Apps for Kids at Home: Give Kids a Creative Outlet with the Print It App!

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So you’re stuck home due to social isolation. Maybe you’re a teacher trying to teach remotely, maybe you’re a parent working from home. And you’ve got kids knocking around who need engagement, need to learn, need to do something that isn’t watching TV. Never fear: Apps for Kids has you covered.

Apps for Kids is a free online ecosystem of apps that can be used to capture, create, print, and make ideas and creativity come to life. It’s meant for children between the ages of 4 and 14, and it’s a teaching tool that’s fun to use. And you can create a lot of cool and engaging projects in interesting ways.

Let’s say your kid is scrolling through the Public Projects gallery in Apps for Kids and something catches their eye. They can riff that project and copy it to their own projects. Then they can spend however much time they want pushing, pulling, coloring, styling, and playing with the model, using the Shape It and Style It apps. And if they want to see their model in the real world, the Print It app is the answer.

But what if you don’t have a 3D printer? Most families don’t. Fortunately, there is a still a really fun way for kids to experience their models in three dimensions. The Print It app allows you to use just paper and tape to bring 3D models to life. It’s called Cube Print, and it’s awesome.

With just a click, Cube Print takes whatever model your kid made and transforms it into a 6-sided cube. From there, you can print it out on a sheet of paper, and you and your kid (or just your kid on their own) now have a fun craft project together: cutting out the cube, folding it up, and taping it together. The six sides teach your child how to see the world in 3D, showcasing the front, back, sides, top, and bottom views of the model.

Pro-tip: kids LOVE Cube Prints. They think they’re fun, cute, and they have a great time putting them together. Plus, it’s a way for kids to actually engage with their model outside the computer.

Want another way to engage with models in the real world? Try colors! Once again, Print It has your back.

Your kid spent hours shaping a model in Shape It, and just as much time coloring and painting it in Style It, and now it’s officially time to stop looking at screens. But your kid still wants to do something creative with their model! Easy: in the Print It, click on 2D print. Then, click the Color by Number button in the right-side menu. Apps for Kids transforms the model into a mesh frame, with numbers showing what part of the design should be which color. You can even change the orientation of the model in the Print It app and the numbers will move with it.

Then all you have to do is print out the model, give your kid their coloring utensil of choice (we’re into markers, but do your own thing), and now your kid can flex their artistic muscles on paper. They can use the same colors they used online, with the handy color key in the top right corner of the print out, or they can go wild and draw their own backgrounds as well. There’s nothing to stop their creativity.

There are so many ways to make learning and teaching exciting for kids, and giving them an outlet for their creativity is incredibly important. We’ll have more tips for using Apps for Kids at home. Stay safe and have fun!

SOLIDWORKS Education will continue to support educators and students using all of our products during this time of uncertainty. We encourage all users at every age level to practice safe social distancing and follow the World Health Organization’s basic preventative measures.

Sara Zuckerman

Sara Zuckerman

Sara Zuckerman is a Content Marketing Specialist in Brand Offer Marketing for SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE WORKS.