Python for Kids

[gerrit]

On Tue, 02 May 2000, Warren Postma wrote:
<...snip...>
>I think the bigger issues than using a Mac are how to teach programming to
>young kids.
>Has anyone got books on this? I remember Logo, but I don't know how much
>work has
>been done since then on these things.
>
>I remember one of the first programs I found compelling as a kid was "Hunt
>the Wumpus".
>At 8 years old, I used to get this book out of the library just because I
>liked to dream
>that someday I might own a computer upon which I would hunt for wumpii.
>(Maybe thats why I have a basement full of Commodore 64s now.)
>
>Is anyone else interested in designing a Python-based Game for Kids, to
>teach programming?
>What would be great is if it could be extended by small kid-written objects
>that are small
>enough to write in class, but which leaves some room for open-endedness, and
>collaboration
>between kids. First they'll type in some basic types of programs, and
>experiment with changing
>them around a bit. Then, perhaps intuition will take flight, and they'll
>come up with new
>ideas. Once they "grok" python, watch out! ;-)
>
>One possible idea is a combination of the "Battling Robots" simulation game,
>and the
>ancient Electronic Arts classic "Mail Order Monsters". Perhaps the kids
>could build
>little software-based robots/monsters/etc that either battle, or search, or
>explore, or
>do some other useful competitive and/or cooperative things with each other.
>A simple 2d
>bitmap layer would suffice for showing the robots on their playing field,
>and May The Best
>Algorithm Win.
>
>Other stops along this road could include classic simulations like the LIFE
>simulator,
>and simple artificial-intelligence toys like the "What kind of animal are
>you?" game, or Eliza.
>What really captivated me as a kid was how much it seemed that computers,
>mere circuits,
>where alive, once you programmed them with an interesting program. That
>hasn't changed much.
>
>Thoughts?
>
>Warren Postma

My kids (age 10 and 12) are currently playing with Superlogo. The most popular
are the sounds and the drawing capabilities of the background and of the
(mulitple, animated) turtles. It is the combination of simple drawing tools
(paint, superpaint) and widely available sounds plus simple tool (W'95
recorder), which is the required treshold.

I just started to look into the possibilities to provide similar possibilities
in a Linux/Python environment. The turtle program by Guido is a good starter,
however sound en bitmap pictures are essential for the fun!

Gerrit