My children are avid computer users and I thought it would be useful to post a list of the things they enjoy and some tips and tricks that make it easier for both child and parent. I have found it hard to find quality advice about computers for children, so here is some of mine.
There is lots of great content on the web, but most sites are badly designed and demand a great deal of parental supervision. It is usually much too easy to click on irrelevant links scattered around the page, leaving the child lost in cyberspace. Also, links or buttons are often text based, which can limit discoverability for younger children. Of course you should supervise your children on the computer (it is also lots of fun), but parenting can be a bit like spinning plates: your attention is periodically needed elsewhere.
Security and safety is obviously a concern when kids use computers, but there is already a large amount of well written advice out there that you should familiarise yourself with. Like so many things in life, computers offer far more positive experiences than negative ones, so don't be scared.
Almost everything described here is free except where indicated. There is no need to spend lots on software for your children, but some of it may be worth the money. Always try the trial versions first, especially to determine compatability. If they don't have a trial version they may be trying to hide something.
Top Tips
Here are some things you can do to make the experience easier and safer for you and your kids. None of these are essential, and if you are at all uncertain then skip this section.
- Set up user accounts. Give your child a personal account on the machine; this lets them have their own list of links and other settings. Here is the process for Windows XP and Windows Vista.
- Get a decent mouse. Optical mice (as opposed to ones with a ball at the bottom) are preferable because they are lighter, more sensitive, and don't get clogged up with the sticky goo that children so readily attract. KidzMouse make a great range of optical mice for kids. Their mouse driver (the software that makes the mouse work) also lets you supress the context menu (right-clicking), which can otherwise confuse child and parent alike. The good news is that this software works even without a KidzMouse and can be downloaded from here.
- Set the browser's homepage. The browser homepage should be the child's current favourite. Especially useful for young children who struggle to use links. See Google for information about how to do this.
- Use Parental Controls (limited just to websites on Windows XP). Parental control prevents the viewing of any website that has not been explicitly authorised by you. This stops children straying from the site they are on and ending up in places you did not want them to be, which is unfortunately easy given the poor layout of many websites. Here are the details for Windows XP and Windows Vista, but it is not available by default for computers that belong to a domain (see Google for details).
- Launch the browser automatically when the child logs in. To do this in Windows XP, go to Start > All Programs, right-click on Internet Explorer and select Create Shortcut. Drag this shortcut - probably called "Internet Explorer (2)" - into the Startup folder (also in All Programs). If the browser doesn't start maximized, you can play with the shortcut options by right-clicking and selecting Properties > Run > Maximized. For Windows Vista, follow these instructions, note that you can create a shortcut to a program by dragging its launch icon and holding the ALT key.
- Performance is optional. An old computer is perfect for most kids, and the sort of games they enjoy are not demanding. Don't spend a fortune on the latest computer; good advice and elbow grease is usually enough. Computers slow down with time because they accumulate (or come with) programs you really don't need. IT professionals wipe and rebuild their machines periodically to bring them back to life; this is not as hard as it sounds, but it can be an uncomfortable learning curve. Find a knowledgable friend to hold your hand through the process.
- Deep Linking. Flash games are typically set in a web-page and surrounded by other content of quesionable value (see introduction). A direct link to the flash file itself makes the game fill the whole browser window, which also demonstrates that flash is vector-based and usually scales very nicely (handy for small screens). For example, here is the excellent Bowmaster Prelude. Deep linking is often frowned upon by web-site administrators, who rely on the adverts for revenue. How to do this is not trivial, but have a go if you are feeling brave. Tip: View the source of the web page and search for files with the .swf extension. Where possible I have deep-linked straight to the games themselves.
- Kiosk Mode. Internet Explorer can be launched in full screen mode such that nothing is visible except the web site you have chosen. This is intended for public spaces where you want to keep users on a particular site, but could also be used for kids. Here are some instructions. I don't necessarily recommend this as kids soon learn not to click on the browser buttons, but it might be useful in some situations.
Any more tips would be gratefully received, especially from users with different computers, operating systems, browsers, etc...
Web Sites
Here are some of the websites that my children and I have enjoyed. They are roughly arranged in increasing age order. I will keep adding sites to this list as and when I come across them.
| Site | Age Range | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Boohbah | 2 - 4 | Fantastic site for tots. Highly discoverable collection of bizarre games that will quickly teach mouse control. Perfect site design - no unrelated links that the child can accidentally click. |
| CBeebies | 2 - 6 | Enormous range of activities all based around the shows on the CBeebies channel. The games are almost all high quality and stimulating for young minds. |
| CBBC | 6 + | Games and educational resources based around the shows on the CBBC channel. |
| Sesame Street | 3 - 6 | All the favourite characters are here, including Elmo. The activities, stories and songs are all great. |
| Disney Playhouse | 3 - 6 | Very slick interface and a fun collection of activities. |
| The Playground | 4 + | Australia's ABC channel have a fun collection of games and activities. |
| CITV | 4 + | Children's ITV (ITV is the UK's biggest commerical TV channel) website has lots of flash games, but they are badly organized (one long list), and it is hard to tell the fun from the adverts - not unlike commerical childrens television. |
| Tone Matrix | 3 + | Simple mouse-based music maker. Discover your child's inner DJ. From Andre Michelle Laboratory. |
| Pinky Dinky Doo | 4 - 6 | Fun and well implemented games based around the shenanigans of the pink-haired protaganist. |
| Line Rider | 4 + | Draw a slope for a sledge to woosh down. Diverting, if a little strange. |
| Bloons | 4 + | Monkey needs to pop lots of balloons (of course he does). WARNING: Pepsi Max advert at the start of the game - my children don't do cola! |
| Grow Cube | 4 + | A little world in a cube. Add things to the world in the right order to maximize development. |
| Run Jerry Run | 4 + | "Run Jerry Run" lets you help Jerry avoid the clutches of the mischaevous Tom. This is a one-button game (space bar makes Jerry jump), but can be a bit tricky for young children. Parental help may be required. |
| Friv | 4 + | A collection 264 Flash games from across the internet arranged in a big grid for easy selection. Any games my kids find popular I will add explicitly to this list. Some adverts are present, but none so far that I would consider inappropriate. All of the games seem appropriate for children - please let me know if that changes. |
| Samorost | 5 + | Samorost is a point-and-click adventure game. Version 2 is just as good. Frustrated parents tip: Google for the solution if you get stuck! WARNING: Some content might be considered inappropriate for youngsters. |
| Fancy Pants Adventures | 5 + | A side-scrolling platform game with a deceptively sophisticated stick man. Part 2 is just as much fun. |
| Fantastic Contraptions | 5 + | A brilliant puzzle game where you must build cunning machines out of rods and wheels. There is a pay for upgrade as well, but we haven't tried it. |
| Battleships | 5 + | Why spend 20p on paper and pencils when you can be consuming electricity? |
| Bloxorz | 5 + | Puzzle game equivalent of getting an Ikea flat-pack into your Volvo. Innovative and beautifully implemented. |
| Mini Golf | 5 + | There are many mini-golf (putt-putt) games on the web; this is one of them. |
| Microlife | 5 + | Tend a group of cute micro-creatures and help them to grow to become a mighty space-faring civilization. |
| Tower Defense | 5 + | Nice implementation of a classic computer strategy game. Children of all ages can easily lose hours on this game, and it is probably the most popular flash game in the world. |
| Tank 2007 | 5 + | Tank-based shooter. A fast and furious introduction to the key-and-mouse controls beloved of 3D first-person shooters (big kid games). WARNING: Contains violent, tank-on-tank action. |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | 5 + | Actually there are lots of flash versions of the old Sega game Sonic. This is the slickest one ( Ultimate Flash Sonic), but there are lots of others. |
| Lost Vectors | 5 + | Actually a single-person software house that makes neat little flash games. The best of the bunch are Gun Master 2.0 and Bowmaster Prelude. Bowmaster tip: there are options for novice players that allow easy aiming. WARNING: Both games contain violence, especially Gun Master. |
| Redstar Fall | 5 + | Bring a star down to the ground by removing blocks in the right order. Another game from the excellent Armor Games. |
| N (the Ninja game) | 6 + | Help a tiny ninja find gold and avoid death. A suprisingly full featured platform game that gets tough really quickly. |
| Raft Wars | 6 + | Daft game where you shoot kidnappers with tennis balls. Stupid but my children love it. |
| Stunt Bike Deluxe | 6 + | Fiendishly difficult motorbike game. WARNING: Embedded adverts at the start of the game. |
| Scarygirl | 6 + | A beautiful and funny graphical adventure game. WARNING: May be unsuitable for younger children because of scary images and tricky puzzles. |
Downloads
This is a list of games and activities that you download to your computer. This can be more complicated and insecure than games you play in your web browser, but as long as they come from reputable sources there is very little risk.
| Program | Age Range | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| BabySmash | 2 + | As babies smash on the keyboard, colored shapes, letters and numbers appear on the screen. Perfectly locked down and escape proof. Don't worry about the keyboard; my children literally dragged one around the house by the cord for a year and it still works perfectly. |
| Crayon Physics | 4 + | A novel and entertaining game, beautifully implemented by a single talented individual. There is a free demo and a full version. |
| Google Earth | 4 + | Staggering interative map of the earth. |
| Stop Motion | 4 + | If you have a web-cam, one of the most fun things you can do is to make stop-motion films. Children love this and my kids have been known to disappear for hours at a time. There's lots of free and demo software available, but most is clunky or limited in some unacceptable way. The best by far is AnimatorDV who make a wonderful free version called AnimatorDV simple+. You can upload the results to YouTube to share with distance grandparents. |
| Bamzooki | 6 + | Build your own Zooks: insect like robots that scuttle about. Neat interface and lots to interest older children. |
| WorldWide Telescope | 6 + | Browse the heavens with this wonderful application. |
Programming
Strange as it may sound, computer programming is one of life's great pleasures. It is an incredibly rewarding and challenging discipline that can and should be learned early in life. Even if you do not persue programming as a career, it gives a deep understanding of how computers "think", which allows you to use them effectively and without fear.
Here is an online discussion of programming-related games that is occasionally updated. It includes some for platforms other than the PC, which might be interesting.
In my professional experience, the best programmers are almost always self taught enthusiasts.
| Program | Age Range | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Kodu (formerly Boku) | 3 + (not yet available) | PC and XBOX360 based programming environment for children. |
| Scratch | 5 + (literacy not required) | MIT's graphical programming environment. An engaging and well implemented system that focuses more on sequencing multimedia than algorithms, but is more accessible for it. |
| Light Bot | 5 + (literacy not required) | A fun little puzzle game that teaches two of the basic elements of programming: sequential instructions and functions. |
| RoboZZle | 5 + (literacy not required) | A more advanced version of the Light Bot concept that includes conditional statements. It has a social dimension with user accounts, a leaderboard, and a vibrant community of real programming enthusiasts. |
| Alice | 6 + | A visual programming environment from Carnegie Mellon University. The focus on 3D graphics makes this very accessible and fun. This is also an excellent introduction to object-orientation (the most programming paradigm). Younger children may require adult assistance, but will really enjoy directing the action. |
| Squeak | ? | A SmallTalk based programming environment for kids. I am still reviewing this one. |
| Small Basic | 6 + | A noble attempt to rekindle the ironically more accessible tools of the first home computer revolution. It is early days for this platform, but it has great potential and Microsoft's deep pockets should keep it moving forward. |
| Microsoft Kid's Corner | 10 + | A collection of resources for teaching programming to kids. A good example from this site is C# for Sharp Kids, which introduces kids to a popular professional language. To support these courses, Microsoft make a free version of their professional toolset called Visual Studio Express. This set of materials could be a very valuable part of the journey from novice to hobbyist to professional. |
| Microsoft XNA | 12 + | XNA is another part of Microsoft's free tools suite and is focused on games. These games can be run on Windows or on the XBOX360. Writing games is the best way to learn programming because it is visual (which helps with debugging) and it is fun. |
| Phrogram | 10 + | Phrogram grew out of an earlier initiative called Kids Programming Language (KPL). It is a commercial product that is relatively cheap. It has an active user community of hobbyists and teachers, and there are resources and licensing options for educators. It is in active development, which was proved by the fact the company contacted me to set me straight on a few issues and correct my spelling :-) They have a 30 day trial, so download it and have a go. |
| Hackety Hack | 13 + | I know very little about this system except what I have gleaned from the web pages. It appears to be more focused on empowering "script-kiddies" to make blogs, instant messaging clients, and other web-based systems. This is an important part of the creative computer users arsenal, but is not the whole story. It has a nice focus on collaboration and sharing, which is an essential part of the programming world for both amatuers and professionals alike. |