Seven cool things to do with your iPad

Most people use the iPad for web browsing, email and playing simple games. Dig a little deeper however, and you’ll discover that the iPad is veritable Swiss Army knife of interactivity.

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1. Catch up on missed TV

With its high-resolution screen, the iPad is great way to watch movies and TV shows. You can buy or rent movies and shows from iTunes directly from the iPad, or stream them using a service such as Now TV or Netflix for a monthly fee. 

If you don’t fancy paying – you can watch Freeview TV or catch up on missed shows using a free app such as BBC iPlayer.

Discover the best apps for film and TV

2. Play board games

An iPad is like taking your entire board game collection with you – ideal for travel, family get-togethers or dreary afternoons stuck inside when it’s raining. 

There’s a wide choice of board games available on the App Store, including Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk, The Game of Life, Boggle and Pictureka! 

With most costing less than £6, board game apps are cheaper than their cardboard counterparts and there’s no chance of losing the dice.

3. Read the latest blockbuster

Enjoy curling up with a good book? An iPad can double up as an eBook reader. Tap the iBooks app to visit Apple’s iBook Store, which has a vast range of bestsellers, classics and free books. 

You can also download the free iPad Kindle app to read any Amazon Kindle books you own, and books can be synced so you can pick up where you left off across different devices.

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4. Listen to music and radio

The iPad is a great music player. Sync it with iTunes on your computer to transfer music that you own, or consider a subscription to Apple Music that lets you stream songs and albums from Apple’s vast music library for a set monthly fee. 

There are tons of great radio and music apps too, such as Spotify, Pandora, iHeart Radio and Stitcher. Or, you can listen to BBC radio with the free BBC iPlayer app.

Discover the best music apps

5. Learn to create music

Get your groove on with Apple’s free GarageBand app. This music-creation app provides a full recording studio at your fingertips. With hundreds of realistic virtual instruments, you can quickly start making professional quality music. 

Recordings can be edited, have audio effects added and then shared with others. And, if you’re more musical novice than virtuoso, GarageBand includes a collection of piano and guitar lessons to get you started.

6. Take the director’s seat

Whether you fancy creating a few home movies or a film worthy of an Oscar, the iPad is the perfect tool for budding filmmakers. 

Apple’s free movie-making app iMovie lets you create films and blockbuster-style trailers easily. You simply select a theme and add your video clips, then throw in some audio and special effects if required. 

Sharing the finished video with friends and family is easy too; you can upload it to iMovie Theater, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo or share it via iMessage.

7. Evoke your inner Picasso

Using its screen as a canvas, you can create art anywhere with the iPad – all you need is your finger. Whether you’re interested in doodling, sketching, drawing or painting a masterpiece with virtual oils, there are loads of free art apps for hobbyists and professional artists alike. 

Popular free apps include Brushes, Tayasui Sketches and Autodesk SketchBook, while paid-for apps range from ArtSet (£1.49) and ArtRage (£3.99) to Procreate (£4.49) and Inspire Pro (£7.99).

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