Technophobe here…we tend to cart around our laptop but the battery doesn’t last long, he hits the keys and it’s generally a pain.

Is there an easier thing to take around with us for him to watch cartoons on? How do we download content for it? Or is it best to buy dvds etc? I’ve no idea at all, please help!

A television?

Where are taking it?

Think car journeys, appointments, etc.

Look out of the window? </stw>

Some form of cheap tablet would probably suffice. There’s any number of ways of getting free content to it, though most aren’t legal. How are you feeding the laptop currently?

We have used an iPad with a big bouncy style case with handles so it can survive knocks and drops

Use an app called Video Download or something similar. Have recorded all sorts of youtube videos for them

our car came with dvd players in the back of the seats but I’ve also seen ipad holders that loop over seats to do the same. and it does seem to keep them occupied even tho I am not a big fan of TVs in cars. The question is connectivity for ipads or tablets and downloading content, if you have free data then youtube has lots of cartoons and you can connect to baby tv that way. if not iplayer and babytv both let you download stuff to watch later.

Cougar – Moderator
Look out of the window? </stw>

Some form of cheap tablet would probably suffice. There’s any number of ways of getting free content to it, though most aren’t legal. How are you feeding the laptop currently?

Have you got kids? Have you tried to meet someone to discuss whatever might be important for more than 3 minutes with a 2 year old on the side?

Cheers Ben. So does that app simply convert youtube videos to a file that you can open any time?

Yep, I’m sure there’s some sort of legal issue with it but I’m merrily burying my head in the sand

The kids (coming up to 5 and 4 soon) know how to choose what they want to watch. It’s arranged in folders e.g. one for cartoons, one for trains (my son is a train nut)

The case is fantastic, iPad has been dropped and the case protects it brilliantly, looks like this

Also bought a screen protector for it

Even better than programmes are the apps that are available and the kids now love – CBeebies, Ben and Holly, Peppa Pig, Lego etc etc

You will have to brace yourself for the price of the iPad, but we’re an Apple device household so the way it syncs with everything else means it’s just a useful thing to have around

Get an Amazon Fire for Kids and if/when it gets broken, they will replace for free, no questions asked for 2 years.

Ipad mini.
BBC Iplayer, All 4 and Sky Go(for a fee) and some of the other catch up apps allow you to download shows to watch offline.

Also, buy yourself the biggest phone you can live with.
Ideal for those unexpected moments where you need a distraction.

People will look and scowl when you’re pushing a supermarket trolley with a toddler sat inside it watching CBeebies on a phone, but not as much as they do when the toddler is thrashing on the floor mid tantrum.

I got a cheap Amazon fire tablet and downloaded kids iplayer.

The kids iplayer app limits what they can access and allows downloading of all cbeebies favourites for offline usage.

cheap Amazon fire tablet

We have one…

and downloaded kids iplayer.

…but didn’t know of such a thing.

I do now.

STW is awesome once more.

Have you got kids? Have you tried to meet someone to discuss whatever might be important for more than 3 minutes with a 2 year old on the side?

yes, and yes. it is normal, people are used to it… its called life.

dont condition children to watching the box early on – you will regret it.

of course its not easy, but neither is being a parent..

Johndoh has it, perfect for kids of the wee ones age Dan, and free crash replacements!

a 2nd hand tesco hudl with vlc player on accompanied by torrent client tixati and a relavant site. many a car journey done with ours.

Cheap Windows tablet. Easy to put content on with a USB stick, simpler than with Android, much, much simpler than with iTunes. You can set up a kid’s user account that you can monitor. I use the Plex app to play media, it makes it easy for kids to find the stuff they like and restarts each video from the point where you last stopped watching. The Fresh Paint app is excellent for kids too.

scotia – Member
Have you got kids? Have you tried to meet someone to discuss whatever might be important for more than 3 minutes with a 2 year old on the side?
yes, and yes. it is normal, people are used to it… its called life.

dont condition children to watching the box early on – you will regret it.

of course its not easy, but neither is being a parent..

POSTED 42 MINUTES AGO # R

Wouldn’t be STW without people like you. Try to focus on the topic please. 🙂

I think an amazon fire is winning. I don’t have the time or inclination to set things up, so I really want it as simple as possible.

Any good sources for youtube videos then? I hate the american ones we always end up with. ABCkidz, hooplakids, mother goose etc.