If you lost your iPad, you can find it through your iCloud account if you have that option turned on. To make sure this tracking device is on, choose Settings>Mail>Contacts & Calendars and choose your iCloud account and make sure “Find My iPad” is turned on. Then, when you need to locate your iPad, you can access your iCloud account from any computer or other internet capable device and click on the iPhone app (Yes, iPhone even though you are looking for your iPad because that is how it shows up in iCloud). If you don’t see the iPhone icon, then choose the cloud in the upper left hand corner of the iCloud webpage. This will allow you to see where your iPad is located if it is turned on and is in the coverage area.
If you can’t see where your iPad is located, you can still send a message in case anyone finds it so they know how to contact you to return it. For this, choose Display Message and create a message that will appear on the home screen of your iPad. You can also sound an alarm so your iPad will make a noise for two minutes even if the volume is turned off. To do this, choose “Play Sounds”.
If you believe your iPad has been stolen, choose “Wipe” in iCloud to remove all your saved information. If you do retrieve your iPad, you can re-sync your private information after you have it back in your possession.
Resource: Dummies