Crayola Color, Draw & Sing

$4.99, iPad, Windows, Android

Teaches: coloring, music, art

CTR Rating: 78%

CTR Review

This interesting app combines a traditional screen-based coloring book with the tracks of a simple song, like "Row Your Boat." The more parts of your picture you finish, the more instrument sounds you unlock, until you have a complete chorus of a song. Every action, whether using a crayon, paint brush or marker, works toward unlocking an instrument -- there is no relationship between accuracy and the music. In other words, failure is not an option. Besides the cluttered first menu, the app uses the same complicated and over stylized pop-up coloring dial used in past Crayola apps, with too many colors and options. The all-important undo icon is hard to find, and the app makes an extra effort to announce each selection in an over-enthusiastic way. This adds excessive dialog to the experience. It's too bad you can't tone down both the narration and the complexity of the menu for younger children. A photo icon lets you save your work, but the button is located in the coloring area, making it possible to accidentally take a snapshot when you really want to color. Content includes 18 songs, each with eight musical tracks. The app was released first on iOS; Android and Windows 8 versions are planned. Crayola might make great crayons, but we have yet to find evidence that they've figured out the tablet.