Yes, You Can Turn an Old iPad Into a Baby Monitor or Smart Hub

Apple's new iPad Air, which was announced at last week's "Peek Performance" event, is available for preorder and will be in stores soon. If you're itching to get your hands on the latest Apple tablet, you may be wondering what you can do with that old iPad. Yes, you can sell it or trade it in for some extra cash to cover the cost of the shiny, new iPad. But, there may be a better option -- especially for your kids.

There are plenty of ways to recycle your old iPad for your kids to use. You can download the latest iPadOS to give them a few new iPad perks for free, or you can use it as a smart hub that's similar to an Echo Show or Google Nest Hub. You can even turn it into a new baby monitor (more below). Interested? We'll show you how.

We also have ideas for what you can do with your old Android phone (maybe turn it into a security camera).

Turn it into a smart hub and use Apple's HomeKit

You don't need to buy Apple's HomePod or HomePod Mini to put an Apple smarter speaker in your kids' room.

You can turn your old iPad into a smart home hub that lets your kids play music, turn the 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 kids' room:

1. On your iPad, go to Settings.

2. Scroll down, tap Home and then toggle on Use this iPad as a Home Hub.

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

A smart baby monitor for much cheaper

Most baby monitors make it easy to check on your little one from your phone or computer. But they aren't cheap. Turning your old iPad into a baby monitor can be a more affordable way to keep track of your baby.

Baby monitor apps like Cloud Baby Monitor can let you check in on your kid. You can also get motion and noise alerts, just like from popular baby monitors. Note that if you're looking for a monitor that keeps an eye on your baby's oxygen levels, temperature and sleep quality, an iPad won't do that for you.

A soothing night light and sound machine

If your kids are starting to sleep on their own and you want to create a serene sleep haven for them, your old iPad is up to the task. With an app like Baby Night Lite, you can set up a night light for the kids' room with a variety of small animals and colors along with a sound machine that comes with a variety of songs and white noise and ambient background sounds. And you can set a timer and create a playlist of peaceful, soothing music or lullabies. For older kids who are beyond lullabies and dancing sheep, an app like Night Light Lite lets you pick from a variety of sounds, such as beach waves and running water, and night light colors to help them get to sleep.

A new gaming console and features with iPadOS 15

Sony's PS5 or the Nintendo Switch might be on your kids' shortlist for holiday gifts. But the iPadOS 15 has a few widgets to improve gaming, including a Continue Playing feature to pick up where you left off and a widget that lets you see what games your friends are playing.

And for fun and variety, it's hard to beat an iPad paired with Apple Arcade games, such as NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition or The Oregon Trail. And if you have more kids in the home than gaming devices, converting that old iPad into a gaming device may be just the ticket.

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

An educational tool with learning games and apps

If your kids are going to start needing the home computer for their schoolwork, turning an iPad into a dedicated educational tool may be the perfect use for your older Apple tablet. You can even pair it up with a keyboard and a mouse to make the iPad feel more like a computer. Plus, the new iPad update comes with a Split View so you can take notes and watch a video or use an app, making that old iPad even more useful.

If you're worried about your kid becoming distracted by 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. You can also use Focus mode to silence any notifications, distractions and create a screen that only shows the apps you choose.

To stay ahead this school year, here are a few apps that can help your kids study, keep track of their day and take notes.

If you're still leaning toward getting a new iPad, here's our guide to the best iPads available right now and the big differences between them. And there may be a new iPad Pro coming soon, too.