This article was published on January 12, 2017

Google’s Toontastic 3D lets kids (and adults) create storytelling cartoons


A couple of years ago, Google acquired Launch Toys, the company behind Toontastic, an app that allowed kids to easily create storytelling cartoons. That app has now gotten a big update with a 3D version.

Toontastic 3D tries make it easy for kids to present their ideas without needing to work their way around complicated video software or be bored by PowerPoint.

It’s a fairly simple process: You decide how many ‘arcs’ you want your story to have (with presets including short story, classic story, and science report), select a background, and then pick the characters who will star in your presentation.

You can use either included presets or draw your own backgrounds and characters, although the included options feature fancy animations you can’t draw on your own. You also have your option of adding your face to one of the included characters, because why not?

After that, you can start animating your characters, add voice overs, and mess around with the backgrounds to tell your story.

Google plans to add more assets you can use over time, as well as different story arc presets to help kids get started. It’s a neat alternative to a boring presentation or display board, and I see more than a few adults having fun with this too.

It’s available on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store now. Best of all, it’s free.

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