Ipad for Kids?

Yes, you can disable the internet by putting it in "Airplane Mode," and you can set restrictions on pretty much everything. When I hand my kids my iPad I have You Tube and the App Store off. I set the restrictions for what they can watch on iTunes. They don't even see that we have non-kid movies on there. They just see what I've enabled for them. The restrictions are password protected, but Airplane Mode can be switched back on easily.

The iPads and iPods have a "restrictions" setting.

First, you set a numerical password on the settings so your child can't go in and change the settings. Then you can turn off internet, YouTube, iTunes Store and set age restrictions on the music and movies that can be played. Basically when you turn off the internet, the app Safari disappears so it's not even possible to get on the internet. When you turn off YouTube the app disappears so you can't even get on if you tried. When you turn off iTunes then the app disappears so your child can't accidentally go on and buy something.

You can set age restrictions on the songs and movies as well.

My daughter has an iPod and we don't allow her to surf the internet on it or watch YouTube videos. She can do that on her computer when she's right next to us. One bad click and it's bad news!

My husband also got the Otterbox for his iPad and it's great! It's so heavy duty that dropping it won't break it, and there's a heavy screen protector so it can't get scratched.

Have fun!

The setting allows you to track down their history.

I suggest you download apps the are appealing and safe for your daughter.
If you're really concerned you can always code lock the iPad so you can monitor her while she's using.

My daughter got hers at 8 and our 6 y/o uses it too. They've never so far used it to browse the internet. They usually go to our main computer for that.

If you choose to not give them access to your wifi then every time you have to load an app you have to enter and delta your pw.

We have an iPad.
It is a "family" iPad.
Meaning, we did not buy it FOR the kids, but for all of us.
It was initially my Husbands but we all use it. My kids included.
They are 6 and 10 years old.

So, my suggestion is: if you buy it, do not buy it FOR your child. Buy it as a FAMILY purchase. And your daughter thus has rules about it.

My kids' school, uses iPads as well. MANY schools, both public and private, do. It is not unusual.

Our iPad is the 1st generation.
And it is just as good as the newer versions.

Your daughter is 8.
At my kids' school, even for Kindergarteners, they have computer classes. AND they do an annual cyber safety workshop for all grade levels that is taught... by a Police Officer from Cyber crimes. AND as parents, we teach our kids too. We are a tech family.
My kids, understand the rules.
IF you make it a FAMILY iPad... then it takes away the autonomy of the device, from the child and puts it under family rules. It not being, ONLY her, iPad.
DO NOT allow her, to download things, without your approval or help.
And certainly do not allow her to "buy" apps.... without your prior approval. EVERYTHING my kids do on ours, they ask first. And if they want an app... they ask us FIRST. We have no problems with our kids, mis-using it.
We tell them the rules on it, plainly.

Our kids, know how to use it, better than me even.
But we have no problems with them, mishandling it.
They always, ask us first, for permission with anything.
My kids, know, not to surf the net.
They know, not to go on YouTube etc.
My daughter who is 10, however, knows how to Google search, and she does this for school assignments. She is in 5th grade. BUT... again, she always asks us first. And my kids use it, right in front of us. NOTHING is private. They are only kids. They know whatever they do on it, is up to us and privy to us.

My kids watch Netflix on it. And it is fine. Why?
Because, my kids always ask us first, if they are allowed to watch whatever they are wanting to watch. And they listen.
They are not sneaky. They are honest about it.
They have good impulse control about it.
But, they are not allowed to surf the net, on it.
Only my daughter, who ONLY does so, for school assignments. But she does not surf and cruise the net. She only looks up, what she needs to, per school assignments. And she knows what is appropriate or not.

We are all on WiFi. Each apparatus.
We have the iPad, our computers, and Nook HD's in the house.
And it is, fine.
Our kids are very responsible about it.
And they are not hooked on it.

*One tip: IF you all have Apple computers etc. then the iPad, it can all be easily managed and synced together. But if the iPad is the only "apple" product in the house then I don't know that you can do this.
We have all, Mac computers and apple products in the house. Hence, we as parents can manage all the devices and sync it all and with the iPad.

Also: My kids are NOT allowed, to take it to school.

I agree that you have to be very careful with YouTube. Something innocent can turn very adult in two clicks. I always monitor my daughter if she wants to see something on You Tube.

We have family (MY) Ipad and the boys my husband included have Ipods. But the Ipad is used by all. They all have parental controls on them. You can disable internet on them. I would get it like some of the others said for your family that way it's not just hers. A lot of schools use them. My kids school uses them and they have said they can use their personal one if we want. I don't want them to take their Ipods to school cause if something happends to them we are screwed. But it would not be bad for her to get used to how they work.

If she has it at school does she really need one at home? If you get it, I would buy it for myself and husband. She could use it when necessary.

My ten year old son has an ipod. If we didn't want him on the internet we just wouldn't give him our wifi password. We allow him to use the internet, but he has taken internet safety at school. The ipod itself is registered to me, so if he wants to download an app he has to come to me to put in my password.