Ah, the summer holidays; six weeks out of school to have fun. For me they were all about watching the local farmer make hay in the fields (I loved tractors). When I was a bit older, I switched to perfecting special moves in Street Fighter 2, but on the whole, the holidays are a bit of a blur, looking back.

A new app from Macclesfield-based Matmi aims to help kids capture and share their experiences with friends, family, or even their future selves. The story goes that DiaryZapp came about after 10-year-old Noah Dance thought his sister Ella’s assignment to write a diary of the summer holidays would be more fun in a digital form. His parents approached Matmi with the concept, and a year on, the app is available for iOS and Android.

DiaryZapp allows kids to write diary entries, draw pictures and add photos. Depending on how parents have set the privacy options, children can then share their entries with approved contacts. Those contacts (grandparents, for example) can reply, making the whole thing that little bit more interactive. And through using the app, kids can unlock new features to keep them engaged.

Photobox integration means parents can order a physical version of the diary to keep in a more tangible form.

DiaryZapp’s promotional video

It’s a neat idea for keeping kids occupied in a creative way over the summer, and worth a try if you’re a parent with young ones. It costs £3.99 and has no pesky in-app purchases to worry about.

We’ve previously profiled Matmi chief Jeff Coghlan, so don’t miss that article for more background on the company behind DiaryZapp.