At the start of last week, while standing at the checkout at our local office supplies store, I realized markers weren’t on the list.
I left the house with the kids’ supplies list, which included pens, notebooks, notebook paper, a couple of binders, and a zipper pouch, but markers were not on the list.
That couldn’t be right. We are always buying markers, have always bought markers, and will always buy markers. Markers are a staple in the house.
I texted Meredith from the store:
Me: “Hey, don’t you need markers?”
Meredith: “no”
Me: “Ask your brother.”
Meredith: “nope”
Me: “Nope? As in, you won’t ask him, or he doesn’t need them.”
Meredith: “funny”
Me: “I’m not being funny. I’m serious, which is it?”
Meredith: “Momma! No, he doesn’t need markers. We didn’t put markers on the list. We don’t use markers anymore.”
(I could sense her exasperation because she capitalized and used punctuation.)
Me: “Did you hear that?”
Meredith: “?”
Me: “The earth just imploded. We’re all moments from death. Thanks so much for killing the world.”
Meredith: “You’re really, really strange sometimes Momma.”
Me: “That’s Momma Zombie, thankyouverymuch.”
I’m not strange.
I just wasn’t ready for the transition away from crayons when it happened, and now, markers.
Feeling old, I purchased a pack of colored Sharpies.
And, I felt MUCH better.
That may or may not prove Meredith’s point that I’m “really, really strange sometimes.”
Here’s the thing though. Kids grow up. Things change. They stop drawing a million pictures a day at some point. I am at that point.
You may not be at the point, and wishing you were.
Here are four apps that will help you preserve your child(ren)’s artwork for eternity (or at least, for as long as you desire).
I recently chose to get rid of a lot of stuff, but how in the world could I part with these or these, and many more like them?
I can’t. I won’t. And you shouldn’t either.
If you are looking for ways to store your grown children’s drawings, I’ve got an app for that.
If you want to reduce the amount of art clutter on your fridge, hallway, closet door, kitchen wall, and office NOW, I’ve got an app for that, too.
If you are a closet marker hoarder with issues, you’re on your own.
*****Artkive*****
Never again feel guilty about throwing away any of your kids’ artwork. With Artkive, you can get rid of the clutter and chronologically store, share and print your child’s artwork or schoolwork.
Website: https://www.artkiveapp.com
Compatibility: iOS and Android
Price: $4.99 (iOS), FREE (Android)
Artkive saves images of your child’s artwork just like you’d see them in a true art gallery. Each image has a “plaque” attached to the bottom that shows which child created the artwork, what grade they are/were in, the date it was created, and a title.
As with the other artwork archive apps, your images are stored safely and privately. You get to decide who you want to include in your “circle” and even share them with friends on Facebook.
What makes Artkive stand out is how beautifully and easily it converts your child’s artwork into hardcover “artkive” books.
*****ArtMyKidMade*****
Kids make a lot of art and while parents can’t keep it all, we feel terrible when we have to throw some of it away. Art My Kid Made streamlines the process of archiving your kids art and sharing it with friends and family.
Website: http://artmykidmade.com
Compatibility: iOS
Price: Free
The Art My Kid Made app seems geared toward children specifically. They would have a ton of fun with several of the fun photo-editing features.
Here is the list of its key features:
»» You can backup and tag your kids’ art with Evernote and Dropbox
»» You can edit, crop, rotate and add funky effects to your child’s artwork.
»» You can choose how and where your child’s private, secure artwork gets shared online.
»» You can share artwork on Facebook, Twitter or post to the Art My Kid Made blog.
»» You can print your kid’s artwork on greeting or post cards and send it to a friend or family member using Pop Carte.
*****Canvsly*****
Canvsly (pronounced canvas-ly) is a platform to help you capture, organize, and share your child’s precious artwork instantly with family and friends. You can create personalized gifts and presents in minutes.
Website: http://www.canvsly.com
Compatibility: iOS
Price: $2.99
Here is the list of its key features:
»» Your child’s artwork and photos are private by default, giving you full control of who views what. They can instantly share artwork by inviting them to their private circles.
»» Each child gets his/her own space/albums/artwork storage. These can be seen across the child’s timelines so they can watch their art progress while they grow.
»» You can share artwork via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest and Google+. Artwork can also be emailed from the platform.
»» You can convert your child’s handmade artwork into keepsakes or gifts for family and friends. Because of their partnership with Fujifilm, Canvsly offers more than 25 different products from which to choose.
»» You can take advantage of the milestone reward system set up with Kiip.
*****Keepy*****
Keepy is an easy-to-use app that helps parents scrapbook their kids’ memories such as artwork, schoolwork, milestones and more in one safe and private place. It helps you stay organized, save your kids’ memories, and declutter your home.
Website: http://keepy.me
Compatibility: iOS, Android, Kindle
Price: Free (15 Photos & Videos/Month) and Monthly & Annual plans.
I’m not gonna lie. Keepy is my favorite of the four apps because it does everything you’d expect it to do and then, so much more.
Here is the list of its key features:
»» You can upload photos, art, mementos, etc.
»» You can assign each family member an individual memory timeline.
»» You can crop and enhance photos within the app and organize them directly from your phone.
»» You can invite grandparents and loved ones to be your kids’ “Fans” so they can see everything you save.
»» You and your child can record voice over stories about each photo.
»» Your “Fans” can leave voice, video or text comments about the art, photos and videos uploaded.
»» You can view all your uploads on your very own private Keepy website.
»» Everything syncs to Dropbox for backup and long-term storage in case the Keepy service ever shuts down.
I am an only child. Shortly after I married, my parents gave me two enormous boxes of my childhood things. One box was full of Fisher Price toys and Legos. The other box was full of schoolwork from, and I’m not kidding here, Kindergarten.
Deciding what to keep and what to toss was hard. I would have loved to have had any of the above archive apps to store away those things for later; I would have stored much more than I did, that’s for certain.
Do you use any apps or any electronic method of storage that I didn’t mention above? If so, let me know in the comments.
And if you think it is the most abhorrent thing imaginable to throw away PAPER and store the image, you can let us know that too. I’m still getting over that myself.
About the Author: Heather Sanders is a work at home mom who homeschools her three children. If you’d like to learn how to pursue your passions and earn an income while staying home with your kids, subscribe today.