Musical Paint

Review & Giveaway

Developer: Building Blocks Media

What we most enjoyed about this app:

I must admit, this is geared toward children, but I had way too much fun playing with this app at the AOTA conference. What I love most about this app is the smiles it brings to everyone who uses it, child or adult. Seriously. Everyone loves to test out each color and its unique tone. The bar to the right of the easel also changes the color of the paint to either dark or light. I also think it is so clever how after you have had fun creating musical masterpieces, you can actually sign your artwork and view it as part of a gallery, or share it via email. There are also fun things to do within the app like explore different musical instruments and find the hidden hot spots in the ocean scene outside.

AppyChat:

When did you decide to develop this app?
We decided to develop this app in the Fall of 2012 when we were brainstorming creative apps for kids. When I was in elementary school I had an art teacher that played us classical music and asked us to “draw” the music as it played. It was kind of like dancing with a pencil and paper. The memory of combining audio and visual art was so powerful that we thought it might be a good idea for an app. That’s what led us to Musical Paint.

When did you first release this app?
Musical Paint was released in January of this year.

How long did it take you to develop this app?
It took us almost 5 months to develop the app. This was mostly nights and weekends since we were also doing contract work for other companies.

What is your favourite feature?
We love the musical painting technology. There is something magical about producing sound as you paint. It is a unique mulit-sensory experience that kids (and grown-ups) find very engaging. We’re also proud of how easy it is for kids to navigate the app. We tested the app extensively with kids to make sure we got that right.

What skills were you hoping to help the end user to develop?
We hope Musical Paint will promote creativity. It is an open-ended creative tool that parents, teachers, and therapists can use to support a variety of skills. We’ve seen it used as a tool in lessons to support fine motor control, following directions, inferential thinking, math, science, social learning, and literacy.

What age range would this app most suit?
The app was designed for kids 8 and under and was specifically tested with 3-6 year olds. They love it!

Are any new updates coming soon?
We’re always working on updates. We’ll keep you posted.

Description:

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Musical Paint is a creative app for early childhood. This developmentally appropriate, open-ended app allows for endless creative possibilities!

-Innovative musical painting technology
-Lovable characters
-Easy to use
-Customizable save and share features
-“Grown-up” section with lesson plans
-Tested by kids, parents, and teachers

You Tube:

Specifications:

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Category: Music
Updated: March 22, 2013
Version: 1.1
Language: English
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.