Best Drawing Apps for Kids
Best Drawing Apps for Kids
Product recommendations are based on editorial evaluation. Verify age-appropriateness for your child.
Digital drawing gives children a creative outlet with tools that traditional art supplies cannot match — undo buttons, infinite colors, layers, and animation. The right app meets a child at their skill level, whether they are finger-painting on a tablet at age four or creating detailed illustrations at age fourteen. We tested 16 drawing apps across age groups to identify the ones that balance creative freedom with guided learning.
How We Evaluated
Each app was tested by children within the target age range over three weeks. We assessed five criteria:
- Tool quality — Are the brushes, pencils, and color tools responsive and satisfying to use?
- Learning features — Does the app teach drawing skills, or just provide a blank canvas?
- Age-appropriate design — Is the interface navigable for the target age without adult help?
- Export and sharing — Can the child save, print, or share their work easily?
- Value — Is the free tier useful, and is the premium worth the upgrade?
Top Picks
| App | Cost | Ages | Platforms | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Procreate | $12.99 one-time | 10+ | iPad | 4.9 / 5 | Serious young artists |
| Tayasui Sketches | Free (basic); $5.99 pro | 8+ | iOS, Android | 4.6 / 5 | Realistic media simulation |
| ArtFlow | Free (basic); $4.99 pro | 8+ | Android | 4.5 / 5 | Best Android option |
| Drawing Desk | Free (basic); $7.99/mo | 5+ | iOS, Android | 4.4 / 5 | Guided drawing for younger kids |
| Toontastic 3D | Free | 6-12 | iOS, Android | 4.5 / 5 | Storytelling through animation |
| Sketchbook | Free | 8+ | iOS, Android, Desktop | 4.6 / 5 | Free professional-grade tools |
| FlipaClip | Free (basic); $9.99/mo | 10+ | iOS, Android | 4.5 / 5 | Frame-by-frame animation |
| Colorful | $2.99 one-time | 4-8 | iOS | 4.3 / 5 | Youngest artists |
Detailed Reviews
Procreate — Best for Serious Young Artists
Procreate is the gold standard for digital illustration on iPad. It offers over 200 brushes, a powerful layer system, time-lapse recording of every drawing, and professional-grade color tools. Children who are serious about art will find tools here that grow with them from middle school through professional work.
The one-time $12.99 price with no subscription makes it exceptional value. Pair it with an Apple Pencil for pressure sensitivity that mimics real drawing tools. Procreate’s time-lapse feature also lets children share the creation process, which is motivating and educational.
Limitation: Procreate is iPad-only and requires an Apple Pencil for the full experience. The interface is not designed for children under 10.
Sketchbook (by Autodesk) — Best Free Option
Sketchbook became completely free in 2021 and remains one of the most capable drawing apps available at no cost. It offers a clean interface, responsive brushes, layers, and a predictive stroke feature that smooths shaky lines. It works on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
For families who want a capable drawing tool without any cost, Sketchbook is the best option. The interface is simpler than Procreate, making it accessible to children as young as 8. Teaching Kids to Code: Complete Parent’s Guide — creative digital skills and coding share foundational problem-solving abilities.
Limitation: It lacks Procreate’s advanced features like animation assist and custom brush creation.
Toontastic 3D — Best for Young Storytellers
Toontastic 3D, developed by Google, lets children create animated stories using 3D characters and scenes. Kids draw characters, choose settings, move figures around the screen, and narrate the story. The app automatically assembles everything into a playable cartoon.
This is not a pure drawing app — it is a storytelling tool that uses drawing as one input. For children ages 6-12 who love creating characters and inventing stories, Toontastic combines art with narrative in a way no other app matches.
Limitation: Character customization is limited compared to dedicated drawing apps. The 3D style may not appeal to children who prefer 2D illustration.
FlipaClip — Best for Animation
FlipaClip turns the tablet into a digital flipbook. Children draw frame by frame, then play back their creation as an animation. The app supports layers, onion skinning (seeing the previous frame as a ghost image), and audio recording. It is the most accessible way for kids to learn traditional animation principles.
Limitation: Animation is labor-intensive. Children under 10 may lose patience with frame-by-frame work. Start with very short animations — three to five seconds — to build the habit.
Age-Specific Tips
- Ages 4-6: Use Colorful or Drawing Desk for simple finger painting and guided drawing activities. Focus on creative expression, not technical skill.
- Ages 7-9: Move to Sketchbook or Tayasui Sketches. Introduce the concept of layers and undo. A basic stylus improves the experience.
- Ages 10-12: Procreate (iPad) or ArtFlow (Android) with a stylus. Begin learning about color theory, shading, and composition through the app’s tools.
- Ages 13+: Procreate with Apple Pencil for illustration, or FlipaClip for animation. Consider supplementing with free YouTube tutorials on digital art techniques.
What Parents Should Know
A stylus makes a significant difference. Finger drawing is fine for young children, but kids over 8 benefit from the precision of a stylus. An Apple Pencil paired with an iPad and Procreate is the best combination, but affordable Android styluses paired with Sketchbook or ArtFlow work well on a budget.
Digital drawing supplements physical art — it should not replace it. Children build fine motor skills through physical drawing with pencils, crayons, and paint that digital tools cannot replicate. The best approach is to alternate between digital and traditional media.
Sharing artwork online requires parental guidance. If your child wants to post drawings on social media or art communities, review the platform’s age requirements and privacy settings together. Online Safety for Kids
Key Takeaways
- Procreate ($12.99, iPad) is the best drawing app for serious young artists ages 10 and up.
- Sketchbook (free, all platforms) is the best free drawing app with professional-grade tools.
- Toontastic 3D (free) is the best creative app for young storytellers who want to animate characters.
- A stylus significantly improves the drawing experience for children ages 8 and older.
- Digital and traditional art complement each other — encourage both.
Next Steps
- Match the app to your child’s age and interest using the comparison table above.
- Invest in a stylus if your child is 8 or older and shows sustained interest in digital art.
- Set up a creative routine — 20 minutes of drawing practice three times per week builds skill steadily.
- Explore connections to coding. Digital art skills directly support game design and web development. See Screen Time Rules by Age to balance creative screen time with other activities.
- Share and celebrate their work. Print favorite drawings, create a family art gallery, or use the art as gifts for relatives.