Maybe I'm strange, but my 3 year old son has his own computer. Now, it's not a fancy computer - in fact, it's one I was given for free when a friend finally upgraded. It's woefully slow and underpowered, even for many of today's websites. But it plays some older kids games (Windows 95 / 98 era) we were given just fine, and a few fun websites that are geared towards kids. Recently my son has become enamored with a site that lets him paint, but it's painful to watch him struggle with the Flash interface, since the computer simply can't keep up. So when I heard about TuxPaint, I had to give it a try.
TuxPaint is an open-source painting program geared towards kids aged 3-12. It installs rather painlessly, and you can download an optional package of stamps (think of it like clip art, with associated sounds) or install it without them. On my son's computer, the program works very nicely, but the stamps are a bit slow. Drawing tools are quite snappy, and the newly added feature of stereo sound is really remarkable - as you paint on the screen, the sound that comes from the paint brush (or really anything you're using in TuxPaint) is mixed between the left and right speaker depending on how close you are to either side of the screen. When I read about stereo sound being a feature of a drawing program, I was skeptical, but this truly adds to the experience of using the program.
I also really appreciate that there is a control panel utility that allows you to simplify the user interface for younger users, or enable advanced features for older kids. This is a program that will grow with your children.
Other features introduced in version 0.9.16 include animated brushes that will effectively draw a critter following the cursor (leaving impressions as it goes), and brushes that can change shape depending on the direction they are moved, resulting in more natural looking strokes.
All in all, TuxPaint is a "must have" for any computer that is regularly used by children. It's free, full-featured, and fun. Oh, did I mention it's available for Windows (all versions), Mac OS X, and Linux (& even FreeBSD and NetBSD)?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-25-2006 @ 12:41PM
MC Jeck said...
As I understood this product is for Linux. I hope they'll port it for windows
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10-25-2006 @ 12:42PM
Seraphim said...
On a separate note -- My 4 year old son likes Sesame Street website: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/. There are lots of fun and educational flash games for kids on the same level as the television show. So if your son likes TuxPaint check out the link above.
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10-25-2006 @ 12:42PM
PixelSlave said...
>> Maybe I'm strange, but my 3 year old son has his own computer.
Not strange. My two sons have had their own computer since they were two. I also upgraded them every once a while. They both have a low end K8 PC now.
Watching them "learning" how to use the computer is an enjoyable experience -- they needed no teaching. I didn't even have to taught them how the mouse, the keyboard, or even the GUI worked (I couldn't teach them anyway, they were so young back then.) They just figured them out all by themselves (and they were/are on a Windows PC.) It's funny when comparing to how difficult for an adult to learn how to use a computer.
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10-25-2006 @ 12:43PM
RP said...
@ MC Jeck
Why do you think it's Linux only? The "tux" name?
The front page of their web site says: "For Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and more!"
The top link on the download page is the Windows link... it installed just fine on WinXP.
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10-25-2006 @ 12:49PM
Jason Clarke said...
PixelSlave - I agree. I wasn't totally honest though - my 3 year-old has had a computer since he was 16 months old, and now each of my boys (one is 3, the other is 15 months) each have their own. Again, I'm not spending money on these machines; they're hand-me-downs from friends and family that figure I can put them to good use when they no longer have use for them. I guess that's the benefit of being known as the family geek.
I agree wholeheartedly that I didn't need to teach my older boy how to use the computer at all - he figured it out on his own. My youngest is still having fun banging on the keyboard to see what noises and stuff he can produce - I use a program called babysplat for that. Once he's a bit older, I'll move him to some more advanced games.
One tip I have for parents out there is don't give in to the temptation of getting your kids a specialized pointing device. Let them struggle with a mouse - it's what they'll end up needing to know how to use anyway. But make sure they have a decent mouse, and if it's a ball-based one, keep it clean. That way they don't learn to over-compensate for crummy tools.
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10-25-2006 @ 11:24PM
Zoombeani said...
Now, when you say "some older [kid's] games." Do you mean like DOOM & Leisure Suit Larry?
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11-19-2006 @ 4:03AM
Maestro Alberto said...
I am a teacher and i use Tuxpaint at school in Italy from the older versions with my children.
It's really true that this great software is a "must have for any computer that is regularly used by children".
Even my 7 year old son Leonardo loves it!
I suggest another interesting free educational software:
http://gcompris.net/
Regards, Alberto
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