The BabyGenius Learning Tablet: Screen Time Your Pediatrician Warned You About
A "educational" tablet for toddlers that teaches them nothing except how to drain a battery in 45 minutes and throw a tantrum when it dies.
The BabyGenius Learning Tablet promises to give your toddler a "head start on 21st-century skills." What it actually gives them is a head start on screen addiction and a permanent aversion to anything that does not have flashing lights and cartoon sound effects.
For $149, you get a 7-inch tablet with a rubberized case (the only good feature), pre-loaded "educational" apps (glorified candy-colored button-mashing games), and a parental control system so confusing that I — a technology journalist with 15 years of experience — could not figure out how to set a time limit.
The Educational Content
The flagship app, "ABC Safari," claims to teach letters through "immersive animal adventures." In practice, your child taps a giraffe, the giraffe says "G," confetti explodes everywhere, and a jingle plays that will be permanently seared into your hippocampus. There is no actual teaching happening. There is only tapping, confetti, and the slow erosion of your sanity as the same five-note jingle plays for the 400th time.
“The Educational ContentThe flagship app, "ABC Safari," claims to teach letters through "immersive animal adventures”
Click to TweetThe math app teaches counting by having kids pop digital bubbles. My three-year-old learned nothing about numbers but became extremely good at popping bubbles. She can now pop bubbles with frightening speed and accuracy. Harvard, start the scholarship paperwork.
The Battery
The battery lasts 45 minutes. The charger takes four hours. Do the math on that ratio and weep.
The Verdict
The BabyGenius Learning Tablet is a babysitter that runs out of batteries before you can finish one cup of coffee. Give your kid a cardboard box and some crayons. They will learn more, have more fun, and you will save $149.
What to Buy Instead
Tried-and-tested alternatives that actually deliver on their promises. We may earn a small commission on purchases.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Activity Cube
Teaches more than any tablet. No battery. No screen. No subscription.
Crayola Creativity Tub
Crayons, markers, scissors, and paper. The original educational technology.
Board Book Collection
Real books with real pages that teach real things without a charging cable.
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