The short version
- To color their own photos: Color Cafe (ours).
- For ready-made kid pictures: Pazu's Color by Number Games for Kids.
- For a younger sibling: Color Tap, made for ages 0–5.
- For coloring alongside them: Lake, a no-ads coloring app for grown-ups.
Why iPad is great for coloring
The big screen makes small squares easy to see and tap. A kid can zoom out and see the whole picture, then zoom in to finish a corner. It's also easy to share: one iPad on the kitchen table, two kids taking turns.
Our picks for kids 6 to 8
1. Color Cafe (ours): color your own photos
Your kid takes a photo with the iPad, and Color Cafe turns it into a numbered pixel picture. Hard pictures go up to 128 × 128 squares, and the iPad screen is where they shine. Press and hold to paint, drag to move, and pinch to zoom. No ads, no accounts, and it works offline. It runs on iPhone, iPad, and iPhone Duo, and one subscription covers every kid's iPad with Family Sharing.
Pictures are saved on each device, so a picture started on one iPad stays on that iPad.
2. Color by Number Games for Kids (Pazu): ready-made pictures
Labeled Made for Ages 6–8 and designed for iPad. It uses ready-made kid pictures. Pazu PLUS is $9.99 a month and covers Pazu's other games. Its privacy label lists data linked to you, so read it first.
3. Color Tap: for little brothers and sisters
Free, with no ads, no in-app purchases, and a Data Not Collected label. It's designed for iPad and labeled Made for Ages 0–5, so it's a good pick for a younger sibling coloring next to an older one.
4. Lake: for the grown-up next to them
Lake is a coloring app for grown-ups, rated 4+, and its listing doesn't mention ads. It's free coloring (you pick the colors yourself, with no numbers), with Apple Pencil Pro hover support. Plans include $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Coloring side by side is half the fun.
Checked on the US App Store on November 1, 2026. Prices and labels change, so check the listing before you buy.
iPad tips for parents
- Guided Access keeps the iPad in one app. Turn it on in Settings, Accessibility, Guided Access, then triple-click the top or Home button inside the app.
- Ask to Buy sends purchase requests to you. Set it up in Family Sharing.
- Screen Time sets daily limits and content restrictions. Find it in Settings.
- Airplane mode test. Turn it on and open the app. If it still works, it's good for car rides.
- Turn off Auto-Lock for long sessions, or set it to 5 minutes, in Settings, Display & Brightness.
- Check Family Sharing on any subscription, so each kid's iPad unlocks without a second purchase.