Learning to draw with iLuv Drawing: Santa HD is an effective way to practice the Planning, Flexibility, and Working Memory thinking skills. Try our suggestions below, or leave us some of your own in the comment field at the bottom of the page. 

Planning Activity

Before beginning a new cartoon, ask your child to create a short list of the different shapes and colors included in the example image. Writing down the individual pieces of the image and indicating which colors are used can be helpful in the later stages of drawing. This process will help your child develop a greater understanding of what tasks will need to be completed and what colors or tools will work best in helping achieve a desirable final result. Your child can also indicate where outlining was used, what type of brush or pencil, and any additional details that may help them during the tracing phase of the project. Some images do not include small details from the example images in their stencils and making note of this could be helpful in the future.

Self-Control Activity

Practice using the different eraser tools with your child. Gaining a comfort with these features as well as understanding which specific situations call for individual tools can make the process much less frustrating later. Your child will feel comfortable using the eraser without unintentionally damaging other portions of the cartoon. Preparing for potential problems by understanding the tools and features available, your child will learn how to avoid or channel frustration by being calm and prepared to correct mistakes.

Working Memory Activity

Experiment with the different tools on a "blank page." Learning to draw using the outlines in the app can be fun, but it can be very helpful to know and understand the different available tools and features before beginning. Try out the paintbrush tool at a few different thickness settings. Which tool does your child like best for outlining, the paintbrush or the pencil? Your child should also experiment with the different colors, learning how each looks when applied to a drawing and committing the different shades to Working Memory for easier identification later. Gaining a feel for the different tools can be beneficial to both practicing Working Memory as well as creating cohesive and neat cartoon drawings.

iLuv Drawing: Santa HD and ADHD

A common problem for children with ADHD is a failure to pay close attention to detail. As a result, they often have trouble following directions. Even though they may have worked diligently on an assignment, the final result may not match the desired outcome indicated by the instructions. Such hard work for little reward can be be very frustrating. iLuv Drawing: Santa HD makes it easy for users to follow guided directions in a step by step process. The app rewards conscientiousness, as it will not allow users to move forward without satisfactorily completing each step.

How to Use iLuv Drawing: Santa HD for Kids with ADHD

• Because the nature of iLuv Drawing: Santa HD revolves around following strict instructions, children with ADHD will be able to overcome creative impulses that can lead them astray from the final product. Walk your child through each step of the drawing process the first time around, noting the importance of each step. Then, have her try the next one on her own. Afterwards, compare the two, noting differences and how a combination of patience and close concentration can help to achieve a desired result.

• Since the app requires children to be thorough and focused for the duration of their project, it can serve as a great way to teach the benefits of being careful and thorough while working on a project. Tell your child to create lines and circles in one fluid motion in order for them to look smooth, and encourage her to go back and fix is may mean hitting the undo button several times and losing some progress, but explain that the additional effort put in will result in a better final creation in the end. This process will serve to highlight the benefits of maintain attention to a task at hand, while helping to avoid the impulse to rush, or move on until an activity is thoroughly completed.

• Use the various drawing tools and options available in iLuv Drawing: Santa HD to exercise Flexibility and Working Memory. Have your child create an original drawing use only one type of brush, and then switch to a different drawing tool for the next sketch. Do this until your child has used each one of the tools. Have her explain the benefits of each tool, and note the importance of becoming familiar with each one. An understanding of each utensil's functionality is crucial for creating well made drawing, and helps re-enforce a thorough approach to learning applicable outside the app.

iLuv Drawing: Santa HD is just one of a variety of drawing apps for the iPad. Try some of the alternatives below and be sure to let us know which one you like best. 

iLuv Drawing: Animals HD

This app works like iLuv Drawing: Santa, but includes different, non-holiday animal themes. Continue learning to draw cartoons using similar tools and features with all new stencils. Discover more here.

iLuv Drawing: People HD

Another app in the iLuv Drawing series. Learning to draw people is often challenging for a lot of young artists. Learn to draw cartoon bodies and faces using the same familiar tools and features from the other iLuv Drawing apps. Learn more here.

SketchBookX

An app with a wide variety of tools and features for creating drawings from scratch. Users can utilize a stylus or their finger to create completely original works and save their creations to the sketchbook. Find out more here.