GCompris

GCompris is a package of educational activities mainly presented in game form. It is intended for children aged from 2 to 10. Consequently, its graphical user interface is specifically adapted to be used by kids.

This is easily noticeable from the size of the various elements as well as the variety of attractive colors. Moreover, most of the times, it does not require using the keyboard; instead, the child should use a pointing device, like a mouse, a touchscreen or a trackpad.

The package contains a large number of activities, which have been arranged into such categories as Computer Discovery, Reading, Arithmetic, Science, Geography, Logic, Memory, Fine Arts and Games. Moreover, there is a system of stars to filter activities with the appropriate age group. What is more, it is fully customizable, for instance, you can set the self-service kiosk mode, which disables some options to make it suitable for very small children. Regrettably, it does not allow creating separate identities for users. So, if you have kids with different ages, you need to set the app every time. Likewise, it does not seem to keep a record.

To conclude, the activities and games contained in GCompris are amazing and the children love them. The graphics and the background music are beautiful. But above all, the activities are based on sound pedagogical principles that seamlessly combine fun with learning. The package is opensource and new activities are continuously being added. It is also good that it is available in more than 50 languages. It is completely free at the moment, but donations are encouraged.