Booky Advent Calendar Day 4
Crayola HD iPad Marker
Crayola HD iPad Marker
Crayola
Available from John Lewis Direct
A fun marker for use on the iPad
There are lots of art packages and kid-friendly art apps available on the iPad and we're always on the lookout for a new quirky wrinkle to drawing and painting on tablets. When John Lewis got in touch with a review opportunity on the new Crayola HD iPad Marker - we thought we'd take it for a spin.
Crayola is a brand synonymous with fantastic quality art materials that are kid-friendly, and it's interesting to see how they transpose that to the digital domain.
The HD Marker arrives in brightly coloured packaging, and some simple instructions to get things up and running. You will need a small Phillips screwdriver to fit the iMarker battery, and a QR Code reader on your iPad to allow you to claim the free software that comes with the HD iPad Marker.
Once you've downloaded the app, you're ready to go.
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| Charlotte gets busy drawing a gorgeous girl with red hair (probably Mummy!) |
For a keen digital artist like myself, used to using a Wacom with pressure sensitive stylus, I am always completely flummoxed and frustrated by the iPad when it comes to drawing or painting. Luckily, children have no such foibles so Charlotte was (with a bit of practice) able to get on well with the marker. A point of note though, it seems to require a fair bit of pressure before it registers and draws a mark or colour, and we're still a bit puzzled what the battery actually does (aside from provide a pretty colour changing light on the side of the marker when in use).
The apps are great fun though - there are a range of apps available under the Crayola range (some free, some paid for) so there's a good mix of traditional colouring, drawing and painting fun to be had.
Charlotte enjoys the "Princess Colour Me In" app from Crayola, and seems to be able to use the Marker - though with a bit of parental guidance to ensure she doesn't end up scratching the iPad screen (I have not tested the marker with a screen protector but if you're looking to keep your expensive investment in pristine condition you might want to invest in one before letting your children loose with this).
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| Dressing as Princess Aurora is optional when using this, by the way |
The Crayola HD iPad Marker is one of a range of tablet products available from John Lewis this christmas and retails at £24.95.
Check out the range using this link.
Charlotte's best bit: A good chunky and friendly product with some excellent supporting apps. It took a bit of a while for her to get used to using the Crayola HD iPad Marker but once she got going with it, she loved it!
Daddy's Favourite bit: A fun and engaging alternative to using your fingers or a traditional stylus, perfect for younger tablet-savvy kids
(Kindly sent to us for review by Michael at Forward3D on behalf of John Lewis Ltd)