Doodlecast for Kids is a new drawing app from zinc Roe and part of the Tickle Tap App series for kids. The main focal point of this app is that it is a fun and creative way for children to express themselves through art and voice. You see, Doodlecast for Kids is no ordinary drawing app. What it does differently is that it allows your child to record the entire picture making process as well as allowing them to record their voice at the same time. That means they can talk about the whole process of making their creation. It adds a real story behind the creation which is a really unique feature.

Doodlecast starts off with with a variety of different topics and emotions children can choose to draw about.  For example, if a child picks to draw something related to water, the app will ask them, “what’s in the water?” If they choose an emotion for example like happy, it’ll ask them “what makes you happy?” With these type of questions, your child will have a better idea of what to draw and be able to express it through drawing. They’ll also be able to record their voices as well so if they aren’t the best artists, they’ll still be able to express themselves through voice. This is the main feature of Doodlecast and one that sets it apart from others. They’ll be able to tell a story while they are drawing.

The tools used in Doodlecast are very simple though. They only provide you with a pallet of colors and there is not a way to create custom colors or even change the width of your lines. This is not a problem though in my opinion because this app isn’t meant to be a an all out creation tool. This is a basic tool to get children to be more creative and to express themselves. As such, I think keeping it simple is a big plus here.

You can save the creations your child makes as these get saved directly to your camera roll in your photo album. From here you can review them along with share them with others. If you’d like, you can also directly upload these to Youtube by setting up the Youtube connection from within Doodlecast.

Doodlecast for Kids is a welcome addition to any parent’s iDevice. Obviously drawing apps in my opinion function much better on the iPad due to its larger drawing surface. On the iPhone, it just feels really cramped trying to draw on it. Like I’ve said before with drawing apps too, you may want to invest in a decent stylus for it as I find drawing with a stylus much more natural feeling than using your fingers to draw. This also allows your child to practice their fine motor skills and it’s a skill they need to develop anyways for school. Doodlecast does function perfectly fine though using your fingers and young children will probably like using this method more than the stylus.

Doodlecast for Kids is available now in the App Store for $1.99. It is a universal app and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Description

Doodlecast is a unique drawing app that records your voice as you draw. You can then play back your drawing and even export it to share with friends.

The Doodlecast For Kids App comes with more than 20 drawing prompts – simple questions designed to give kids a starting point. Kids can choose from one of the prompts or start a drawing from scratch. The app records the entire drawing process along with audio from the microphone to create videos up to three minutes long. The videos are as fun to watch as they are to create and Doodlecast makes it easy to share them with friends and families.

The Doodlecast For Kids App is a fun creative activity, but it is also a valuable teaching aid. Families can use the app for everything from practicing counting and letters to talking about feelings.

“My boys love it: both the 3 year old and the 7 year old. I think the frames and the pre-suggested drawing suggestions are genius. This is one of your best… and that’s saying a lot!” – Barbara Chamberlin, Mom and Associate Professor, Learning Games Lab, New Mexico State University.

zinc Roe is a member of Moms With Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.
Recommended Age: 1-3,4-7
Categories: Art,Creative Play
Video: http://youtu.be/YxaqeUL6gJw

Doodlecast is part of the award-winning Tickle Tap Apps series and is designed for kids ages 3 and up.

[via App Store]