The Paint and Celebrate Event sponsored by McDonald’s and Microsoft today is a very interesting advanced Mother’s Day treat for all moms and kids. Held at McDonald’s Greenbelt 1 store in Makati, it allowed children to access the Windows 8 app called “Fresh Paint” to create greeting cards for their moms for the coming Mother’s Day celebration. Watching my own kids do it, I realized I may have just stumbled upon a way for them to educate and entertain themselves while using the computer.

paint & celebrate

Paint and Celebrate Promo

Every child who wishes to provide his or her mom a unique and unforgettable greeting card while having the chance to win exciting prizes can join the “Paint and Celebrate Promo”. The promo mechanics are quite simple.

1. Buy a Happy Meal and Value Meal on all Saturdays and Sundays of May.

2. Make a Mother’s Day greeting card at the Paint and Celebrate Booth located in 20 selected McDonald’s stores from 10 am to 5 pm.

3. Get a chance to win any of the exciting prizes in store by the end of May which includes 60 minor prizes for a McCelebration Party Gift Certificate and 1 Grand Prize of an Acer Aspire P3 powered by Windows 8.

4. Participating McDonald’s branches are located in Greenbelt, Quezon Avenue, Alabang, Regalado, Marcos Hi-Way, North Ave. Caltex, Pontevia, Las Pinas, Southwoods Ecocentrum, Cainta Poblacion, El Pueblo, Barangka, Greenhills, Ortigas Extension Cainta, Tomas Morato, PRC, Frontera Verde, West Ave., Katipunan, and Pioneer Reliance.

Windows 8 Fresh Paint App

Image: MIcrosoft

Image: Microsoft

Fresh Paint is a painting application made available to the family through Windows 8. It helps unleash the creativity within every person by making it easy and delightfully fun to use. Whether or not the person using it is an aspiring artist, this free app will provide the means to create realistic artworks. The paint and tools needed are provided so that users can produce works that are similar to oil paint on canvas.

Since everything will be happening while using the computer instead of actual paints and brushes, there is no need to concern one’s self with the usual mess and clean-up, not to mention costly art supplies. As kids and adults alike blend and mix unlimited colors, art results can only be confined by one’s imagination. Mistakes are easy to erase with the undo button. Painting can be done by hand like finger painting or by the use of a mouse. Sharing the artwork is as easy as tapping “Share”.

Paint and Celebrate Event

mcdonalds & microsoft

The Paint and Celebrate Event was graced by McDonald’s Marketing Director Rommel Ong and Windows Business Lead of Microsoft Philippines Mae Rivera Moreno. Both of them shared their excitement in this collaboration between McDonald’s and Microsoft. Several children were given the chance to make greeting cards for their moms and had the results to show off to the event attendees.

My Say

My own children have been trying the Windows 8 Fresh Paint app for several  months now and are enjoying every moment of it. For my part as a parent, it offered a relief from all the usual games that seem to occupy their time when using the computer. It offered a way to learn new things as they try their hands on art every once in a while. Exposure to art is always good to be part of a child’s development. The Paint and Celebrate Promo may just give them enough reason to take it a notch higher as both want the  chance to win the gadget grand prize or even a McCelebration party gift certificate.