoring the books they read on the Kindle.

Free Kindle Kids Books

Appropriate for kids under 5

• The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Anderson
• Dragonsaurus, by Sharlene Alexander
• Pigtastic!, by Scott Gordon
• How Many Fish?, by Robert Stanek
• Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know, by Hamilton Wright Mabie
• Little Shoes, by Amy Sansome
• Twelve Dresses, One Star, by Robert Stanek
• The Adventures of Pinky Whiskers and Sharp Nose, by Brian Young

The following books are not free, but are some of the most popular books for kids in this age group:

• Duck & Goose
• Curious George
• Beatrix Potter
• Olivia
• Go, Dog, Go!
• Thomas & Friends

 Appropriate for beginning and early readers, ages 4-9

• Warriors #1
• Ripley’s RBI 01: Scaly Tale
• Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island #1
• Busy Machines
• Did You See the Clouds?
• Catapillars Don’t Check Email
• The Monkey King

The following list of books are not free, but are hugely popular among kids in this age group.

• Barbie
• A to Z Mysteries
• Magic Treehouse
• Beverly Cleary
• Disney Junior 
• Horrid Henry
• Flat Stanley
• Rainbow Magic

*Please note that we do our best to keep this page updated with the most current information, Amazon can and will change the prices frequently.