Although arts and crafts are a great way to encourage your child's creativity, they are often extremely time-consuming due to the necessary set-up and clean-up. Luckily for parents, technology has developed beyond the mess with these amazing iPad and iPhone apps, created to help your child learn and play in a safe, fun, and clean way!
If you want to encourage your petite Picasso without encouraging the mess, try out these iOS or iPadOS coloring apps developed specifically for children.
1. Baby Coloring Book for Kids
Baby Coloring Book for Kids is the perfect app for young artists and those just beginning their coloring journey. The drawings are extremely basic and result in easy and simple coloring book options for your child.
The app features over 135 coloring pages divided up into multiple categories such as animals, aliens, and princesses. The color options also include printed patterns, making this a fun and creative coloring app for you and your baby.
2. Disney Coloring World
If your child can’t get enough of Frozen but you can’t stand the idea of listening to “Let it Go” anymore, try downloading Disney Coloring World instead. This app gives your child access to hundreds of Disney drawings, including all of their favorite Disney princesses, Pixar characters, and more.
The app features many different color and pattern options. If your child gets bored of constant coloring, the app also includes an amazing sticker section, so you and your baby can have fun recreating all of their favorite scenes.
Disney Coloring World can also be used with the Apple Pencil, helping to teach your child additional dexterity.
3. Crayola Create and Play
Crayola has long been considered the king of children’s art supplies and it is no surprise that the Crayola Create and Play app is just as fun as the physical products. Crayola has many app options, but the Create and Play app is the ultimate Crayola coloring companion.
This app features actual Crayola products, such as their crayons and markers, so your child can feel as if they’re coloring in real life. With the Crayola Create and Play app, you can clean up that giant craft supplies area in your home, because all you need is in the app.
Your child can pick between classic coloring options, interactive worlds, and games. The entertainment is never-ending!
4. Joy Doodle: Movie Color & Draw
Growing up means moving beyond some of the basic coloring books that entertain toddlers and young children. Joy Doodle is a bright and exciting coloring app that features neon Color schemes and dark black backgrounds to create an intense and alternative color scheme.
This app features over 20 different brush styles adding an abundance of excitement to drawing. It doesn't feature pictures for coloring within the lines, but instead encourages you to doodle to encourage creativity.
After finishing a drawing, you can watch a movie of it being drawn over and over again.
5. Marvel Color Your Own
If your child dreams of being the next major superhero, let their creativity flow with the Marvel Color Your Own app. This app is filled with hundreds of Marvel designs featuring characters from the most popular movies and comics, such as Captain America, Spider-Man, and the entire Avengers team.
This app is compatible with the iPad and Apple Pencil, which means your child will be feeling like a true comic book artist with every brush stroke.
6. Pixel Art
Pixel Art is the perfect app to help keep kids entertained while waiting for an appointment. This app is extremely touch-sensitive, which is helpful when using your finger to paint by numbers.
This app features hundreds of designs for you to explore, covering everything from breakfast items to bears. It even includes some exciting 3D paint-by-number options to really bring your creation to life. Children will love the soothing feeling that comes from painting by numbers and the beautiful colors supplied by Pixel Art.
7. Toonia Colorbook
Toonia provides an extremely calm platform for your child’s coloring needs. The relaxing music and background ambiance pairs perfectly with the simple and beautiful coloring designs. The simple patterns and pictures make this the perfect app for assisting your baby in learning about colors and shapes.
The multi-touch sensor setting means that you and your baby can work together on one piece and feel accomplished in your work together. There are over 160 designs with over 100 colors to choose from, so you can try a new design multiple times.
8. Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets
Crayola has developed an incredibly creative way for your child to learn about colors and cleaning simultaneously. The Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets app is a very creative coloring game.
The free app allows your child to select one of 30 creatures to adopt. They can then color the animal to their heart's content, with different colors and effects. Once they’re done playing, it’s time to clean up!
The second part of the app includes washing down the new pet at the groomers before creating a new design! Once everyone is cleaned up, start over again and again!
Set Down the Screen
It’s incredible that children these days can play with arts and crafts and explore their creativity from anywhere at any time. All they need to do is open their parents' iPad or iPhone and suddenly every color and design imaginable is available at the tap of a finger.
But too much screen time can quickly become a problem, especially with such exciting apps and devices. If you’re looking to get your kids off the iPad and back in the real world, there are plenty of kid-friendly arts, crafts, and activities you can try out.