Smith Micro Software, 2008; $49.99; www.mysmithmicro.com; for ages 9 to 11. Requires: CD-ROM for Windows 2000, NT, XP or Vista; Tablet PC; or Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher.

ArtRage 2.5 is awesome! Kids experiment with different kinds of virtual paint tools and styles, including oils, palette knife, pencils, chalk, airbrush, rollers and glitter – all without the fuss, mess and expense of fully stocking an art studio. Kids have virtual stencils and tracing paper features at their disposal to help get them started. An easy-to-use interface and tutorials help them understand the basics of creating great art.