Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical effects are a fun twist, but beware in-app buys.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Paint Sparkles Draw - my first colors HD !
What's It About?
The app opens to a blank page with toolbar of 20 crayons and an eraser at the bottom of the screen. When kids choose a color, a narrator says the color name. As kids finger draw across the canvas, each mark they make is accompanied by animated sparkles and sound effects. Kids tap the arrow to access additional paint tools including a bucket, brushes, rollers, stars, background colors, and coloring pages. Many of the optional tools and coloring pages are only available via in-app purchase. Kids can save creations to the device's photo album.
Is It Any Good?
PAINT SPARKLES DRAW - MY FIRST COLORS HD! would be a very standard coloring book app if not for the "magic wand" special effects. As you draw, your finger appears to release an array of glittering sparkles and emits a twinkling sound effect reminiscent of a cartoon wizard or fairy casting a spell. These may just be little bells and whistles, but you have to admit -- they're pretty cool. And they make the creative experience a whole lot more fun for kids.
Most kids may never need more than what comes with the free app, as you can endlessly draw and save your own pictures on the blank slate provided. Alas, the locked-up extra content, which you have to pay for separately, is sitting out there in the open for kids to see and covet. If you're going to spend any money on the app, though, might as well buy the "full unlock" for $3.99, because it would cost you over $10 to get all the picture packs individually.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Show your kids how to save their drawings to the device's photo album. Print out some of their creations to display and save.
Take your kids to an art store and look at all the colors available in pencils or paints. Look for words they learned on the app and introduce them to color names they don't know.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Arts : drawing , painting
- Skills : Creativity : imagination , making new creations
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : September 1, 2012
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : Kids Games Club
- Version : 5.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.3 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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