There’s nothing worse than hearing how an entire school district is switching operating systems from Mac to Windows (or vice versa) because that’s what the “business” world relies on or some other blather. The costs associated with the transition are enormous and the whole ‘to do’ is unnecessary, because features on applications mimic one another. Additionally, it seems one option is Linux, which is open source and free.
The idea in technology (and education for that matter), is to teach concepts so the whole underrated independent thinking mode can kick in when little Johnny is tinkering with different programs. Then true exploring and true creating can occur and the operating system or program is of little consequence. Also, with a little time, most users, especially children, will be able to get around in the program and start creating. Since no one can predict which operating system will have the majority market share in the future it seems pointless to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars solely on that basis alone.
In that vein, below is a round-up of exceptional Linux programs for children which cater to their endless fascination with learning exploration and fun. Please check them out and let us know your favorites. And if you like them, be sure to share them with your friends >>>
Award winning drawing software program for children ages 3-12 with easy to use interface, sound effects and a cartoon mascot for help. There’s no real learning curve and kids can get started right away with discovering and creating works of art. The tools include basic geometric shapes, a pencil, paint can with lots of colors to select, an eraser, and an airbrush for cool effects. Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Explore the universe in three dimensions in real time. Celestia allows you to explore the vast universe from anywhere, not just the confines of earth. You can travel through the solar system and even beyond the galaxy. If the large catalog of stars, moons, planets, comets, etc. is not enough for you, you can add-on more. Runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
Educational software suite targeted for children ages 2-10 with over 100 learning activities, with many game oriented to make learning fun. Includes tools for learning algebra, science, geography, games like chess, puzzles of famous paintings, memory, etc. Runs on Windows and Linux.
Educational software suite for children ages 3-18 with a special user interface for young users. The suite runs on Unix, BSD, Linux and now available in beta on Windows. Contains unique programs like KStars, an accurate graphical simulation of the night sky, from any location on Earth, at any date and time. Others are listed below:
Kanagram is a neat language arts tool which mixes up words to create anagrams to help build vocabulary skills. Children have to guess what the correct word is as hints are provided.
KTouch – Since kids aren’t required to take typing in school anymore, KTouch is a nice alternative to the teacher with the beehive yelling “faster.” This program teaches touch typing.
KBruch -Nice fractions practice program. Provides students four ways to calculate fractions and enhance their fractions computing skill.
Kig is a program to explore geometric constructions and is aimed at high school students and teachers. It is a powerful utility which allows students to interactively explore mathematical figures and concepts using the computer and provides a WYSIWYG tool for drawing mathematical figures and including them in other documents.
Khangman – the classic hangman game with pupils try to guess a word, letter by letter. At each miss, the picture of a hangman is added to. After 10 incorrect tries the game is over.
GAMES
Linux has great games for kids. Below are some of our favorites.
Ri-li – Here’s an arcade game where you don’t kill anything to win. Basically, you drive a toy wood engine in many levels and collect all the coaches to win. Runs in Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
Atanks – A game where you annihilate other tanks to earn money, then spend it on bigger and better shields and weapons to wipe out the opposition. Runs on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
PROGRAMMING
Programming language for children ages 8+ where they can create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art and then share them on the web. Scratch emphasizes 21st century skills such as thinking creatively, communicating clearly, analyzing systematically, using technologies fluently, collaborating effectively, designing iteratively, learning continuously. Runs on Mac and Windows and unofficially, Linux.
BEST ALL IN ONE
We saved the best for last. If you want it all, operating system, educational software, office software and graphics software, Edubuntu is the system for you. It’s a version of the popular Ubuntu Linux based operating system, but aimed for classroom use. Edubuntu comes pre-installed with a complete office suite, teaching and learning programs, pre-school resources and much more. Below are some of the installed applications which can also be downloaded separately for either Windows or Mac OS X operating systems or both. Some of these applications have been mentioned previously in this post.
OpenOffice.org – an office suite similar to Microsoft Office including a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, database and drawing applications.
Scribus – a layout and desktop publishing software program similar to Microsoft Publisher.
GIMP – a photo retouching and image editing program similar to Adobe Photoshop.
GCompris – Edubuntu comes preloaded with GCompris an educational suite with over 100 educational activities.
KDE “Edutainment” software – Edubuntu comes with the latest KDE Education Project software.
Tux4kids – includes TuxType, TuxPaint and TuxMath programs. TuxType teaches keyboard strokes and TuxMath is a fun way to learn math facts beyond the tried and true flash card technique.
There are many other programs installed on Edubuntu and we just covered the highlights. The list as a whole is by no means exhaustive either. We specifically only included those Linux programs that were free, as in gratis and those that are still officially supported. Please let us know your favorites!
typing tutors, hangman games, drill & kill, flashcard, crossword puzzles.
Need to get out of the 70s.
There are other, better programs out there too which work in Linux. I would recommend searching for Java-based software as well.
This is great information! Perfect for our family – cant wait to set this up. J
Gcompris is the favorite game of my daugther: she is 4 years old and use it since 1 year. Really a good piece of software.
Correction: Scribus is similar to MS Publisher or other layout/publishing program.
It’s Inkscape that is similar to Adobe Illustrator.
Otherwise, very nice job!
Hi Brian
Thanks for pointing that out.
Best
Russell
http://theopendisc.com/
many of these programs and a whole lot more.
Start with Open Source Software (OSS) that runs on both Windows and Linux. Let people realise they can still do the things they want without having to Buy or Pirate brand name commercial software. ONce you get them comfortable with OSS, the transition to Linux is not such a big step.
[...] the sharp team over at Fanatic Attack has put together an excellent list of the best Linux programs for kids, which was noted by Scott [...]
[...] the sharp team over at Fanatic Attack has put together an excellent list of the best Linux programs for kids, which was noted by Scott [...]
[...] Many folks out in the blogosphere have written on the merits of Linux for kids. One such blogger at FanaticAttack.com hits the point well as he writes: The idea in technology (and education for that matter), is to [...]
You should take a look at Kiddix. My kids love it, and it includes a bunch of the applications you listed above, and more. It is definitly the best “Kids Operating System” out there today.
There website is here:
http://www.kiddix-computing.com
[...] require the Linux operating system to run, most will also run on Windows or Mac. Have a look at this comprehensive list to see what’s available and what’s recommended for students of all ages and skill [...]
Thanks a lot for the information. I have a 4 years old kid and he is just beginning to use the computer, and Iam looking around for software good for him. He enjoys a lot Childsplay.
isn’t there any window manager for kids? I think this is the most important thing to be done.
Fantastic Informations, i just found this blogpost story from my technorati profile news feeds section! I was searching for this since past 3 months and i am glad to see it here. Thanking you much
Jeniffer.
How easy to characterize schools as spouting “blather” when making decisions about which operating systems they use, while not offering one argument against “that’s what the business world uses.” You might forget that beyond reading, ‘riting, and recess, schools do look to prepare students for the workforce. The workforce does not use Linux.
Linux is free, and is good for basic training for poorer school districts until they can afford ‘better’ programs. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch, one has to make do with what it offers, which isn’t much.
Our school switched to Linux and I can tell you that with very few exceptions, its Ubuntu is inadequate in many areas. For one, the interface is counter intuitive. Tux Paint for example can only be configured to save in a folder called “saved”, text is un-editable, and the images are of poor choice and quality (a murdered rag doll, anyone?). Don’t get me started with GCompris and its mind boggling “word processing” for kids. I would rather go online to use a web-based word processing site like Houghton-Mifflin’s.
Second, support is horrid. Does everyone know which version of Debian or Red hat to click when downloading anything from their website? Why exactly is it called Synaptic packages and not “Install” or something more understandable? I tried to change my mouse to a larger and more kid friendly icon and discovered I needed to know some programming to do that.
Third is content. I like that I can edit Kanagram, Ktouch and a few other programs to include my list of vocabulary for example. But that’s about all the control I have over the content. OO.org Writer has tons of cool icons and clipart, but must the students really see clip art of a half-naked mermaid, different panty hoses, a Playboy silhouette, and a smoking “bad guy” cartoon just to name a few examples?
I wish the “I-Hate-Microsoft/Steve-Jobs” bunch would stop ‘their’ blather about how Linux is our technology savior. It’s not, it’s a stop gap, band-aid measure until hardware and software prices plummet. Linux has cool games, but it’s anti-user friendly where it really counts.