What could be the best way to introduce the world of computers to a kid, let’s say of 6 years old, so that he learns to handle it like a toy and stops dreading it like some esoteric, arcane and recondite machine from some eldritch, enigmatic, cryptic and phantasmal world ?
His videos are a great learning resources too
Start with building a very cheap computer with your kid.
You can buy parts for cheap or sometimes get them for free from e-waste processing places. You can do the screws to the case, but let the kid put the parts in place while you explain what they do.
Parts are easy to handle, just make sure to not damage the components as they look cute and are a bit malleable, but put too much pressure you can destroy it (not sure a kid will be strong enough for that).
It is as easy as building Lego, or putting a cartridge on an old console. This will help to make the computer less scary.
Make sure that you can do it yourself and test the parts first before involving your kid, so they do not get too frustrated if it fails.
This will cover hardware.
You can also help them to install the OS.
After, make a list of the programs you want your kid to be aware of: calculator, place to write text, anything you think it will be useful. Take some time to explain them, and do some exercises with each - let’s write a letter to a friend, etc… Let them play around with it without judgment. (remove things you don’t want them to use).
If you want to give the child some background in how software works, Logo was very popular with kids at the school.
Logo is this little turtle that you give orders, similar to imperative programming language used in most softwares.
Change colour to green, walk forward 50 steps.
And the turtle would draw a green line on the screen.
There are plenty of options for software that provides that, here is an option https://apps.kde.org/kturtle/
And, of course, try to break these in multiple days, building a PC, installing OS and playing with programs can be overwhelming for some kids.
The BBC Microbit was designed for exactly this scenario: https://microbit.org/
If you want them to have a more desktop-like environment, the Raspberry Pi has kid-specific projects: https://www.raspberrypi.org/learn/
Or you can get a Pi Kano kit and it has everything you need: https://www.kano.me/
Old computer no wifi, as a kid I just explored the computer menus and played the few offline games, drew in paint, by like 10 I had swapped to adobe flash off some piraxy yt videos, maybe load it up with software that could be fun for kids to use
Scratch is a good one, might be too young, but learn to think like a coder while playing around
This plus a Lego mindstorm.
Keep it disconnected from the internet is the first thing I thought of.
We started with Win10 e-waste, and started with Ubuntu Mate. Java Minecraft was the trick. Got them motivated, reading, doing math. Then wanting to install mods taught them about the filesystem and such. Age 4 and 6, they both got on board and are now top tier computer users. Giving them access to gimp, inkscape, and tinkercad got them using it for art and 3d modelling to get involved in the 3d printer, and they use blockbench to make custom models…which you configure with json in a resource pack. They’re now 9 and 11 and are motivated to play on computers.
Heheh that was my oldest a couple years ago. He’s 9 now but I let him use one of my laptops when he was like 7 to play Minecraft, and it eventually became “his” laptop.
He’s also using Tumbleweed.
He learned how to do all sorts of Minecraft console commands mostly “on his own” (as in, without my guidance, he saw some of the stuff streamers were doing and I explained what it was printed out a little cheat sheet for him and set him off on his own to mess with it. I haven’t taught him any Linux shell (yet), but he is getting pretty good at typing and keyboard shortcuts.
I don’t much care for the streamers. Especially a lot of the Minecraft streamers that pander to kids (cough Mikey and JJ). I don’t allow them in the house anymore. But I’m glad he got some inspiration out of it at least.
Linkzey is a really good family friendly streamer.
desktop computer
Minecraft (Java) with Mods
I think kids find ways to play and tinker with stuff. I’d give them an office suite to practice writing letters or advertisements or whatever they come up with, something to draw… maybe not Gimp because that’s not easy to use… I’ve seen people give their kids an instant messenger which connects to their dad/mom so they’re incentivised to type something. And then of course we have games. From Supertux, PlanetPenguin Racer, Tuxkart to commercial games. There are some kids games in the repos. Kartoffelknülch, drawing programs. Programming languages to learn coding with puzzle pieces and blocks or animate Turtles. There are educational games, at least my local library has some and I played some as a kid. But maybe at least try to balance the gaming. There’s so much more interesting stuff in computers. And then of course you could put some content into some directories, I think unrestricted internet access isn’t great at 6yo and the computer will be empty without, so idk. Maybe put some templates there, ideas what to draw, music or audiobooks or whatever fits the purpose…
When we got our first computer it was a Win 95 machine, with a copy of Encarta, Atlas. I don’t remember what word processor, but it wasn’t a full office suite.
It was cool. We did lots of typing and using ms paint.
Then we got a shareware cd. Hundreds of pretty useless games + 4 or 5 big ones like doom and transport tycoon, but it changed everything. Every day we’d try a new one. We’d mess around in DOS trying to get those ones working.
Then 3D Movie Maker - the full version. It all really started to come alive.
Then a microphone. Just messing around with sound recorder was like when we used to make “funny” tape recordings of ourselves, but without the hassle of tape.
These are the basic concepts of what I think made computers fun.
I guess the direction I’ll probably go shortly is the old AMD 2400g mini itx I have laying around. Put on an opensuse slowroll. We have a microphone handy. We have 900 games on our GOG account. I have an old intuos drawing tablet that might work. Add some of those education flatpaks - solariums and stuff. I think you can definitely do a modern version of what we had back in the 90s when computing was more than watching youtube.
Basically how I started !! Highly recommend.
6 years old is a bit young because at that age, they need a reason to engage with anything.
Games might be a place to start, but a kid will think “tablet is easier”. Same with music or videos.
Art is another place to start, but even then, why computers?
You need to wait until they have an idea or goal they want to accomplish, then maybe use it as an illustrative tool. In most cases for kids though, a PC is unnecessary with phones and tablets being so prevalent with an easier to grasp UI/UX.
That’s why I think this is such a good question. How can we incorporate (linux) computers more in the digital literacy of children so they don’t fall victim to the golden cages of android and ios before they develop the maturity to understand what a handicap it is.
Linux is literally in every device in your home. Doesn’t mean you’re kids need to engage with it.
I mean I installed commodore os vision recently and I was like " I would have lost my mind if id had this at 6, there is so much you can do, with no internet!!" I got into computers at 5, and had no internet until probably 15 ish.
So id give a kid a pc with commodore os on it. It comes pre-installed with programming apps and games and drawing programs for kids too. Its awesome.
You aren’t your children though. They experience better technology literally all the time.
Sure but “better” is subjective. Newer, sure. A ps5 game isnt inherently more fun than an n64 game. Im not a fan of new=good.
Also, it should be noted phones and tablets purely exist to consume, consume, consume. They’re not for creation; a computer is.
I think any kid interested in learning would find all aspects of computing cool, not just an ipad. Just like how I can have fun on a 2600, and also my gaming pc. Its all interesting and fun. I think kids just aren’t exposed to anything other than the shiny new ad filled dlc ridden consoles that get pushed now. There’s so much out there especially if you get into custom handhelds or ras pi etc.
It is very much subjective. Are you serious?
If you grew up with keyboards and mice, that has all been removed as a barrier to interaction with computers.
You’re insane if you think your old way of doing things is somehow “better” or meaningful.
I bet you’re also trying to force your kids to listen to YOUR music and tell them why it’s better then their choices, right??
Grow up.
My point is, you seem to think that the new way is better, with everything touchscreen. Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s better. People thought Teflon and cartridge razors were better too. Turns out they were just brainwashed.
Newer absolutely does not mean better.
This is why we are seeing a return to old household items. People are realizing that Teflon and cartridge razors and Tupperware aren’t really as great as we thought they were. We just grew up familiar with them because that’s what everyone used, so they must be better, right?
This is all because boomers and the “greatest generation” were really easy to market to when TVs came into homes. People weren’t ready for that level of advertisement.
I don’t think we’ll see a return to punch cards, but I don’t see keyboard/mouse ever going away.
Literally nothing I said in my comment is related to anything you e said here.
I don’t get where this is coming from.
Wow.
Don’t hurt yourself there, Groucho.
LOL
Just some idea: archive.org (and ruffle) for old flash games
Easier to give them Flashpoint. You could restrict the age inappropriate games too.
I installed gcompris for my 5 year old. FOSS childrens educational software and games from KDE.
I also bought her a cheap, pink, 65% keyboard and mouse set that make it “her computer”.
There’s also a few free resources to teach typing once your kid can read and write enough to understand what they’re typing. I’ve heard good things about Typing.com and typingclub.com but we’re not ready to start typing yet so I haven’t used them.
Also, if my kids ask a question that’s a little tricky to explain I’ll show them how I use a computer (or phone) to look for answers. One of the few practical applications I’ve ever found for AI is “can you explain [abstract concept] in a way that a 5 year old can understand”. This isn’t explicitly teaching computer skills, but showing them a practical use case and how to dig into their curiosity.
Well I got my first PC when I was 5 (2005), and I just learnt to use the PC by myself (because my parents didn’t understand it) over several years.
When I will eventually have a child, these would be my steps to encourage them to use a PC:
- Tell them that they can play paid games for free and show them how to do it
- Give general internet usage tips
- Convince them that a PC worths way more than a console, because you can play way more games on it, and you can also do a bunch more things with it
I don’t think a 5 year old will understand a PC’s usefullnes for sure, but their receptors will definitely be turned on after hearing FREE GAMES.
To me the main thing is to relate to a computer as a programmable device, not just a shiny box with pictures and videos. To that end, it might be more effective to have the computer be in command line mode rather than it just being a conduit to youtube.
I started on an apple II at a friend’s house. BASIC was built right in to the command line. Our family ended up with a TRS-80 compatible which also had BASIC. Back then everything you needed to know was in the TRS-80 basic manual. I spent hours and hours making games on it.
Perhaps something like LOGO? Some simple command line environment where the knowledge required is small, and there are easily reachable payoffs for making loops and so forth.
Reminds me of this post, I wanted to do something like this when I have a kid, but it turns out not all children are the same, who would have thought, and mine isn’t interested in how things work.
https://changelog.complete.org/archives/1448-introducing-the-command-line-at-3-years
The whole category is an amazing read: https://changelog.complete.org/archives/category/technology/children-computing
