Linux is a very powerful operating system, which is why it powers the majority of servers on the internet. While this operating system may not have the reputation of being a popular gamer like FIFA or PES, it offers some of the best educational software and games for kids. Here are eight of the best Linux software for kids to keep your kids on top of the game.
1. GCompris program
If you are looking for the best educational software for kids, this should be it. GCompris It's the starting point. This program is specifically designed for children's education and is ideal for children between the ages of 2 and 10. As the pinnacle of all Linux educational software packages for kids, GCompris offers around 100 activities for kids. It packs everything you could want for your children, from reading practice to science, geography, drawing, algebra, quizzes, and more.
GCompris also includes activities to help your children learn computer peripherals. If your children are young and you want them to learn the alphabet, colors, and shapes, GCompris has programs for those as well. What's more, it also comes with useful games for children, such as chess, tics, memory, and hangman. GCompris isn't just a Linux app; it's also available for Windows and Android.
You can install GCompris on Ubuntu from the Software Center or through the Snap Store:
sudo snap install gcompris
2. TuxMath
Most students consider math a difficult subject. You can change this perception by introducing your children to math skills through Linux software applications, such as TuxMath. TuxMathIt's a top-notch educational game for kids. In this game, your role is to help Tux the Linux penguin protect his planet from a barrage of math problems.
By finding the answer, you help Tux save the planet by destroying asteroids with lasers before they can impact. The math problems increase in difficulty with each level you complete. This game is ideal for children, as it can help them brainstorm solutions. Besides improving their math skills, it also helps improve their mental agility.
You can install TuxMath in Ubuntu from the Software Center or with the apt command:
sudo apt install tuxmath
Tip: Check out some The Best Sites to Find Children's Ebooks.
3. Sugar on a Stick
Sugar on a stick It's an educational program specifically designed for children: a pedagogy that has gained a lot of traction. This program provides your children with a complete learning platform where they can acquire skills in creating, exploring, discovering, and thinking about ideas. Just like GCompris, Sugar on a Stick comes with a range of educational resources for children, including games and puzzles.
The best thing about Sugar on a Stick is that you can set it up on a USB drive. All you need is an x86-based computer, then plug in the USB and run the distribution from it. Sugar on a Stick is a project by Sugar Labs—a volunteer-run non-profit organization.
Aside from running from a separate USB drive, you can also install Sugar as a desktop environment on a running Linux distribution. This can be incredibly useful if you want to create a dedicated educational computer for your children at home.
4.Scratch
Scratch is a programming language for non-programmers. It aims to be an easy-to-use and highly accessible way to create simple programs and games on your computer. Unlike a regular programming language, Scratch uses interconnected, puzzle-like blocks to represent functions, variables, and structures.
This simplified approach means that users don't need any prior programming knowledge to start creating programs. For example, it's very easy to create a loop in Scratch simply by combining two types of blocks.
While you can use Scratch as a web application, it's also available on most Linux distributions as an offline application. You can install the program in Ubuntu from the Software Center or by running the following command:
sudo apt install scratch
Good to know: Scratch is a great first programming language. Once you're proficient with it, you can take your next step with Learn shell scripting .
5. Tux Paint
Tux Paint Tux Paint is another great educational Linux program for kids. This award-winning drawing program is used in schools around the world to help children nurture the art of drawing. It comes with a clean, easy-to-use interface and fun sound effects that help children use the program. There's also an encouraging cartoon mascot that guides children as they use the program. Tux Paint comes with a variety of drawing tools that help children unleash their creativity.
You can install Tux Paint in Ubuntu from the Software Center or by running the following command:
sudo apt install tuxpaint
6. Tux Typing
Tux Typing It's a simple yet easy-to-use typing tutor for Linux. Unlike traditional typing programs, it's also intended to be an accessible and fun way for children and non-computer users to learn how to type quickly and efficiently using a keyboard.
One of Tux Typing's main selling points is that its developers designed it to behave like a mini-game. For example, the program includes two simple games that demonstrate both proper finger placement and efficient keystroke typing. This abstraction, in turn, makes the program less daunting for non-technical users who want to improve their computer skills.
You can easily install Tux Typing in Ubuntu from the Software Center or by running the following command:
sudo snap install tuxtyping
Alternative: You can also check out these games to improve your typing skills.
7. Nootka
Simple and elegant. Nootka is a music notation program designed to teach the basics of reading and writing sheet music. The program will display a specific note on the screen and prompt the student to play it. Nootka will use the device's microphone to detect whether the student has played the note correctly.
Aside from that, Nootka also has a number of great out-of-the-box features. For example, it has a "Tuner Mode" that listens and teaches the student how to tune different instruments. It also has a "Listening Mode," where the student can train their ears to listen for specific notes.
You can get Nootka in an AppImage container from SourceForge developer websiteRun the following commands to use it on your desktop:
sudo apt install fuse cd /home/$USER/Downloads sudo chmod +x ./nootka-2.0.2-x86_64.AppImage ./nootka-2.0.2-x86_64.AppImage
Tip: You can further automate this process by: Create a desktop shortcut For Nootka.
8. TupiTube Desk
TupiTube Desk is a powerful yet easy-to-learn 2D animation software for Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX. Unlike professional animation tools, TupiTube Desk distinguishes itself by focusing on the essential tools that make up 2D animation. For example, the software features a comprehensive frame-by-frame feature as well as dynamic vector backgrounds.
Aside from that, TupiTube also supports in-app sharing. It makes it very easy for users to publish their work online. For this reason, TupiTube can be a great tool for students who want to get started with animation but don't know where to begin.
You can install TupiTube in your Ubuntu device by: Get the .deb file It's available on the developer's download page. Once it's on your machine, you can install the program by running dpkg:
sudo dpkg -i /home/$USER/Downloads/tupitubedesk_0.2.18_amd64.deb
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is Scratch IDE safe for my computer?
answer. Yes. Scratch is a completely safe program that you can install on any computer. For the most part, the functions available in Scratch do not modify any system files on your computer. Additionally, the latest version of Scratch also includes the ability to run any user-created program within a virtual machine.
Q2: Are there any benefits to using Sugar on a Stick instead of Sugar?
answer. While Sugar and Sugar on a Stick are essentially the same desktop environment, the latter can be useful if you don't want your child to access and modify any files on your device, as Sugar on a Stick is a live image that only contains the files on its USB drive.
Q3: TupiTube Desk failed to install on my device.
answer. This problem is most likely caused by a missing dependency on your system. Unlike apt, dpkg is a fully manual package manager, so it cannot automatically resolve any missing dependencies on its own.
Knowing this, you can fix this issue by running apt: sudo apt –fix-broken install. This will check the current installation queue and resolve any dependencies encountered by dpkg while trying to install TupiTube.
