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| Scribble Lite (Age 1+) | |||||||||||
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| Scribble (Age 1+) | |||||||||||
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“Scribble Lite” is a popular drawing program, that has reached high rankings at times in the free apps section of the store. There is also a paid version without ads. I was looking for drawing programs for Big-T (3yo), but I find that Little-J (1yo) also quite likes this app. His fidgety little fingers can make marks which he finds fascenating. Big-T is able to use the controls pretty well – better than I thought he would.
This app is pretty simple. Its not rocket science. There are also quite a few other drawing programs around (some of which I plan to review in the future). But I think this app has been popular for good reason – its simple to use. This makes it particularly good for little fingers. My boys are not at the stage they can draw real pictures using the app. But they can have fun and experiment with colors.
The Application
You can choose a background color (wipes the screen), pen color, and pen diameter. You can then make marks on the screen, drawing lines etc. You can also bring up photos and doodle over the top of them. If you do a great drawing, you can save it to the camera roll for permanent storage. To change color, pen size etc, you touch a little icon at the bottom of the page and a list of choices pops up. Touch again and the choices disappear. Avoids the need for a separate screen to adjust settings.
The Good
- The app has a single mode – drawing. Some apps you have to switch between modes to use the app, which makes them more complex to drive. This single mode of operation is why I have said its usable by 1 year olds onwards. Little-J cannot chose the pen color by himself (motor skills not good enough yet), but he can touch and have marks appear. He thinks its wonderful.
- The controls are always visible, but can expand (when used) and then shrink back out of the way later.
- There is a free version to try, buying the full version if the ads annoy you too much.
The Bad
- The app is pretty elementary. However this may actually be a positive rather than a negative. Simple app = simple to use.
- Drawing over photos has not been useful to date. Maybe when the boys are older. For very young children I would be happy to see this feature go.
Educational Value
This app is a drawing program. It does not try to teach anything, but rather allows your child to experiment, draw, and be creative. Thus this app can help your child develop. Bonus: no messy paint or pens etc to clean up afterwards!
My Score
4 stars. Its a good little app accessible from a really young age. Its pretty simple. I almost gave it a lower score because of its lack of functionality. However, I don’t think more functionality necessarily makes an app better. So I give this app a score of 4 because it does what it does well. It does allow little ones to experiment and draw. So while possibly simpler than other 4+ star apps, I don’t think that is a reason for its score to suffer.
Get it in iTunes
More information, screen shots, and user reviews can be found in the iTunes store.
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