My kid set a passcode on the iPad and doesn't know it. Now what? My 7-year-old daughter mistakenly set a 4-digit passcode on the iPad and doesn't remember what it is. Now it is locked and useless. What are my options to recover it (if any)?

The answers I have seen online all say to "connect it to the PC or Laptop that you usually synch with for iTunes". But I never used iTunes. I never synched it with a PC or Laptop. When I just connected it to my MacBook Pro, I got the following message:
Put your iPad into recovery mode by pressing home and power button simultaneously. When your iPad turns into recovery mode, connect it to your PC or laptop.  Then your iTunes will display  a dialogue box stating that your device is in recovery mode. Click OK.
Then you can restore your device via iTunes.