Scribble Press

Scribble Press was created by Scribble Press and is an app that allows your child to create a book or drawing and then share it with you or even everyone else. This app reminds me a bit of Doodlecast for Kids but for older kids. I loved Doodlecast - it's simple and encourages quality interactions with others. How does Scribble Press compare? Price: Free

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPad.Requires iOS 5.0 or later.


Developmental Appropriateness: This is a great app that engages kids in books, writing, and art - all in one. They can choose to create their own book from scratch or use one of the many templates that is more like mad libs where you fill in words in a pretty much scripted story. You can then draw pictures using hundreds of colors and types of tool options, take/upload a photo, and choose from an array of stickers. You can then save and print your creation and show it to your friends and family and even order a professionally bound copy or you can upload it to the gallery where other Scribble Press users can see it.

Overall, this is a fun and engaging app that I can see being used not just at home but in the classroom as well. Since I can see it being used in a more instructional kinda way, and since we are dealing with older kids, I do have a few suggestions to make it more "educational." With the mad libs type books, it could offer a spell check kinda function to help kids with their spelling. Right now, you can enter gibberish and it accepts it (not that it shouldn't be an option if kids want to be silly). Or it could even offer word options that range from appropriate to silly words, which could help target a younger audience. And maybe with the blank book, it could offer prompts about basic story writing like, think about characters, what's the beginning middle and end, etc. Rating: 4/5 (aim for around 7 years)


Balance: The overall design is fairly clean, and with all the color options, looks very pretty. There are enough drawing tools to satisfy an adult and perhaps even artists. I wonder though, if all the options may be overwhelming for kids. I would suggest for at least in the drawing only feature where younger kids could partake too, there could be a setting for a basic set of tools, and then advanced set of tools or settings by age group or something like that. While all the options are nice, especially for more serious and budding artists, so many options may be distracting for more casual young users. Rating: 4/5


Sustainability: Aside from the endless possibility of drawings and self-created books there are 50 book templates. The gallery that features books created by others can also be kinda like a library. So I think this is an app that's definitely got some life to it. Rating: 5/5


Parental Involvement: The sharing aspect of this app is great. What parent hasn't pinned up a drawing or creation by their kid on the refrigerator? With this app, you can do the same and more since it's digital too. It'd be cool if it also had a recording feature so the kids could read the story and you can send to a grandparent or someone and have that more personal feel to it. Also, my suggestion with the prompting with the blank book could help to engage the parents in the writing process. Since we're dealing with slightly older kids, it does take more effort to think of ways to get parents involved. Rating: 4/5


Total: 17 out of 20: 4 stars