KidPad

KidPad turns a phone or tablet into a small world your child can explore on their own. Everything in it is pretend. Young children want the device they see grown-ups using. KidPad gives them one. The home screen is a grid of large, brightly coloured icons and each one opens its own activity. Every tap goes somewhere harmless. There is nothing to buy, nobody real on the other end of the phone, and no route out to the internet. NINE THINGS TO PLAY WITH: Drawing: A full-screen canvas for finger painting, with bright colours, an eraser and a button to start again. The picture is still there next time. Camera: A real viewfinder with front and back cameras. Tap to take the photo. Pictures are saved in the app's own gallery, not your photo library. Restaurant: Pick food and drink from a menu, build up an order, watch the total climb, then print a receipt at the end. Trains and Buses: A ticket shop with a basket to fill. The tickets print out at the counter. Rescue: Choose police, fire or ambulance, then wait for a callout. Drive out, attend the scene, finish the job, and the next one comes in. Lights and siren work. Phone: Call someone from the phone book and watch it connect (Not a real call!). Sometimes it rings the other way and your child gets to decide whether to answer. Clock: An analogue clock face with hands that move as the real day does. Timer: Set a length of time, watch it wind down, hear it go off. Calculator: Big, well spaced keys that are easy to name out loud when you are working through numbers together. FOR GROWN-UPS: The settings screen sits behind a PIN you choose the first time you open the app. From there you can switch individual activities on and off, so the home screen only shows what suits your child today. You can also mute all sound, edit the names in the pretend phone book, and change the PIN. WHAT KIDPAD DOES NOT DO? There is no advertising and there are no in-app purchases. You do not need an account and there is nothing to sign in to. Nothing your child draws, photographs or types leaves the device, and photos taken in the app stay inside the app. KidPad does not lock the device by itself. To hand a phone or tablet over safely, you must enable guided access.