Software idea

[Benjohn Barnes]

Anyone know of a software package that will (temporarily) turn my
laptop (or computer) in to a children's "gym"? These are things that
are aimed at 0 to 2 or 3 year olds. All it needs is button presses
and mouse swipes to be turned in to abstract or concrete visual and
audio effects. I suppose there could be disclosure of being to
actually do some systematic process, or even something useful (?),
but simply holding down the "," key for a minute should also be
rewarding.

Personally, I like to ensure that my Son plays with things grounded
in real life, but he's also interested in my laptop, and I'd like to
be able to give him something he can bash away at that wont be
destructive

Cheers,
Benjohn

 

[Lloyd Linklater]

Anyone know of a software package that will (temporarily) turn my
laptop (or computer) in to a children's "gym"? These are things that
are aimed at 0 to 2 or 3 year olds. All it needs is button presses
and mouse swipes to be turned in to abstract or concrete visual and
audio effects. I suppose there could be disclosure of being to
actually do some systematic process, or even something useful (?),
but simply holding down the "," key for a minute should also be
rewarding.

Well, this is not a ruby app but I do know of such a thing:
http://www.raize.com/CProducts/SoftwareForKids.asp

 

[John Joyce]

You could build it with Gosu or Rubygame.
You don't have to make a "game" you can just make an interactive
experience.

 

[Reid Thompson]

Anyone know of a software package that will (temporarily) turn my laptop
(or computer) in to a children's "gym"? These are things that are aimed
at 0 to 2 or 3 year olds. All it needs is button presses and mouse
swipes to be turned in to abstract or concrete visual and audio effects.
I suppose there could be disclosure of being to actually do some
systematic process, or even something useful (?), but simply holding
down the "," key for a minute should also be rewarding.

Personally, I like to ensure that my Son plays with things grounded in
real life, but he's also interested in my laptop, and I'd like to be
able to give him something he can bash away at that wont be destructive

Cheers,
Benjohn

http://www.ofset.org/gcompris/

http://pcburn.com/article.php?sid=471

http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/6898

livecds --
http://www.linux.com/articles/27651

http://www.ofset.org/freeduc-games <- scroll down

http://ofset.sourceforge.net/freeduc/book/en/book.html <- english docs

 

[Benjohn Barnes]

http://www.ofset.org/gcompris/

http://pcburn.com/article.php?sid=471

http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/6898

livecds --
http://www.linux.com/articles/27651

http://www.ofset.org/freeduc-games <- scroll down

http://ofset.sourceforge.net/freeduc/book/en/book.html <- english docs

Wow, thanks - you've got a child too?

And thanks too to John and Lloyd.

Cheers,
Benjohn

 

[Alec Ross]

Wow, thanks - you've got a child too?

And thanks too to John and Lloyd.

Late, sorry. And not exactly what you were after (now). But FWIW
Squeak is apparently powering Etoys in the OLPC,

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Etoys

and Scratch:

http://scratch.mit.edu/

Regards,

Alec