Pros:

  1. It is FREE and easy to use
  2. It achieves numerous educational purposes (Storytelling, WH questions , Developing complex sentences, Pretend Play, Linking ideas, Improving syntax, Following directions, Increasing use of pronouns/verbs, Comprehending spatial terms)
  3. Encourages imaginative play
  4. Parent/Teacher Guide on website- filled with helpful information and interactive questions. http://launchpadtoys.com/toontastic/parent-teacher-guide/
  5. App is exciting, engaging and motivating for elementary age children
  6. Allows students to share story online
  7. Unlimited choices to animate even the wildest stories

 

Cons:

  1. Hard to record in groups
  2.  Mood music overpowers character’s voices
  3. No pre-planning or brainstorming prior to creating story. In early stages, kids tend to just create dialogue like “boom” “pow” without a real story line. Worked much better to have kids or students become familiar with the program, brainstorm and develop their stories with a storyboard first and then have them create it on Toontastic
  4. Animating the characters and editing needs performance, kids may find it difficult when they start using the app.
  5. No text tools allowed. However, it may be intent for encouraging students to depend on their vocal abilities, but it is still a good tool to be provided in up coming versions.
  6. According to several parents reviews, the product doesn’t fit the recommended age (6-8) years. Parents says that it requires 8 year kids and up, because its interface is complicated for Kindergartners, and the story structure needs higher abilities than KG’s ones.
  7. The “ToonTube” feature isn’t available anymore, and that caused big frustration for many many kids and their parents.