We’re quite excited about the potential for 3D printing technology, and some children’s apps are already exploring the idea. Now there’s a dedicated 3D printer for kids: Printeer.

It’s been developed by a company in the US called Mission Street Manufacturing, which is trying to raise $50,000 on crowdfunding website Kickstarter to roll the product out.

“ In a digital age, when technology skills are some of the most important a child can learn, is there a way to bridge the gap between the screen and the physical world? Now there is,” explains its pitch to potential backers.

“3D printing is tailor-made for today’s curious, tech-savvy kids. And that’s why we’ve made Printeer.”

Here’s how it will work: children will use the Printeer iPad app to draw… well, whatever they like, really: characters and shapes by the looks of things. They’ll then be able to view them in 3D, and send them to the printer to turn into solid objects.

“Printeer is easy to use, fun for people of all ages, and safe for children with adult supervision,” claims Mission Street Manufacturing. That includes its use of “non-toxic” PLA plastic filament for the actual printing.

A nice touch: the Printeer is transparent, so children can watch its innards as it prints. That’s a good way to demystify 3D printing – for us adults as well as for kids!

Now, the cost. Printeer is pretty affordable by 3D printer standards, although that’s pretty expensive by Christmas Present Budget standards. People pledging $549 or more will get one of the first production run in October.

One day in to its Kickstarter campaign, the Printeer has already raised more than $13,800 – more than a quarter of its target funding with 29 days to go. We’ll keep an eye on it to see if it makes the goal.

If you’re interested in kids and 3D printing, we’d recommend checking out our stories on Blokify, Monstermatic and Makies Doll Factory – three of the apps already exploring this area.