Writing tablet — 8.5 inch, pack of two

A pad that draws in colour and wipes itself clean with one button. Two of them, so the second child is not waiting, and a pen tied on so neither goes missing.

What it builds

• Pencil control, because the line thickens when they press harder and thins when they ease off
• Letter and number practice with no cost to a mistake — one press and the page is blank again
• Drawing stamina, since nothing has to be saved, cleared up or thrown away
• Quiet on its own, which is what it is for in a car, a waiting room or a restaurant

Why we stock it

Parents buy these to replace a tablet, so the point is what it cannot do. There is no wifi, no camera, no sound, no next thing to unlock. A child picks it up, draws, presses erase and draws again, and nobody has to negotiate about how long they have had it.

The details

Age

3 and up

Contents

2 tablets, pink and blue

Screen

8.5 inch, colour on black

Pen

Tethered, one per tablet

Erase

One button, about a second

Power

Coin cell, replaceable. No charging.

Carry

Slot in the frame for a bag strap

In the box

Two tablets with the batteries already in and the pens already tied on. Nothing to charge before they can start, and no app.

Care

Wipe the screen with a dry cloth. Keep it away from water and away from anything with a point — a pencil or a fork scratches the surface and the scratch stays. Draw with the pen, a fingernail or the back of a spoon.