What Are The Best Apps To Promote Creativity In Students?

Nailing down exactly what promotes creativity isn’t easy, if for no other reason than creativity looks different depending on what you’re talking about:

Problem-solving?

Drawing?

Social interactions?

But fundamentally-speaking, among the factors that promote creativity are collaboration, modeling, dynamic tools, and confidence.

Tablets and smartphones feature some design elements that inherently promote creativity as well, including elegant touch-interfaces, a personal screen, and available connectivity with other apps and devices.

When you combine these mobile devices with apps that promote creativity as well, and you’ve got a powerful combination that–in the right workflow–can produce some spectacular results.

Workflow Matters

In the creative process, workflow matters.

Choosing when to expose a student to a new model to collaboration opportunity–or if to provide a rubric or scoring guide–can greatly impact the end result.

The same with how the assignment is ‘given,’ if the students have voice and choice, where the product might be published, how easily it is to share drafts of work, how easy it is to provide helpful feedback (versus superficial commentary), and so on, all can factor into the creativity in  project or product.

The following apps were all selected for their media format, interface, accessibility, collaborative potential, or workflow-friendly design.

And note, most are based on visuals–video, painting, etc.–but some are productivity-based, and many feature intentional elements designed to socialize thinking, brainstorm collaboratively, and easily share drafts with peers, teachers, and others.

There are many apps that can help promote creativity in students. Here are some of the best ones:

Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform that allows students to create beautiful designs, graphics, and presentations.

Provides design templates

Canva provides a wide range of design templates that can be easily customized and adapted to suit different design needs. This can help students get started with their design projects and inspire them to experiment with different design elements.

Offers design tools

Canva offers a range of design tools that can help students create custom designs, such as adding text, images, and graphics to their projects. These tools can help students unleash their creativity and express themselves in new and exciting ways.

It encourages collaboration

Canva allows students to collaborate on design projects in real-time. This can help students share ideas and work together to create visually appealing designs.

Provides design inspiration

Canva has a design inspiration section where students can find design ideas and examples from other users. This can help students get inspired and come up with their own unique design concepts.

Supports a range of design projects

Canva supports a wide range of design projects, such as posters, flyers, social media graphics, and presentations. This can help students explore different design mediums and express their creativity in different ways.

What other apps can help promote creativity in students–and in children and teens, in general.

More Creativity Apps For Students 

Adobe Creative Suite

While generally driven toward older students and adult professionals, Adobe Creative Suite is still the de facto standard for formal creativity. This collection of creative apps includes Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. These apps allow students to create beautiful graphics, illustrations, and designs.

Scratch

Scratch is a programming language and an online community where you can create and share interactive stories, games, and animations. The Scratch app is a free software program that allows you to easily create your own interactive projects using a visual programming interface.

With Scratch, you can drag and drop blocks of code to create animations, games, music, and more. You can also add your own graphics, sounds, and other media to customize your projects. Scratch is designed to be easy to use for beginners, but also powerful enough for more advanced users to create complex projects.

The Scratch community allows you to share your projects with others and explore the projects that others have created. You can also remix other users’ projects by adding your own ideas and modifications. Scratch is a great tool for learning programming concepts and developing your creativity and problem-solving skills.

MindNode

MindNode is a mind-mapping app that allows students to organize their thoughts and ideas visually.

Padlet

Padlet is an online collaboration and organization tool that allows users to create virtual ‘walls’ or ‘boards’ where they can post and share text, images, videos, and other types of content. It can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including brainstorming, class discussions, project management, event planning, and more.

Padlet boards are customizable and can be shared with a specific group of people or publicly on the web. Users can collaborate on the board in real-time, allowing for easy communication and idea-sharing. Padlet also offers a range of features, such as the ability to add comments, tags, and reactions to posts, as well as integrations with other tools such as Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

Padlet is available as a web-based tool and also has mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. It is used by individuals, educators, and businesses around the world as a versatile and user-friendly tool for collaboration and organization.

Google Slides

While not immediately thought of as an app to promote creativity in students, presentations are a common form of creative presentation and Google Slides is nonetheless a presentation app that allows students to create and share ideas, perspectives, and more.

Flip

Flip (formerly FlipGrid) is a video discussion platform that allows students to record and share short videos with their classmates.

GarageBand

GarageBand is a music creation app that allows students to create their own music and podcasts.

Tinkercad

Tinkercad is a 3D design and modeling app that allows students to create 3D models and prototypes.

Procreate

Procreate is a digital drawing and painting app that allows students to create beautiful artworks.

These apps can help students unleash their creativity and express themselves in new and exciting ways.

25 Of The Best Apps To Promote Creativity In Students