re: iPad Mini vs Kindle Fire HD Kids (for my daughter)

Be careful with that baby's use of the ipad(electronics in general) it was hell taking it away from him when he was four because he had grown a serious addiction to it. He knows now that he only gets to "play iPad" on long road trips.

Why not try a leappad? The educational apps are pretty good and it forces them to learn and use a stylus as well as touch. You can log in to see their progress and mastery of skills in reading, writing, etc. An added bonus is that because the games are geared towards learning, a young child's attention span won't have them staying on it for long stretches of time but it's just fun enough to keep them focused on a lesson long enough to build skills (if that makes sense)