Coloring Games: Color & Paint

Colouring on a screen has one clear advantage over paper and one clear disadvantage, and this app is built with both in mind. The advantage is that nothing runs out, nothing stains a carpet, and a mistake is undone rather than ruining twenty minutes of work. The disadvantage is that it lacks the physicality of crayons, which is why this is a complement to real drawing rather than a replacement for it. Several modes cover different ages and moods. Paint by numbers and colour by numbers give structure, which suits younger children who find a blank page daunting and older ones who enjoy the meditative filling in of a complex picture. Doodling modes and free colouring books allow open creation with no rules. Neon drawing adds an effect that has no paper equivalent and reliably delights children. The interface is designed for children as young as one, meaning large targets, no menus to get lost in and nothing that can be tapped by accident to leave the activity. That design work is what separates a children's app from an adult app with bright colours. It is free, and the range of books and modes is wide enough to hold interest across several years of a child's development.