The eKids' Disney Creativity Studio Stylus & App for the iPad is Our Son's Favorite Birthday Gift This Year!

Thank you to eKids for providing a complimentary Disney Creativity Stylus sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

My son, Quinn, is very artsy. He loves anything crafty and can literally spend hours drawing, coloring, cutting, pasting, and creating. For his 7th birthday (on January 22), his dad and I were looking for something fun, different, and creative that we could get him, so when we were offered the Disney Creativity Studio Stylus, I knew it was the perfect present for him.

With the Disney Creativity Stylus, real Disney artists help turn your child’s iPad into an art studio. The app is free to to download via the code included with the stylus. The app itself is really easy to use and the instructions are very clear and the stylus comes out of the box ready-to-use and is also pretty simple and straightforward - just turn it on and it’s ready.

This app has a handy up/down button that you can use to change the width of your pen strokes and it even has a “magic mode” effect when you shake the stylus 3 times.   Doing so transforms your writing into a rainbow. The app has a free writing mode, learn to draw your favorite Disney characters section, and activities such as connect the dots. Plus, it has a whole array of “utensils” to choose from such as paintbrush, spray paint, markers, calligraphy pens, chalk, and more.

When Quinn saw his Creativity Studio Stylus, he was really excited. As soon as his party was over, he downloaded the app and started drawing. At first, his drawings were almost unrecognizable, but after just a few days they were much better, and now they are pretty good. He loves that he can save his work to go back and look at over and over. He also loves trying out the pens, stamps, and other fun things and is so glad he got it. He says it’s his favorite birthday gift this year. Since we homeschool, we have also used the Disney Creativity Stylus in our homeschool as art class.

We are very happy with the Disney Creativity Studio Stylus and how it’s easy to use, well made, stores away easily in it’s protective case, and is really fun. It certainly suits my little artist and I’m glad he has it. You can learn more about the Disney Creativity Stylus and purchase it from eKids, Toys"R"Us, and Amazon.com for $49.99.

Tech Tips: All the Useful Tools on Healthgrades.com are Now Available in a User-Friendly Mobile App

I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Healthgrades. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I have piles and piles of apps on my mobile devices. Every single one seemed like the one that would change my life when I installed it. The truth, however, is that I only end up using a handful of them. Only the apps that provide me with something truly unique, and with a ridiculously easy interface, get used.

Healthgrades for iOS is one of those apps. You can also access these tools on Healthgrades.com. This app is a resource where you can find any doctor, dentist, or hospital easily and very quickly. The interface is so intuitive it was almost like I already knew how to use it.  All these features are especially important during a medical emergency.

Know that the Healthgrades app is so much more than a doctor and hospital search tool. It offers customer reviews just like an online retailer would offer for any other product. You can read others reviews or leave your own. You can even share a doctors information with others.

When you find a doctor or a hospital that you are interested in, you can even have the address sent to your mobile device's navigation program! You can also call the doctor right from the app.

Healthgrades is an amazing app in the sense that it is simple and does exactly what it is supposed to do. My only grievance with Healthgrades is that it is not available for Android devices. This actually boggles my mind as 73% of all smartphones on the planet use an Android-based OS.  Hopefully, an app for Android phones and tablets is already in the works.

Kangaroo Island Photo Classifying App . . . A Learning iPad App That Grows With Your Child

Thank you to Super Duper Publications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Super Duper Publications has come out with another amazing app, Kangaroo Island Photo Classifying. This app takes sorting to a new and fun level with 6 entertaining games that sort and classify 336 items into 15 different categories such as animals, colors, shapes, upper/lowercase letters, tools, toys, and more.

Each game is simple but great fun and is sure to keep any younger child interested while they learn this valuable skill along with helping to build their vocabulary and comprehension. The app can be customized for your child’s skill level and you can allow as many or few of the items and categories as your child can handle, so it’s sure to fit any age level.

(Click on any image to enlarge)

My 6 year old, Quinn, loves playing these games. I have him set for all 336 items and 15 categories, so sometimes it has quite a lot of things he’s trying to sort. He loves the simplicity of it and loves that he always “wins”. This app really does teach him more than he realizes though and I love that about it. It is really brilliantly set up and the customization factor would be awesome for younger kids.

As with all Super Duper’s products, I am thoroughly impressed and pleased that they have done such a great job with this product. It is evident they pay attention to both kids and parents when they create their products. We love this app and it is sure to grow with your child to be used for many years to come.

You can purchase this app in the iTunes App Store for $12.99.