We love the iPAD and the numerous learning apps we have for our little one. My toddler loves drawing and coloring apps and at almost two years of age, he has even started tracing some letters. I like the drawing and doodling apps on the iPAD because it allows kids to have fun and we don’t have to worry about printing or wasting papers. However I was wishing there was a little pen he can use on the iPAD, as drawing with a finger is not the same as drawing with a pen. Young children seem to not get enough practice with their finger muscles.
Recently, we found the product iCrayon from a company called thumbsUp. It is a kid friendly stylus pen that looks and feels like a big crayon, but allows you to use it on iPADs, tablets, smart phones, and other touch screen devices.
It is a fun product, and encourages hand eye coordination by giving children the opportunity to use a writing utensil on their tablet instead of just using their fingers. The iCrayon comes in 7 bright and vibrant colors: red, yellow, green, black, blue, pink, and orange. The size is perfect for the little hands to grab.
The end is made of soft, squishy rubber, while the body is firm and easy for little hands to grip. Using the iCrayon is a great way to keep finger prints off your screen and also great in cold weather when you or your child are wearing gloves. This product is great for all ages as soon as a child shows interest in coloring/writing. Be cautious with the younger crowd because it could be a choking hazard for those under 3 years, but from experience my 1.5 year old loves coloring and drawing with it on our iPad.
This product is great for drawing apps, handwriting apps, or any app that involves a lot of finger movement. Here are some that I have enjoyed and personally recommend:
Gappy’s Mystery Letters – draw and trace letters, coloring pages, and free hand drawing
123 Tracing – draw and trace numbers
Scribble My Story – free hand drawing, book and story creating
Drawing Pad – a hand drawing app
Kids Coloring Doodle – coloring pages
ABC Coloring Book – alphabet coloring pages
iCrayon is available on Amazon. This product link below (click on the iCrayon image) leads you to the one sold by the company thumbsUp for $9.99. There are other re-sellers selling the same product as well.
If you would like to check it out or purchase it, please use the App Store link provided below. The cost is the same to you, but iGameMom gets a small percentage. Thanks for your support!
Today’s app is reviewed by Daisy Simpson. Daisy is a proud mom to an active toddler and works part-time in a hospital where she utilizes technology in her work with helping kids cope in the medical setting. Her family loves being outdoors experiencing all Minnesota has to offer.
Good to know! I know a lot of parents would be interested in this. Thanks for linking up with us!
Finger muscle strength has been my concern since my son started using iPAD. I tried other stylus, but typical ones in the market are hard for kids to grab. I am really happy to find this one.
That’s definitely something to have if one hopes to teach a child writing with tablets. Thanks for sharing this review with Afterschool.
I would encourage kids use a stylus designed for kids whenever they doddles on tablets. If they don’t, they are going to lose a lot pencil time, thus lose the muscle strength they need for proper handwriting.