[cryptopian]

I think the most important word in the OP is

> My kids all love _making_ art

There's a real human sense of accomplishment and ownership when you put your own effort into making your own creations real. Typing words into a box to make a picture is a fun novelty, and might be useful to people who have to shovel images out the door, but I've never felt anything like the same satisfaction, and I'd imagine kids feel that innately.

[whimsicalism]

sure, my comment is merely to express doubt that that the specific level of dislike from the kids is organic. most people do not hate like that on first impression, even if the satisfaction is of course not the same.