If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional tablets for your kid, perhaps you should consider an ebook reader. The Kindle Paperwhite Kids — which is essentially identical to the standard Paperwhite but with a couple of added freebies — would be a great place to start. It’s now on sale at Amazon for $114.99 ($55 off) with a playfully designed magnetic protective case in either dark and light green or yellow and purple. That’s only $5 more than the all-time low that was established this time last year. You can also get it with a forest green and orange “warrior cats” case for $124.99 ($55 off).
The Kindle Paperwhite is one of the most economical ways to acquire and store books from both a monetary and space-saving standpoint. Its 16GB of storage holds thousands of digital titles in a slim rectangular form factor. Adding to the value of today’s deal, each Paperwhite Kids includes a year of Amazon Kids Plus. Usually $5.99 a month, the subscription lets you load up thousands of age-appropriate titles from a constantly evolving library, including the full Harry Potter series, Disney’s Inside Out, and more.
Unlike a tablet, the Paperwhite’s functionality is limited by software that’s purely designed for reading. And while its 6.8-inch E Ink display lacks color for making illustrated children’s books pop, it’s an ideal reading device because of its temperature-adjustable backlight. It means you can easily banish eye-straining blue light from their bedtime reading routine. E Ink is also a battery sipper compared to traditional display tech, which is mostly what helps the Paperwhite achieve a phenomenal 10 days per charge. The device is rated for IPX8 water resistance, too, to further protect it from a kid’s inherent clumsiness.