The possibilities are endless for the kinds of comics kids create -- either using the existing backgrounds, themes, and stickers or getting totally creative and starting from scratch with their own photos. There's a lot of room for customization and creativity as kids alter photos and maneuver elements within the comic strips. Text space is limited, as it always is in comic strips, so kids much think critically to get their message across with images and a few words. Teachers could create their own comic strips to present lessons or ideas to students, or students could create comic strips to publish their writing or as a culminating project for a science or social studies unit or for literature.
Continue readingSeedling Comic Studio is a creation tool that lets students take and edit pictures and then add words, stickers, and backgrounds to create comic strips. Some backgrounds and stickers are available for free, and others can be purchased in-app. Kids can share their creations via email, SMS, or other social media connected on the device. Besides the app, Seedling sells creative play kits, and kids can connect to the toy store through the app by solving a multiplication problem. Language options include English and Spanish.
Students create the comic strips, using layouts from one panel to six. First, they choose a layout from the template selections, tap the panel to take a photo, add a background, and then embellish with speech bubbles, thought bubbles, or stickers. With the photo editing options, kids can flip pictures, change filters, or cut out the person to drop them into a new background. Designs are saved automatically by date created to the device and can be edited, deleted, or shared.
This creative tool makes it easy for kids to make impressive comic strips featuring their own photos and ideas. Tools run along the top and bottom of the screen, putting all options at kids' fingertips. There are no instructions or tutorials, so students will need to play around with it to figure out all of the creative options. Most impressive are the photo-editing options: Students can use a filter to change photos to sketches, give someone a comic-like bulge, or pixelate their photos.