The Moms and Teachers Behind Crayola’s Must-Have Kids' App
As parents, making the right choices and finding the healthiest options for our kids is an all-important task, but not always a simple one.
To make things easier, we brought in two key members of our team, a mother of two and a former elementary school teacher, who play a huge role in bringing Crayola Create and Play to life. They’re here to share their insights and answer top questions from parents like you.
Here’s what they had to say about Crayola Create and Play and why they think it’s a trusted choice for families everywhere:
Q: As a former teacher, what are a few of the educational benefits you’ve found in Crayola Create & Play?
Amanda: In general, Crayola Create and Play is an app that promotes active thinking and imagination, not just sitting in front of a screen and mindlessly playing. Not only is it a great way to support basic letter, shape, and number recognition—all skills that are developed in early childhood education—but one of its main benefits is supporting social and emotional learning. It’s such a great way for kids to develop their confidence, willingness to take risks or try new things in a safe environment, express themselves creatively and emotionally, and boost their self-esteem.
“Not only is it a great way to support basic letter, shape, and number recognition—all skills that are developed in early childhood education—but one of its main benefits is supporting social and emotional learning.”
Q: As a parent, what do you look for in a children’s app?
Michelle: I’m pretty selective in the apps I download for my kids. I always make sure whatever they’re playing has them practicing something or learning something new, whether it’s academic-focused or more focused on soft skills.
My kids love and play Create and Play all the time! Their favorite activity would have to be the Free Draw, where they can really express themselves in an open-ended way. They take characters from books or shows that they love and draw them in fun, unique ways that are so “them.” It’s really cute!
Q: What signs show that an app promotes healthy, positive screen time?
Amanda: I think it’s important for an app to promote and focus on active engagement. You want your kids to be thinking, participating, wondering, creating, and asking questions.
In Create & Play, kids get to make decisions, come up with their own ideas, experiment with different tools and outcomes, and then be rewarded for doing so. This can foster a natural love for learning and exploring, which is something you won’t find in a passive experience. I think it’s important to watch out for kids’ games that don’t have children actively participating.
Q: As a parent, what are your thoughts on screen time? How do you approach it for your children?
Michelle: There are definitely limits in our household. They only have a certain amount of screen time per day, and while I always make sure everything’s age-appropriate and promoting positive skills, I do let my kids choose what they want to engage in (which only makes it harder to be sure they’re spending that time on something productive!).
That’s why I try to introduce my kids to screen time activities that are actually benefitting them or, my favorite, are things we can do as a family. It’s fun when screen time can turn into family bonding and we get to discuss what we’re learning or making together.
Q: How does Create & Play set itself apart from other popular children’s apps?
Michelle: Like Amanda said, I’m always on the lookout for kids’ games that’ll ensure my own kids will be active participants. I’ve taken a look at a lot of other apps out there and Create and Play is different in that everything the kids are experiencing is through the lens of creativity. Kids are encouraged to explore on their own, they’re encouraged to tap and click whatever sparks their interest, which always leads to them creating in a variety of different ways, whether it's crafting or coloring, following a how-to-draw video—you name it.
Q: As a former teacher, how can an app or kids activity strike the right balance between education, creativity, and fun? Does Create & Play strike this balance?
Amanda: Kids need to feel motivated and curious without having to have a teacher or parent force that idea on them. The way to do that is by providing kids with healthy and positive choices, which Create & Play does very nicely. Kids are encouraged to explore freely within a safe, colorful world, but more importantly, they're encouraged to challenge themselves with each activity they find. It’s an app that rewards progress, not perfection, which is a really important skill to teach (and not an easy one to teach, either!).
The app supports what’s called a growth mindset, where kids are encouraged to keep trying even when they face difficulties, and, honestly, that was one of the hardest things to teach with kids who struggled with making mistakes. Kids can take pride in their learning while parents and teachers can be confident that they’re supporting their kids' development.
“Kids need to feel motivated and curious without having to have a teacher or parent force that idea on them. The way to do that is by providing kids with healthy and positive choices, which Create & Play does very nicely.”
Q: From a parent’s perspective, how important is it to foster the idea of positive reinforcement within your children?
Michelle: Having a positive relationship with creative self-expression is so important to me. It's not only my profession, but a lot of my most rewarding experiences have come from creative self-expression. I want my kids to have that, too! I want my kids to know there's no wrong way to draw something. I want them to focus on the fun of making something, experimenting with or exploring something, rather than only looking at the end product. It's magical to have them run up and show me all of the things they're creating. The fact that it’s through an app that the team and I work so hard to make so fun is just a bonus.
Q: What are some of your favorite activities in Create & Play? Why?
Amanda: This might sound cheesy, but like Michelle’s kids, one of my favorite activities would have to be the straight-up Free Draw because you can really take this one wherever you want. In the classroom, you can use it as a follow-up activity after a read aloud, as a way for kids to illustrate their feelings or the feelings of a character, a way to calm down…the list goes on. Music Mixup is definitely another favorite. It’s just so darn cute and it really shows kids that they can create anything—even their own music!
Q: What’s it like to be a part of the Create and Play team?
Amanda: Ah, I love it! I feel like I really hit the jackpot blending my marketing background and my educational background. It’s so awesome to work at a company that practices what they preach! Every idea the team comes up with, big or small, is taken seriously, planned out, and put into action so we can bring that idea to life, just like the app!
We have a really talented group of creatives, filled with other parents and former educators, that are really passionate about bringing positive, engaging activities to kids. And working with the Crayola brand is a dream—bright colors, creativity, fun—it’s just the best!
No matter what choices we may face as parents, Create and Play will always be here to help make one choice a little simpler. Start your free trial today to go check it out for yourself!
Amanda taught 1st and 2nd grade at a public school in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and is passionate about finding ways to help kids reach their fullest potential.
Michelle is an artist living in Detroit with two young children. She's illustrated children's books, directed short films and when she's not drawing you can usually find her playing video games with her boys.
Published on November 14, 2024.
