Oh So Crazy

Product Reviews, Giveaways, and Personal Anecdotes

You are here: Home / Entertainment / Kid Connect on the VTech InnoTab 3S, the Wi-Fi Learning Tablet

Kid Connect on the VTech InnoTab 3S, the Wi-Fi Learning Tablet

by

Maura, being a second child, always inherits the hand-me-downs from her older sister, be it clothes or toys. She doesn’t seem to mind it, but does get especially excited when she gets something just for her. This is why she’s thrilled with her VTech InnoTab 3S that we’ve been testing out for the past few weeks!

VTech InnoTab 3S

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S - Kid ConnectWhat Maura loves about the InnoTab 3S:

  • It has lots of games and activities already installed – 20 – so she could practically play it straight out of the box.
  • All the creative options that are at her fingertips – coloring pages, picture-taking and fun editing with the camera, and the video recorder!
  • Music! She can listen to her favorite mp3s.
  • The calendar. She can add notes to it, just like mommy.
  • Kid Connect! (More on this below!)

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S

What I love about the InnoTab 3S:

  • It’s rechargeable, because buying batteries is so expensive, not to mention wasteful. And the battery life is pretty good!
  • You can increase its memory via a micro SD card. Plenty of space for all the videos and pictures Maura takes, and tons of music.
  • Hundreds of games are available for download from the VTech store, so she’ll never get bored. You get one free with your initial purchase of the InnoTab.
  • Every game has an educational component. No mindless, addictive apps.
  • It’s built to withstand a kid’s tough play. Sturdy and well-protected, It’s been dropped quite a few times, juice splashed on the screen, etc., and it’s no worse for wear, which makes it great for travel.
  • The stylus. It allows Maura to practice writing and drawing with an actual instrument, as opposed to her finger. And it’s attached to the tablet so it won’t get lost.
  • Volume control! Ha!
  • Wifi, which allows Maura to browse approved websites and use…
  • Kid Connect!

Kid Connect is definitely our favorite feature. With this service, kids can send texts and stickers to their parents’ smartphones in real time, and vice versa, whether they’re in the next room or across the country visiting grandparents. Maura can only ‘connect’ with people that I approve, so I can rest assured that she is only communicating with people I know and trust.

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S - Kid Connect

Drawing with the VTech InnoTab 3SThe InnoTab 3S comes with a one year free subscription of Basic Kid Connect. Signing up for it was easy. I just registered within the Learning Lodge software (which you download to your computer when you set up your InnoTab), then installed VTech Kid Connect on my iPhone, signed in, and started messaging! We upgraded to “Kid Connect Premium” to take full advantage of all it has to offer. With this upgrade, in addition to texts, Maura can send photos, drawings (like the one to the right), and even audio messages from her InnoTab 3S to my phone!

So far, there have been a lot of “I love you” messages, heart drawings, and sweet audio recordings. This is going to be especially valuable when my husband and I go away next weekend, to celebrate our anniversary. Maura will be able to get in touch whenever she wants, and I’ll be able to hear her precious voice anywhere I want.

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S - Kid Connect

Sometimes she’s so serious when she’s using her InnoTab 3S…

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S - very serious!

And at other times she can’t stop giggling!

Playing with the VTech InnoTab 3S - lauging

But all this fun does come with a price! For the first two weeks after registration of your InnoTab 3S, a Deluxe Apps package with Kid Connect Premium is available for $14.99. The package also includes Movie Maker (a $7.99 value), a fun and exciting stop-motion animation app that lets kids become movie directors. Once the two week promotional period is over, Kid Connect Premium can be purchased separately for $14.99. It only works on Android or Apple phones, and it’s awesome! Definitely worth the price. For more information, visit www.vtechkids.com/kidconnect and watch this video:

BUY IT!

While the VTech InnoTab 3S may not be as fast as an Android or Apple product, it’s a great starter tablet and a wonderful way for kids to learn the ins and outs of texting, digital photography, and web browsing in a safe, controlled environment, not to mention all the educational game options available. There are even more features we haven’t tried yet! Recommended for children 3 to 9 years old, the InnoTab 3S is available online and at retailers nationwide. Its price recently dropped from $99.99 to $79.99, just in time for the holiday season. I also saw that it’s available in pink (but shhhh! Don’t tell Maura.)

WIN IT!

A lucky TDB reader will win an InnoTab 3S from VTech! To enter to win, please fill out the Rafflecopter widget below. US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We were provided with an InnoTab 3S and a free Premium Kid Connect subscription by VTech to facilitate this review, but all opinions are my own.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  11. I’d love to win this for my daughter. She just had her second Leap Pad break on her and needs something different.

  16. I would like to win this for my son, he always likes to play with his dad’s iphone. This is more kid friendly and I think he would enjoy it.

  52. I’d love to win for my goddaughter, I think it’d be something fun for her to use to pass time during her chemo treatments and other appointments.

  89. I would love to win the VTech InnoTab for my little grandson. He’s our little “Techie”!

  96. This would definitely be going to my daughter. She wants one so much but its a bit out of our price range this year with our new litle guy on the way!

  99. I want this so bad for my son who is 4 years old,we love so many things about this like the texting like a big kid or that he can take photos, i like that he can get on the wifi and be safe and that i can see and know what he is doing i love too that he will be learning but at the same time having fun…

  118. I watched the Youtube video. I learned the device has 4gb of memory and you can expand it to 32gb with a micro usb.

  120. I would love to win this for my 6 year old son.I know my 3 older kids would also “borrow” it from him to play.

  121. This would be for my niece, she loves to use our laptop and does very well, she would be so excited to have her own device to learn and play on

Trackbacks