The kids' software directory

Art, music and story makers

Tools for making pictures, songs, books and stories, AI and not.

100 researched
3 to know about
310 more on G2, not yet researched

Peabody's own: the Art Studio. It is ours, so it is not in the list below and we do not rate it.

Researched by Peabody

Facts from each maker's own pages (terms, pricing, privacy), with our one-line take. A to Z; we rank nothing until we have tried it.

Desk researchPaidNo ads
3Doodler Start+
3Doodler (WobbleWorks) · ages 6+
A fun, safe-by-design entry to 3D making for ages 6-10; kids who want precise models will move to a 3D printer.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Adobe Express for Education
Adobe · ages grades K-12 through a school
A good free option for schools that want design and AI in one tool and will set the admin controls; families cannot set it up for a young child on their own.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AI Duet
Yotam Mann with Google Magenta and Creative Lab · ages about 5 and up
Worth a few minutes in a music or AI lesson; not a tool for learning piano.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Algodoo
Algoryx Simulation AB · ages about 8 and up
A great creative sandbox for curious kids and science classes; parents should supervise use of the public sharing site and forum.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Animaker
Animaker · ages 18+ by its terms (teachers, older students with a parent)
A tool for teachers making lesson videos, not for kids; families wanting a kids' animation app should look at Stop Motion Studio or FlipaClip instead.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo · ages about 6-14
A calm, creative pick for younger kids; keep online visits to known friends.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Animated Drawings
Meta (FAIR research) · ages run by adults; drawings by kids about 3-10
A fun parent-run activity with a child's drawing if you read the consent screen and click Disagree unless you want the drawing in a dataset; skip if your child would use it alone.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Art for Kids Hub
Art For Kids Hub (Rob and family) · ages about 4-12
A great free start for kids who want to learn to draw; use the paid membership if YouTube's ads and autoplay worry you.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
AutoDraw
Google Creative Lab · ages about 5 and up
Handy for quick posters and class projects; skip it when the point is for kids to practice their own drawing.
Desk researchFree
Babble Dabble Do
Ana Dziengel · ages about 3-12
Great for families and teachers who want craft projects with a design or science twist; an adult should pick and prep the projects.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Bambu Lab A1 mini
Bambu Lab · ages teens; younger kids with an adult
A capable family 3D printer for teens or kids working with a parent; it is not a kids' product, and adults should own the account.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
BandLab (SongStarter, BandLab for Education)
BandLab Technologies (BandLab Singapore Pte Ltd) · ages 13+ on the public app; younger students only through BandLab for Education
BandLab for Education is a strong free pick for school music classes; teens can use the main app with a parent's okay, but younger kids should stay in the classroom version.
Desk researchPaid
Bedtimestory.ai
Bedtimestory AI · ages about 3-8 (bedtime stories read by a parent)
Fine for a parent who wants quick custom bedtime stories and reads them first; families who want clear child-privacy promises should look elsewhere.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Bitsy
Adam Le Doux · ages about 9-16
A lovely first game-making tool for story-minded kids; those who want action games should move to GDevelop or Scratch.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blender
Blender Foundation (open source) · ages about 12+
Ideal for a motivated teen who wants to learn real 3D; younger kids should start with Tinkercad.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Blipblox
Playtime Engineering · ages 3+ (safety-certified; built for all ages)
A lasting music-making toy for families who will use it across ages; parents wanting a cheap first instrument can start smaller.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Blob Opera
David Li with Google Arts & Culture · ages about 4 and up
A delightful five-minute music toy for any age; not a music course.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Bloom Library
SIL Global · ages mostly early readers; some books for adults (health, farming)
A standout for families reading in a home or heritage language; parents should filter by topic, since religious and adult titles mix with children's books.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Boogie Board Scribble Pals
Buffalo Games (Boogie Board brand) · ages 3+
A cheap, data-free doodle toy for preschoolers on the go; older kids will want a bigger board.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Book Creator
Book Creator (part of Kami) · ages about 4-18
A strong fit for teachers who want kids to author multimedia books themselves; not a tool for AI-generated stories.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Brickit
Brickit Inc. · ages about 5-12
A clever, low-risk way to reuse a LEGO pile when a parent runs the app; the classroom version suits schools better than the social main app.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Camp Snap
Camp Snap Ltd · ages school-age kids and up (CampLock aimed at younger photographers)
A good no-screen camera for kids who should focus on taking pictures; families who want instant viewing or prints should look elsewhere.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Canva for Education (Magic Studio)
Canva · ages grades K-12 through a teacher
A solid, free choice for school design projects when teachers set the AI controls; not for under-13s at home.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
CapCut
ByteDance (Bytedance Pte. Ltd.) · ages 13+ (teens)
A strong free editor for teens 13+ with a parent's OK; families who care about data and ads, and anyone under 13, should pick iMovie or another tool.
Desk researchPaid
Childbook.ai
Childbook.ai (operated from Poland) · ages made by adults; books aimed at about 2-8
For parents or teachers making custom picture books; a child should not use it directly.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Chrome Music Lab
Google · ages about 4 and up
A safe, free first stop for music play at any age; look elsewhere if you specifically want AI music tools.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Coolest Projects
Raspberry Pi Foundation · ages up to 18
A good, low-pressure goal for kids who already code or build; beginners should start with a course first and enter later.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Crayola crafts
Crayola, LLC (Hallmark) · ages about 3 and up (each craft lists an age)
Handy for parents and teachers hunting for a quick holiday or rainy-day craft; nothing here for a child to use alone online.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Crayola free coloring pages
Crayola, LLC (Hallmark) · ages about 2 and up
A quick, free source of printables for young kids; parents should do the photo uploads themselves.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Cricut Joy 2
Cricut · ages 13+ (Cricut says not for children 12 and younger)
A family craft tool for teens or parent-led projects; it is not built for young kids to use alone.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
CrunchLabs
CrunchLabs LLC (Mark Rober) · ages 6-10, 8-13 and 14+ by box
A strong pick for kids who love Mark Rober's videos and building things; families wanting deep coding should weigh Hack Pack's price against a plain Arduino kit.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
DIY.org (ChatDino, game builder)
DIY (AstroSafe family) · ages about 8-18 (the maker says 8 to 18)
Suits kids 8 and up who want to make and share games with a parent watching the portal; skip if you want kids learning to code by hand.
Desk researchFree
DLTK's Crafts for Kids
DLTK's Inc. (family-run, Canada) · ages about 2-8
A handy free printables source for parents of preschoolers who don't mind ads; families wanting an ad-free site should look elsewhere.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
FlipaClip
Visual Blasters LLC · ages about 10-17
Good for tweens and teens who want to animate drawings on a phone; parents of younger kids may prefer an ad-free paid app like Procreate Dreams.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Gacha Life and Gacha Club
Lunime Inc. · ages about 9-14 (App Store 9+)
A creative toy for tweens if a parent watches what they post online; the dated privacy policy and age mismatch are reasons for caution with younger kids.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
GarageBand
Apple · ages about 6+
The obvious first music studio for kids with Apple devices; others can try Soundtrap or BandLab in a browser.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Gemini Storybook
Google · ages made by adults; books suit about 3-10
Useful for parents who want a one-off custom picture book, used by the adult; not something to hand to a child.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Google Arts & Culture
Google · ages about 8 and up
A rich, free window into world museums for families to explore together; supervise the camera and AI features.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Google Earth
Google · ages about 8 and up
A rich free tool for geography and earth science at home or school; younger kids should explore Street View with an adult nearby.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Hack Club
Hack Club (nonprofit, Vermont) · ages 13-18
Excellent for motivated teens who want to build and ship with peers; parents should talk with their teen about online chat first.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Hopscotch
Hopscotch Technologies (New York) · ages about 8-13 (App Store lists ages 9-11)
A good step up from ScratchJr for iPad kids who want to make games; parents who dislike in-app currencies should switch off purchases or skip it.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Huion Inspiroy pen tablets
Shenzhen Huion Trend Technology Co., Ltd. · ages about 8 and up
A sensible first digital-art tool for older kids and teens with a computer or Chromebook; young kids may find drawing without seeing the pen tip frustrating.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ibisPaint X
ibis · ages about 10+
A fine pick for a manga-loving tween if a parent buys the one-time ad removal; otherwise the free version's ad tracking is a real cost.
Desk researchFree
Imagine Forest
Imagine Forest (founder Safia Begum) · ages about 6-14
A handy free spark for reluctant young writers if a parent is fine with ads; families who want an ad-free, tracker-free space should look elsewhere.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
iMovie
Apple · ages about 6+
The easy first pick for families and schools with Apple devices; Windows, Android and Chromebook users need another editor.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Instructables
Autodesk · ages 13+ to post; younger kids with an adult
A rich idea bank for teens and parents planning projects together; younger kids should browse with an adult.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Kidgeni
Kidgeni Inc. · ages about 5-12
A reasonable pick for families or classes that want a supervised AI art and comic space for under-13s; skip if you want kids drawing or writing without AI.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
KidLit TV
KidLit TV (founded by Julie Gribble) · ages about 3-12
A pleasant free way to meet authors and draw along; best watched with a grown-up who skips the trailers.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
KiwiCo
KiwiCo, Inc. · ages 0-100 (crate lines by age)
A convenient way to bring regular hands-on building into the home; families on a budget can find free project guides instead.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Krita
Krita (open-source project) · ages about 10+
The best free choice for a teen serious about digital painting on a computer; younger kids may find it too complex.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
LEGO Builder
The LEGO Group · ages about 4+ (rated 4+)
A useful free companion for any LEGO family, especially for siblings sharing one build; skip it if you prefer screen-free paper instructions.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
LEGO Play
The LEGO Group · ages about 5-12 (rated 4+)
One of the safer first social apps for LEGO-loving kids, thanks to pre-moderation and parental consent; families who want no social feed at all should stick to LEGO Builder.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
LEGO.com for kids
The LEGO Group · ages about 5-12
A safe, ad-free place for LEGO fans to play short games; parents should know the whole site is a showcase for LEGO toys.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Make: and Maker Camp
Make Community, LLC · ages under 5 to 14+ (Maker Camp); magazine for teens and adults
A strong free option for parents, librarians or teachers willing to lead a summer or after-school maker group; not a self-serve kids' app.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Meshy
Meshy LLC · ages 14 and up
A capable tool for teens who make games or 3D prints with a parent's OK; it skips the learning of real 3D modeling and is not for under-14s.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Microsoft MakeCode Arcade
Microsoft · ages about 9 and up
A great free choice for kids who want to make their own video games; younger children may need help with the tutorials.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Minecraft (Java and Bedrock)
Mojang Studios (Microsoft) · ages about 7+ (PEGI 7, ESRB Everyone 10+)
Great for creative builders when a parent sets multiplayer and spending controls; families wanting structured lessons should look at Minecraft Education instead.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
MIT App Inventor
MIT (Center for Mobile Learning, CSAIL) · ages about 10 and up
Great for curious kids about 10 and up who want to build a real phone app; younger children will do better with ScratchJr or Scratch first.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
myFirst Camera (incl. Insta magiCam)
myFirst · ages about 3-10
The basic cameras are easy kids' gifts; parents should ask myFirst how magiCam handles children's photos and voice before buying the AI model.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Oscar Stories
HeyQQ GmbH · ages about 3-8 (App Store: made for ages 6-8)
A good fit for parents of young children who want quick moral-of-the-story bedtime tales on a phone; skip if you want the child to do the writing.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Padlet
Wallwisher, Inc. (Padlet) · ages school-age kids with a teacher, plus adults
A good class tool when a school account manages who can see and post; families should not set up open boards for young kids on their own.
Desk researchFree
Pinterest
Pinterest Inc. · ages 13+
One of the calmer social apps for teens 13+ who use it for ideas and projects; check the passcode lock with them.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Pixlr
Pixlr · ages 16+, or younger with an adult supervising
Useful for high schoolers editing photos in class through the free school plan; younger kids need an adult beside them by its own rules.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Pok Pok
Pok Pok Inc. · ages about 2-8
A strong pick for parents who want gentle, open-ended play for preschoolers; skip it if you want structured lessons with progress reports.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Polypad (and Mathigon courses)
Amplify Education (formerly Mathigon) · ages about 5-18 (grades K-12)
A free, ad-free playground that suits teachers and parents who will set a challenge; kids who want a guided path with rewards will lose interest.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Procreate
Savage Interactive · ages about 8+
A great buy for a child with an iPad who loves to draw; families without an iPad should look at free Krita or ibisPaint.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Procreate Dreams
Savage Interactive · ages about 10+
The private, ad-free animation pick for older kids with an iPad; phone-only kids will need FlipaClip instead.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Quick, Draw!
Google Creative Lab · ages about 6 and up
A strong classroom or kitchen-table intro to how AI guesses; just tell kids their drawings become public data.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Raspberry Pi Projects and Experience CS
Raspberry Pi Foundation · ages about 7-18 (projects); grades 3-8 (Experience CS)
An easy free recommendation for families and teachers who want step-by-step projects beyond Scratch basics.
Desk researchFree
Red Ted Art
Red Ted Art Ltd (Maggy) · ages about 2-15 (preschool, kids 5+, tweens and teens)
A dependable free craft idea source for parents and teachers; best browsed by an adult who then sets up the project, given the ads.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Replit
Replit, Inc. · ages about 13-18 and adults
Fine for older teens with a parent's permission who want to ship real projects; younger kids are no longer allowed, and beginners learning to code may do better with tools built for teaching.
Desk researchFree
Roblox Studio and Roblox Education
Roblox Corporation · ages about 10-18
Powerful for teens who want to make real games, best with a parent watching account settings; young kids or families wary of open platforms should start with Scratch or MakeCode Arcade.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Say What You See
Google Arts & Culture (with artist Jack Wild) · ages about 9 and up (needs reading and typing)
A good AI-literacy activity for upper-elementary and middle-school kids, best with an adult nearby; too text-heavy for early readers.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Scratch
Scratch Foundation · ages 8-16
The standard first real coding tool for kids 8-16; parents should review the community guidelines and the new AI-training language together with their child.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
ScratchJr
DevTech Research Group at Boston College and the Scratch Foundation · ages 5-7
An easy yes for families and teachers of 5-7-year-olds who want a calm, creative first coding app; older kids will outgrow it quickly.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Simply Piano
Simply Ltd · ages school-age kids, teens and adults
Suits motivated kids with a keyboard at home who want to learn songs; a human teacher still matters for technique and posture.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Sketchbook
Sketchbook, Inc. · ages about 8+
A calm, private sketching app for kids starting digital drawing, installed by a parent; serious young artists may outgrow it.
Desk researchThrough schoolsNo ads
SketchUp for Schools
Trimble · ages grades K-12
A good free 3D tool for schools on Google or Microsoft; families at home should try Tinkercad or Onshape's free student plan.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Skoove
Learnfield GmbH · ages teens and adults (younger kids with a parent)
A solid self-study option for teens or a parent learning alongside a child; not designed for young kids on their own.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Stickerbox
Hapiko Inc. · ages about 5-12
A fun creative gift for kids 5-10 who love drawing and stickers; skip it if you want a device that works offline or no recurring paper costs.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Stop Motion Studio
Cateater, LLC · ages about 5-14+
One of the safest creative apps for kids of almost any age; skip only if your child wants drawn rather than photographed animation.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Story Spark
Algorithm Riders Ltd · ages 13+ users; books aimed at about 2-10
A fit for parents making a keepsake book or teens who want to publish their writing; younger kids should create with a parent on the parent's account.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Storybird
Storybird Corp. · ages about 6-16
A good fit for kids who love to write and draw inspiration from pictures; families wanting a lasting free tool should know the free part is only a week long.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
StoryJumper
StoryJumper, Inc. · ages about 6-14
A good no-AI choice for kids who want to write and print their own books; check sharing settings before anything goes public.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
StoryWeaver
Pratham Books (nonprofit) · ages about 3-12 (picture books to longer stories)
A treasure for multilingual families and teachers who want free stories in home languages; English-only families have many alternatives.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Suno
Suno, Inc. · ages 13+ (teens with a parent's consent)
For teens with a parent's okay who want to play with songwriting; younger children and anyone wanting to learn instruments should skip it.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Swift Playground
Apple · ages about 10 and up
A solid free option for Apple families with kids about 10 and up who want real code; younger kids or non-Apple homes should start elsewhere.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Teachable Machine
Google · ages about 8 and up with an adult; teens on their own
A strong first hands-on look at machine learning for kids about 8 and up with an adult nearby; families wary of webcam use should keep it on-device or skip it.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II
Teenage Engineering AB (Sweden) · ages about 10 and up
A great creative tool for a musically curious older kid or teen who wants to make beats without a screen; younger kids or casual dabblers may find it too costly and fiddly.
Desk researchFreeNo ads
Tinkercad
Autodesk · ages about 8 and up
A strong free pick for kids who like building things, from 3D models to circuits; under-13s need a parent or teacher to approve the account.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
TinkerLab
Rachelle Doorley (TinkerLab) · ages about 2-8
A good idea source for parents and preschool teachers who want messy, creative art time; families wanting an app a child uses alone should look elsewhere.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Tinybop
Tinybop, Inc. · ages about 4-10
Great for curious kids who like to tinker and explore science; not for parents who want guided lessons or progress tracking.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Toca Boca (Toca Boca World)
Toca Boca AB (a Spin Master company) · ages about 6-12
A creative sandbox for imaginative kids; lock down purchases before handing it over.
Desk researchPaid
Toybox 3D Printer
Toybox Labs · ages about 6-14
Suits families who want an easy first 3D printer for a curious grade-schooler and accept refill and subscription costs; makers who want an open, general-purpose printer should look elsewhere.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Vooks
Vooks, Inc. · ages picture-book age (about pre-K to grade 3); Creator app 4-10+
A calm, ad-free story app for preschoolers and early readers; check your library's free options first.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Wacom One pen display
Wacom · ages about 10-adult
A good fit for a child who already draws on the family computer and wants a real pen screen; families without a suitable computer, or kids who only doodle now and then, may be better served by a tablet they already own.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
WEBTOON
WEBTOON Entertainment · ages 13+
Fine for comic-loving teens 13+; parents should switch off Coin Hunter and set a spending limit in the app store.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
WeVideo
WeVideo · ages grades K-12 through school; 13+ for personal accounts
A solid choice for schools with Chromebooks that want managed video projects; a family on Apple devices will get more from free iMovie.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
XPPen Deco Fun
XPPen · ages about 8+ (XS size sold for kids)
A sensible first digital-art tool for kids who already use a computer; young kids may prefer drawing directly on a tablet screen.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
Yousician
Yousician Ltd · ages about 13 and up
A fit for teens learning guitar or another instrument on their own; younger kids are outside its own privacy rules.

Know before you buy

Shut down, exposed children's data, or said unsafe things in tests.

WarningFree, with paid extras
Character.AI
Character Technologies, Inc. · ages 18+ for open chat; 13-17 limited to guided formats
Skip it for children and teens; it is a cautionary tale about AI companions, and its future is uncertain.
WarningFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Once Upon a Bot
Charlie Holtz (independent project) · ages about 3-10 (with a parent)
Fun for a parent and child to try together without uploading photos; families who want clear privacy promises should skip it until it publishes a policy.
WarningFreeNo ads
Toontastic 3D
Google · ages about 5-12
Skip it; for young kids' animation today, Stop Motion Studio or ScratchJr are maintained choices.

Also listed on G2

Products G2 files here that we have not researched yet, in G2's order. Most are built for adults or businesses. G2 categories: AI Image Generators Software, Drawing Software, Graphic Design Software, Photo Editing Software, AI Video Generators, Text-to-Music, AI Avatar Generators, AI Storyboard Generators Software, AI Content Creation Platforms Software, Synthetic Media Software.