Nick Stepka had the perfect gift for his daughter's 3rd birthday. It wasn't a toy or a doll.

He gave her a tablet.

Nick didn't get his daughter an iPad, though. Instead, he got her a tablet designed just for kids.

The tablet was loaded with kids' apps and games. He didn't need to worry she'd break it. It came with a purple case to protect it.

"Her eyes lit up when she opened it," said Stepka. "Everything else got put to the side."

Watching TV Shows

These days, more and more kids are using tablets. Regular toys aren't enough.

That's the reason Jim Mitchell started Fuhu. The company makes tablets for kids ages 3 to 14.

"We were tired of giving our kids the iPad," Mitchell said. "They wanted to play with all the games." The iPad would "come back all smudged." Or "if they dropped it," it would break.

Fuhu now makes tablets for kids. The devices are called Nabi. They cost between $100 and $300.

Kids can use the tablets to watch TV shows and movies. They also can play games on them. And they can use them to go on the Web. But they can only view things their parents allow.

Fuhu is working on a new tablet, called the DreamTab. This was built together with DreamWorks Animation. That company has made many popular movies.

Learning While Playing

The DreamTab will be released this month.

The DreamTab comes with lots of videos and games. These are based on popular DreamWorks movies.

Among those movies are some very big hits: "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar."

DreamTab isn't just about fun, though: It's also about learning. For example, it can teach kids how to draw. It can also show them how to put together books or videos.

Stepka doesn't plan to switch to the new DreamTab: He already owns six Nabi tablets.

His children certainly use the tablets to have fun, he said. But the most important thing to him is that they learn.

"We don't want the tablets to raise our kids for us," he said. "But I don't want them to miss out," he said. Kids should be able to use tablets to teach themselves.]]>