An iPad is a kids-friendly device. Its touch-screen interface, removes the complexities associated with buttons/physical keypads. It has a high resolution display, which makes graphics and animations come alive and it is orientation sensitive, which means that no matter how kids hold it, it won't affect the app. All this also matters, when you develop apps meant for kids.
Let us take a look at some of the dos and don'ts of kids-friendly iPad application development.
Do use a riot of colors in the app
Kids love colors and they simply can't get enough of them. Hence, while developing an iPad app for kids, use a lot of colors in your app, which will fascinate them. For instance, if you are developing a game app, use various colors in the background,, also make sure that you offer colorful characters, and even the gameplay buttons should bring together a host of colors. The more colors you use, the more vibrant the app looks and this is what appeals to the kids.
Don't include a lot of text
Never make the mistake of including a lot of text in an iPad app meant for kids. Remember, a section of your target audience in this case is preschoolers who can barely read, let alone understand lengthy text. What you can do instead is use a lot of voice based instructions and animated arrow-like elements and buttons, which tell them what to do next. Suppose you develop a 'read along story' app, make sure that there are no more than 4 lines of text on each page and the font used is large enough for the kids to read.
Do use big sized buttons and arrow elements
Tiny tots have tiny-fingers and thumbs. So, while designing the interface of your app, make sure that they are able to click on various elements in the app easily. For instance, if you are developing a drawing based app, what you can do is give them a toolbox with a large-sized color palette, so that they can easily select the color of their choice and use it to doodle.
Don't make the app complex
The crux of any iPad app designed for kids, is simplicity. The app must be simple so that kids of all age-groups can use it with ease. Hence, do away with all the design elements, which can make the app complicated for kids. A case in point would be drop down menus, which you must totally avoid while designing kids-friendly apps. This is because while using the app, kids can accidentally click on a menu and tap on a menu item.
Do use kids-friendly gesture
Always use kids-friendly gestures in your app. What I mean to say is that most kids are not familiar with various multi-touch gestures used on the iPad device and find it difficult to use them. For instance, gestures like drag and drop, pinch to zoom etc. are not something that is easy to learn for many kids. This is why, you must use kids-friendly gestures like sliding, swiping or single tap - which are easy for them to learn and can be used without the assistance of their parents or tutors.
To sum it up
These were some of the dos and don'ts of iPad application development for kids. Keep them in mind while developing your next app and see how it becomes a success with your end-users.
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