If you have kids and want to get them to do other things on the computer besides watching Drake and Josh or playing video games, institute an embargo and have them discover programs that are pre-installed on the computer. One often overlooked program is MS Paint, a simple graphics painting program that is included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows. However, we highly recommend your look at the better alternative for your kids to start their computer drawing careers; Tux Paint, an award winning open source version of Paint features more extensive tools than Microsoft’s version and it is free.

Thomas Allen, a first grader from Sarasota, FL, became obsessed with drawing and painting and created about 150 images over a 2 week period. We’ve included 4 examples of what he considers his best work, including his “Titanic” shown above. Thomas advised us that “he is self taught” He wanted us to share this with you. Following the ‘gallery,’ he’ll provide you with a screenshot of the program and more information about how to use this program!

Tux Paint Screen Shot. See more Tux Paint screenshots.

The good news about Tux Paint is 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. Tux Paint is not only for your Windows OS, but also for Max OS and Linux. Thomas says to download a free version of Tux Paint now!