Foldify

foldify-hero

Decorate 3D paper models, then print and fold.

Foldify allows your kids to decorate ten 3D papercraft model templates on your iPad. After coloring and decorating a template, they print their creation, cut, fold, and glue. It’s a simple idea, elegantly executed, and lots of fun for crafty kids.The app gives a realtime preview of the 3D model which can be an interesting exercise in spatial thinking. It also provides a basic set of drawing tools and a few pre-canned “stick on” artwork collections. Several collections of additional elements (clothes, accessories, bitmap stickers) are available as in-app purchases. (As the default set is so basic, this might be a turn-off for some parents.)

The print interface is seamless if you have an airprint-enabled printer. Note that actual models work best if you can print on heavy paper stock (regular printer paper works but is flimsy and hard to work with). Ultimately, my kids enjoy playing with the app itself and seeing the live 3D renderings of their 2D drawings. They haven’t felt the need to print out many of their creations (the precise folding and cutting was a challenge for my five-year-old who got frustrated, but was fun for my eight-year-old). My hope is that eventually the app will allow kids to design their own templates for new model shapes and to paste their own images from the photo library. This is an innovative, well-made app that will be in heavy rotation in our house for some time.