Parents' Guide to Google Keep - Notes and lists

If your digital life is highly tied to the Google environment, this is the note-taking, jot-it-down-quick tool for you and your family. The interface is gorgeous: It's convenient to see all your notes, images, and to-do lists at a glance as a series of colored tiles, and the design makes reviewing your grocery list almost like viewing a Pinterest board. Google Keep is deceptively simple; it's only when you continue to drill down that you discover remarkable features, such as the "grab text from image" feature and the location-based or time-based reminder features. Once you've made a note, you can change its color or add a label; either way, you can customize how you choose to stay organized. You also can copy your note within the tool or convert it instantly to a Google Doc. As you might expect from a Google product, the search features also are stellar: When you remove a note, it's archived by default, so it's still searchable and easily retrieved if you need it later, and you can search by text or by note color.

Though these features are exceptional and powerful, they're not instantly clear or intuitive, making this a better fit for adult users than for kids. The built-in notes that list tips for easy use are a big help, but younger users who haven't honed their organizational skills might miss the tool's powerful potential. However, with helpful scaffolding and the right devices in place, this also could be a great tool for kids who are learning how to get organized.