5 ways to turn your old iPad into a kid-friendly smart home gadget

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You can turn your old iPad into a smart home hub that works like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Karisa Langlo / CNET

With a new iPad Mini slated for this fall, are you thinking of picking up your old iPad? That old Apple tablet may be a few years old but still works fine. Should you sell it and invest the money in the latest and greatest for iPad? Or could you reuse it as a smart gadget for your kids that they could keep using after they buy the new iPad? (If you decide to sell, we’ve got a handy guide on the best places to sell your old gear.)

Here’s how to breathe new life into an old Apple tablet if you’re thinking about retiring your old iPad.

We also have ideas on what you can do with your old Android phone too (you can even turn it into a security camera). And here are some ideas for your kids going back to school.

Turn your iPad into a night light and sound machine

If your kids are starting to sleep alone and you want to create a peaceful sleep haven for them, your old iPad is up to the task. With an app like Baby Night Lite, you can set up a children’s room night light with a variety of small animals and colors along with a sound machine that comes with a variety of songs and white noises and ambient background sounds. And you can set a timer and create a playlist of quiet and relaxing music or lullabies. For older children who are beyond lullabies and dancing sheep, an app like Night Light Lite lets you choose from a variety of sounds, such as beach waves and flowing water, and night light colors. to help them fall asleep.

Make your iPad one more game console

Sony’s PS5 or Nintendo Switch may be on your kids’ list for holiday gifts, but for fun and variety, it’s hard to beat an iPad paired with Apple Arcade games, like NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition or The Oregon Trail. And if you have more kids in the house than play devices, converting that old iPad into a play device might just be the ticket.

Also, the iPad gives your kids a bigger screen to play multiplayer games. And you can even add a PlayStation or Xbox wireless controller to the iPad for your kids to play without hogging the TV or phone.

Convert your iPad into a kid-friendly smart home hub

You don’t need to buy Apple’s HomePod or HomePod Mini to put a smarter Apple speaker in your kid’s room.

You can turn your old iPad into a smart home hub that allows your kids to play music, turn lights on and off, and even control the temperature in their room with the tablet.

To turn your iPad into a smart home hub for your kid’s room:

1. On your iPad, go to Settings.

2. Scroll down, tap Home, and then turn on Use this iPad as a home hub.

If you want to give your kids control only over smart home devices in their room and not anywhere in the house, you can set limits on what they have access to in the Home app.

You can download learning apps to allow your child to use your old tablet as an educational tool.

Sarah Tew / CNET Use your iPad as a learning tool

With the new school year here, if your kids start hogging the home computer for homework, turning an iPad into a dedicated educational tool could be the perfect use for your old Apple tablet. You can even pair it with a keyboard and mouse to make the iPad look more like a computer.

If you’re worried about your child getting distracted with messages, games, alerts, and social media, you can use Apple’s parental controls to set limits and what they can and can’t do on the device.

To get started with running the school year, here are some apps that can help your kids study, track their day, and take notes.

Use your iPad as a baby monitor

Most baby monitor devices make it easy to control your little one from your phone or computer. But they are not cheap. Turning your old iPad into a baby monitor can be a cheaper way to keep track of your baby.

Baby monitoring apps like Cloud Baby Monitor can allow you to monitor your baby. You can also get motion and noise alerts, just like popular baby monitors – the Owlet Smart Sock Plus is very popular. Note that if you’re looking for a monitor that keeps an eye on your baby’s oxygen levels, temperature, and sleep quality, the iPad may not be the best choice.

If you’re still thinking about buying a new iPad, here’s our guide to the best iPads available right now and the big differences between them.And here’s what we know about Apple’s next big event if you’re shopping for other gadgets. Or if you’re thinking of keeping the old iPad, here’s what iOS 15 has in store.

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