Have you registered the device yet? (the ipad anyway)...
It should give you step by step instructions to set up a password to log on/access the device. Once you have done that, you can go into the gear icon (general settings) and find all kinds of goodies that you can set.
Starting with a password for purchases in the app store/itunes store. Also, you'll want to toggle off the "in app purchases". For purchasing apps, there is a small description available for each one that will tell you what ages it is appropriate for. You can choose to download them or not. For browsing (Safari)... go to the controls for Safari (under your gear/general control settings--it's not in the safari app itself) and you will have options for the types of "restrictions" you want to apply. There is a "restrictions" password also that you will need to set up. This will limit the websites they can access depending upon the settings you choose.
My kids are 13 and 16 and still must ask me to input the password before purchases music or apps. They bring me their device and I will look at the rating for the item (if it's music it will indicate if there is "explicit" language) and make the actual "purchase" myself. (many apps are free, but you still have to input the password and choose to download it).
It is really quite user friendly. As for the laptop... is it an Apple product or something else?