Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad
Our Verdict
As a gamer, the Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad feels exactly like dropping a UI overlay onto a physical piece of paper. It is the ultimate real-world tutorial for developing muscle memory and fine motor control. You aren’t just handing your kids a blank sheet and telling them to draw; you are giving them the exact blueprint to trace and succeed, which massively boosts their confidence. The bright LED backlighting makes the lines pop perfectly, creating a highly engaging, focused activity that keeps them entirely off their digital screens while still satisfying that itch for illuminated, tech-based gear. It is an exceptionally clever, low-profile tool that effortlessly turns a chaotic afternoon into a quiet, heavily concentrated art session.
Why It's Great for Aussie Kids
When the unpredictable Melbourne weather absolutely packs it in and we are trapped inside our Carnegie house for the weekend, the Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad is an absolute lifesaver. Instead of the kids arguing over the TV remote, they are locked into this pad at the kitchen bench.
From an educational perspective, it is a brilliant, stealthy way to support the ‘Visual Arts’ and fine motor skill development components of the early Victorian Curriculum F-10. They are practicing pencil grip, line weight, and spatial awareness without feeling like they are sitting down to do tedious homework.
It is also a fantastic piece of portable gear for our family camping trips. When we are out past the Grampians and the sun goes down, the kids can sit in the tent with their headlamps off and just use the glow of the tracing pad to draw before bed. It easily survives being shoved into a backpack and handles the rough-and-tumble of an active Aussie lifestyle beautifully.
What We Love
- Ultra-thin design with bright, even LED backlighting makes tracing complex images incredibly easy
- Acts as a brilliant, tactile bridge to teach pencil control and foundational fine motor skills
- Feels like a tech gadget to a child, successfully replacing an iPad without actually being a screen
Things to Consider
- Requires 3 AA batteries that are not included, and it will drain them quickly with heavy daily use
- The included paper locking mechanism can be slightly fiddly, causing the tracing sheet to slip if pressed too hard
- Kids burn through the included blank tracing sheets at lightning speed, requiring you to constantly source more paper
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