Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2017 Issue
Kids today are often capturing regular snapshots with a device and sharing them with their friends. Help inspire students’ imagination and self-expression by turning devices into photo studios. These apps will take photos to the next level and spark student creativity.
Crayola Camera Color
(Free – iOS, Android, Website)
Kids become the focus of their own coloring page with this app from Crayola. Users snap a photo with a device and the app then drains the colour from the picture and turns it into a colouring book page. Pages can be saved and shared through email or social media.
Hipstamatic
(Paid – iOS)
This photography app is for more advanced photo snappers. Its purpose is to add filters and other editing controls to your iPhone camera. Users can choose the overall mood of the image with Hipstamatic’s signature lenses, films and flashes, then fine-tune the image with extensive editing tools. The app features a full darkroom editing suite for users who want the ability to tinker with photos in a realistic way or learn photo editing skills. It allows users to shoot in Classic mode, creating analog photos, or Pro Mode, for more control and options. Images can be posted to numerous social media feeds.
Pic Collage Kids
(Paid – iOS)
Kids may use the junior version of the popular Pic Collage app to piece together creative collages with just a few simple taps. This app allows kids to import photos from their photo library, then express their creativity by adding colourful backgrounds, bright stickers, and layouts.
SnapQuest
(Free – iOS)
SnapQuest is like a photo scavenger hunt. This free iOS app, designed for kids ages 6 to 8, features 12 quests, each with a different theme or location. Within each quest, kids must find a list of items to photograph in order to complete their hunt. For example, the nature quest will encourage kids to look for a cloud, an animal, and “something smooth,” among other things.
ToonCamera
(Paid – iOS)
ToonCamera captures the external world through a cartoon lens, in real-time. Kids can use this app to record video, snap photos, and convert existing video and photos from their albums into instant art. They can choose from multiple cartoon, pencil, and ink effects, and even customize the effects with unique line art styles. The app allows kids to add a fictional layer to photos and capture images that can tell a story.
Typic Kids
(Paid – iOS)
This colourful app provides kids with the tools to enhance photos using basic photo editing features like cropping and adding filters. It also offers fun extras like frames, text, and stickers such astronauts and robots. It’s designed for kids ages 9 to 11 and is easy to navigate. Once kids are done editing their photo, they’ll be prompted to get an adult’s help to answer a mathematical equation before they can save or share their photo via email or social channels.
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