 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Toontastic
Common Sense Media says
Create amazing multi-scene cartoons with musical scores.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Toontastic provides a stunningly easy way to create your own animated films. Kids choose the characters and setting for each scene, then just move the pieces around like they were playing with action figures, providing their own dialogue as the iPad records it all. They can then add a musical score with the appropriate emotional tone. The app doesn't just allow kids to make their own cartoons, it also teaches the fundamentals of storytelling. Be aware that kids can share their videos with the Toontastic community and enter them in film contests, so it's important that they do not reveal personal information in their videos.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about the art of storytelling and theater as they create their own puppet shows. Toontastic walks kids through the basics of the story arc (setup, conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution), letting them choose their scenery and characters or draw their own from scratch, then record their own dialogue and choose appropriate music. Toontastic is a wonderful creative outlet for kids to express themselves through a variety of art forms rolled into one package.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communicationmultiple forms of expression
- Creativityimagination, producing new content
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning
What's it about?
In Toontastic players create original animated cartoons by choosing the characters and settings (either from templates or by drawing their own from scratch), posing and moving the characters around by dragging them around the screen, recording dialogue using the iPad's built-in microphone, and selecting an appropriate musical background. Kids can share their videos and watch other kids' creations through the Toontastic online community.
Is it any good?
TOONTASTIC is brilliant in so many ways. It's a wonderful teaching tool, in that it clearly and concisely explains the fundamentals of storytelling (character, setting, story arc, etc.). And it's remarkably easy to create your own cartoons with it. The app allows kids to "animate" their characters by simply shuffling them around with their fingertips as they naturally would when playing with, say, paper dolls. The iPad records all the movements -- and all the character voices and narration that kids provide as they play -- and plays it back to us like a real animated film. Even the way the app lets you provide a musical score is genius: Kids can choose the emotions they want to convey (by picking the appropriate facial expression icon) and hear music that fits. And the final products can look really great. An update to the original release gave kids the welcome ability to save and re-use their custom-created characters and settings in multiple scenes. The number of characters and settings keeps expanding with the addition of themed scene packs -- though such packs much be purchased for an additional $.99 each.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about the art of storytelling and theater as they create their own puppet shows. Toontastic walks kids through the basics of the story arc (setup, conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution), letting them choose their scenery and characters or draw their own from scratch, then record their own dialogue and choose appropriate music. Toontastic is a wonderful creative outlet for kids to express themselves through a variety of art forms rolled into one package.
Subjects
- Arts: drawing, theater
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading: storytelling
- Math:
- Science:
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication: multiple forms of expression
- Creativity: imagination, producing new content
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning:
How kids will learn
Toontastic is a fantastic outlet for kids to let their imagination and creativity shine. The app is not only fun and engaging, but also teaches kids the fundamentals of storytelling in a way that can be applied to other creative pursuits like writing short stories or film scripts. Kids can share finished videos with other kids on the "ToonTube" network, and parents and teachers can check out the app's supplemental material, which contains expanded explanations and discussion questions.
How parents can help
- Explore other works of literature and analyze how the plot follows the basic story arc (setup through to resolution).
- Attend a live puppet show or theater performance with your child and talk about the story arc afterward.
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| Category: | Education |
| Platforms: | iPad |
| Price: | $1.99 |
| Size: | 176.00 MB |
| Publisher: | Launchpad Toys |
| Version: | 1.40 |
| Release date: | November 2, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.3 or later |
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