Doodlecast for Kids

Record your voice as you draw, then play back your animated sketch

Grade: A- | Age rating: 3+| Price: $1.99

Doodlecast for Kids for the iPad and iPhone lets kids bring their artwork to life.  They narrate as they draw, then play the animated sketch back as a video — it’s ingenious!

The app starts kids with a series of 20 drawing prompts, which include themes (fast, yucky, messy, loud) and elements (water, park, mouth).  Kids draw with their fingers.  Then, things get interesting.

As your child is drawing, she can narrate.  Like this:  “The big…  angry… orange… dinosaur… in the flower hat… ATE MY DAD!”  The app records both the drawing sequence and the child’s voice, and the video playbacks (which can be exported) are priceless.

Why we like it:
It’s creative.  It’s unique.  It’s got the potential to be really, really funny (you should see my 9 and 12-year-old kids dueling with this app.  It’s a wonder they haven’t broken our iPad in their efforts to outdo each other.)

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We tested version 1.2, which is compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Requires IOS 4.3 or later.  Developer: zinc Roe Inc. Read our disclosure policy.

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Cartolina

Easy e-cards with a Victorian ephemera flavor

Grade: B+ | Age rating: 6+ | Price:$1.99

Cartolina for the iPhone (works on the iPad too, but isn’t optimized for the larger screen size) lets you create quick and easy e-cards and send them via email or text message.

Kids as young as 6 can browse the collection of 18 “cards” that come included with the initial purchase, choose one, type in a message, and send.  So much nicer than a plain email or text and easier than a hand-written thank you card.

Why we like it:

The Facebook wall post has become the accepted mode of wishing friends a happy birthday.  Fine.  But what should you do about people who (gasp!)  still refuse to participate in social media?  Hit them with a custom e-card from Cartolina, of course.  Well worth the $2 if you ask us.

If kids are using this app, make sure you have in-app purchases turned off.  Otherwise you could wind up owning another lovely card collection without meaning to.

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We tested version 2.1, which is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires IOS 4.0 or later.  Developer Cartolina. Read our disclosure policy.

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PlayTime Theater [Update]

The portable puppet show theater for the iPad gets even better

Grade: A+ | Age rating: 5+| Price: $2.99

PlayTime Theater is a completely customizable, interactive castle play set that gives kids characters, props, and sound effects and invites them to create and record short shows.

When we first reviewed this truly innovative app, we gave it a rare A+ despite a few notable flaws (namely some crashing and freezing and no ability to save work).  All fixed now!

If you haven’t downloaded this amazing app, you should.  Right now.

What we like:

After watching a short tutorial video (an essential step, trust us), kids are ready for their directorial debut.   After getting the hang of things in rehearsal mode, they go “backstage” to add props, costumes, supporting characters, and sound effects to the below-stage button bar.  Then they’re ready to record.

To bring their story to life, they move the characters around the screen and activate props  by touching and swiping them.  At the same time, they’re speaking dialogue, adding sound effects, and being recorded.

In playback mode, the curtain rises on your child’s creation.   It’s delightful!

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We tested version 1.1, which is compatible with the iPad. Requires IOS 4.2 or later.  Developer Make Believe Worlds, LLC. Read our disclosure policy.

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SketchMoo2

A super-simple drawing app for the youngest artists

Grade: B+| Age rating: 1+| Price: $0.99

SketchMoo2 has just proven something that I always suspected about drawing apps: they don’t have to be complicated to be fun.

I’ve always been bewildered by the array of color, tool, and background choices that seem to come standard on all art apps.  I guess I’m not the only one.

What We Liked:
Just like the classic sand-filled etching toys of your youth, this one is dead simple to use.  Draw with your finger.  Erase with the sliding bar.  Repeat.  There are no options to confuse young artists, and in this case, that’s a good thing.

Even older kids will like playing Tic Tac Toe and Dots and Boxes while waiting for restaurant meals, doctor’s appointments, and airplanes.

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We tested version 1.1, which is compatible with both the iPhone and the iPad.  Developer Mooofka Ltd.  Read our disclosure policy.

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PlayTime Theater

An amazing portable puppet show theater for the iPad

Grade: A+ | Age rating: 5+| Price: $2.99

PlayTime Theater is a customizable, interactive castle play set that gives kids characters, props, and sound effects and invites them to create and record short shows.

This truly innovative app delivers what so many others promise (but don’t quite deliver): free play.

In a crowded field, this app stands out as the single best use of touch-screen technology that we’ve ever seen for kids.

What’s Hot:
After watching a short tutorial video (an essential step, trust us), kids are ready for their directorial debut.   After getting the hang of things in rehearsal mode, they go “backstage” to add props, costumes, supporting characters, and sound effects to the below-stage button bar.  Then they’re ready to record. Read more…

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Story Patch

Got a kid with a big imagination?  Get this build-your-own story iPad app

Grade: B+ | Age rating: 4+ | Price: $4.99

Story Patch is a five-dollar app, which might seem expensive at first.  Trust me though, if your kids love to tell funny and original stories, it’s a bargain at twice that price.

Kids can either start with one of the pre-loaded theme (my birthday, a trip to the zoo, saving the world, and so on) or write a story without any help at all.  The first option is a much lower time commitment.

What’s Hot:
My 11-year-old daughter cracked herself up for hours and hours with this app.   The screenshot below is from her masterpiece, “Me So Prettiful.”   I seriously thought she was going to wet her pants when she was writing it.

The story-building prompts in the pre-loaded theme mode are great.  Answer all the questions and this app automatically writes your story for you.  You can then edit the text or get straight to the fun part:  illustrating! Read more…

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Animal Creator

Make never before seen (or heard!) animals on your iPad

Grade: B+ | Age rating: 4+ | Price: $0.99

Animal Creator is a fun, unique make-your-own-animal app for the iPad.  Kids choose animal parts from the library (shark, cat, butterfly, llama, dolphin and so on) then color them and place them on diverse backgrounds.

What’s Hot:
As you can imagine, my kids try a lot of apps and they aren’t easily impressed.  They liked Animal Creator right away.  Once you choose animal parts for the four quadrants (cat, dolphin, bird, octopus in my case), the app names your creation: Tweetiepus Whiskers Fin. Read more…

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Cake Doodle

Make yummy-looking virtual cakes on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Grade: A- | Age rating: 4+ | Price: $0.99

Cake Doodle is a fun, creative app that lets you bake and decorate all kinds of delicious confections without the mess or calories!

Choose from eight cake flavors, twelve cake styles, 49 frosting colors, and 71 cake toppers.  Do you see now why this is so darn fun?

What’s Hot:
Cracking the eggs, slicing the butter, and stirring with your fingers.   You’re really only limited by your imagination when it comes to these cakes.  Also?  The short baking time is a definite plus. Read more…

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