I’m considering buying a Chromebook for my eldest’s birthday, they look great in that they’re low virus risk, cheapish and simple.

But I’m confused about how I would set him up with a Google account and how to monitor / restrict his access…

Has anyone done this already? How did you get on?

I’m not really sure quite what you’re asking. What do you mean by ‘restrict access’?

I have one and my 5 year old uses it no problem but just on the family account though we don’t really let him use it alone.

https://www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow/familysafety/tools/

I guess I was thinking of him having his own account, can your son download Apps?

yes and it’s fine ideal ‘small, cheap, computers’ – they now have ‘supervised’ accounts (check the term with Google)..

seems to work ok , but I don’t let mine wander far with theirs..

near instant on/off 8hr battery (Samsung one) got them as refurbs (brand new) from Ebay for 100! So much better than our clockwork Windows cast offs they used before..

Running any specific ‘program’ is a problem but not encountered a genuine need for one yet..

I saw the supervised accounts, but they seem a bit limited without apps.

which laptop did you go for? I’m think the Samsung looks the best of the bunch

the apps are often just analagous to links/shortcuts, unless they run off line.. Apart from a typing tutor g-apps and a game we never use (at least I think 🙂

He could download apps at present but as I said, we just use the one account and he doesn’t do it alone which I think is probably good practice regardless.

And as above, apps are really just web pages.

HP Chromebook 14 here. Very very happy with it.

Mine do actually have gmail/google accounts as well – possibly violating t and c at their ages – but I do keep a watching eye on them – just for Family comms really..

Bought one for my two kids about a month ago & really impressed with it.

I have not locked down their accounts at all but insist it is in a downstairs room where my wife & I can see it as we pass and told them that they can do whatever they think is right but that as I have access to the router I can see everything they have looked at (I can’s) so they had better ensure they can justify what they have done if asked

The apps are indeed just links to webpages, whcih means that you could just visit the webpages anyway.

Our kids (2 and 4) have gmail accounts 🙂 It’s so that they can have their own accounts on the tablet, so that they can’t a) buy stuff and b) log into all my stuff and cause mayhem.