iPad mini 4 birthday gift for child...a few questions

[officelurker]

I am getting my son a iPad mini 4 for his birthday. Here are the questions I have:

1) I want him to be able to use iMessage, how can this be done?

2) I want him to be able to download free apps, but not be able to purchase them or buy in app stuff

3) Can he listen to my Apple Music account? Can I restrict the Music with has obscene/sex/violent lyrics?

Thanks for helping me out.

 

[iPhone1]

1- Create an Apple ID for him and he'll be able to use iMessage.
2- Sounds like you're going to want to setup Family Sharing and limit his ability to buy apps or at least require permission before buying,
3- Once Family Sharing is setup, you can also get the Family Plan and share it with your family. Or just have him login with your Apple Music credentials but run the risk of not being able to listen at the same time. You can setup restrictions in the Settings app to limit explicit lyrics, you can also limit in app purchases in restrictions as well as many other controls.

 

[officelurker]

Thanks for your reply. I will try this out!

 

[smooth]

My kids have iPads and I was really excited about Family Sharing. If you have a credit card, you can create a kid Apple ID account in which you can manage all kinds of settings. I do not have any credit cards and it doesn't allow debit cards so I just created them Yahoo accounts which I used as their Apple IDs for iMessage. Just food for thought

 

[officelurker]

Ok thanks 'smooth'.

BTW, the kid is turning 6 and has been pestering about the iPad mini for months. This is a good idea (to buy for him) right?

 

[whtrbt7]

My 3 year old uses one on and off. It's a good learning tool but if your aim is to use it to replace other healthy real interaction, it's not a good replacement. iPads are great for reading, learning about things, textbooks, virtual interaction with objects, and consuming content.

 

[Mike B in ok]

Ok thanks 'smooth'.

BTW, the kid is turning 6 and has been pestering about the iPad mini for months. This is a good idea (to buy for him) right?

At that age, I'd consider an iPad Mini 2. Lots less investment if he takes it to the bathtub or drops it on a hard floor. Or look into a rugged case such as an Otterbox.

Amazon has versions of the Fire tablet optimized for kids with a "kid-proof" no questions asked warranty, as well as plans that give unlimited access to lots of kid content, and no grown-up content. Of course Apple apps and media won't be accessible, but it is a thought.

 

[whtrbt7]

Oh yeah, there are those 6 packs of tablets that are like $20 each from Amazon if your kids are accident prone. I haven't used them myself but I hear that for basics, those do the job.

 

[xraydoc]

At that age, I'd consider an iPad Mini 2. Lots less investment if he takes it to the bathtub or drops it on a hard floor. Or look into a rugged case such as an Otterbox.

Amazon has versions of the Fire tablet optimized for kids with a "kid-proof" no questions asked warranty, as well as plans that give unlimited access to lots of kid content, and no grown-up content. Of course Apple apps and media won't be accessible, but it is a thought.

Agreed. A mini 2 would run virtually all the same apps, still has a retina screen and is a good deal cheaper. Plus you may be able to find a wider variety of rugged cases since its been out longer.

 

[smooth]

Good points about the Amazon tablets. My kids started with them. Now that they're older and our house is deep in Apple's ecosystem, iPads make it easier.