DreamWorks has partnered with Fuhu, the company responsible for the Nabi line of tablets, to produce an Android tablet for kids. The 8-inch Dreamtab will cost "under $300," according to the New York Times, and will feature regularly updated original content based on DreamWorks characters. The content will be tailored for tablets, and will automatically arrive on Dreamtabs ready for consumption. Unlike many mobile games based on movies and TV, the content isn't being created by a third party, but instead is being produced in-house.

Shrek could show up to tell kids to turn off their tablet

An example of the sort of content on offer is provided by DreamWorks animation producer Nancy Bernstein, who is creating a series of "character moments" for the Dreamtab. These moments will feature characters from DreamWorks franchises in the context of on-tablet events; one example laid out by Bernstein involves Shrek characters performing a skit telling a child to turn off their tablet in time with a parental timing lock. There'll also be drawing lessons from DreamWorks animators; the New York Times reports the tablet will come with "the same stylus technology that DreamWorks artists use to make movies" to allow kids to draw along. It's unclear if that means a Wacom stylus will be included or available as an optional accessory, but we've reached out to Fuhu for clarification. When it's not drip-feeding kids DreamWorks branding, the tablet will act like any other; in "parent mode," the tablet "provides roughly the same computing power as an iPad." the companies say.

The door is open for 'Disney Infinity'-like toy integration

Fuhu and DreamWorks have also left the door open for integration with branded toys. The Dreamtab could be paired with an action figure to unlock themed games on the tablet. Games that tie in with physical toys like Skylanders and Disney Infinity are a lucrative market that DreamWorks has yet to tap into. There aren't any details about when such integration might arrive. The 8-inch Dreamtab will arrive this spring alongside a range of accessories including DreamWorks branded headphones, bumpers, and cases. A version with a 12-inch display is apparently also on the way.