What's the best (non-tablet) software for kids?

4 points by qq66 2y ago ↗ HN

I'm setting up a computer for my 6-year-old and would like to put good software on it. It can be a Mac or PC as I haven't bought it yet. I'm going to install Microsoft Word because I think it's fun to just type random stuff and mess around with fonts, I remember doing that a lot as a kid.

I'm looking for a good turtle LOGO program that isn't too complicated.

I think I'll install SimCity 2000 as the first game and show him how to use it.

I'll install Google Earth because it's mindboggling how much information is in there.

Any other ideas?

5 comments

[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 26.8 ms ] thread

MichaelMug 2y ago ↗

I remember in the 90s playing a whole lot of educational software at home and school. This has since disappeared. Edmark Zap!, Math Quest, Mental Math, Carmen Sandiego, Pajama Sam. The latter two being slightly less educational. You can find them on the web and can be run in WASM emulators from the browser.

Most games I see today are aimed at teens/adults for console/pc. And the others are ad serving platforms disguised as games on mobile. Although Netflix subscribers have access to many mobile games sans ads.

helph67 2y ago ↗

"Over 6000+ DOS/Windows and Console games preserved for future generations". https://classicreload.com/

solardev 2y ago ↗

Mm... I can't remember what it's like to be 6 years old (maybe they're too young still?), but these days there are a lot of light-programming-inside-games that they can do, like Fortnite Creative Mode or Roblox or Lego Worlds or of course Minecraft. Most of those games they can start off just playing (with supervision, if needed) and then eventually make stuff in later on, only if they like it.

And there's also visual programming stuff like Scratch, which targets kids. I dunno, those just sound more fun than Logo or MS Word, lol.

Also, an iPad or Fire for Kids might be another thing to consider... there are a lot of kid apps and it's less maintenance than a real computer and more parent-lock-downable, I think.

flakyfilibuster 2y ago ↗

can't speak about the other applications, however, unless your 6 year old is exceptional, i'd go for point and click adventures of the humongous entertainment ilk instead of sim city https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Humongous%2...

eimrine 2y ago ↗

I would like to use FOSS as much as possible with the important exception of Stamina because I have learned touchtyping in this program and I don't know how to teach touchtyping if I decide to use any other program.

My first game was GTA VC and in first half of 00's its engine has absolutely rocked every schoolmates' imagination at those times but I am not sure I would recommend this kind of knowledge bomb to a young person.

Probably OSM might be not worse than GE, at least it is more open and easy to edit.