How to Use Tux Paint for Kids
Parents often complain that their kids spend too much time playing games on the computer. One time in the '80s when my daughter was 3, I found her sitting at our home computer and typing letters and characters on the "green screen." I asked her what she was doing and she said she was painting with the letters. She was really training herself on how to use the computer.
Today, there are programs other than games that you can use to teach your children computer skills. Tux Paint is a FREE open source image painting program for children that will help them to learn how to draw on the computer. It is really a training program that will help them to learn Photoshop, Illustrator and other complex imaging programs when they are ready. Besides being fun, intuitive, easy-to-use and install and FREE! Just download the program from the link in Resources below, and follow these simple steps to get you and your child started.
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Instructions
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Notice as soon as you open the program that every action has a unique sound associated with it. The sounds actually help younger children to learn the actions, even if they are not good readers. Use the scroll bars to move up and down through the options. Use the color selector and brush to just start painting freehand.
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Click NEW to start a new drawing. Notice you can start with a color background or select an image to "paint" with. The black and white drawings give your children the ability to start with an image outline and color it in like a digital color book. There are also four-color pictures that you can start with that you can morph into other images using the distortion tools. There are a lot of options, so I suggest going through the program by yourself before introducing it to your child. You will know what your child likes and can lead them through the features quickly, which will save them some frustration.
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Add effects to a drawing and paint with the effects. This effect allows you to paint with rainbow colors. I am amazed at the variety of brushes and "magic" effects you can draw with. You can draw with cats and confetti; add fish-eye effects and even paint with bricks.
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Add and format text easily, which allows kids to begin to integrate words and graphics. You can add titles, captions and format the text shape and color. There are also map templates you can draw with and other features that may aid children in school projects.
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Add stamps, which are small icon images that can be moved anywhere on the page. Only a few stamps come with the software, but you can download thousands of others at the developer's site. The beauty of this application is that the target audience will love it, but only for a little while. As they get older, they will want more sophistication and they will already have a basic knowledge of illustration programs, so their learning curve will be dramatically shortened. This is a way for you to get your children to use the computer in a safe and creative way and at the same time learn skills for the future.
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Tips & Warnings
One drawback is that the files can only be saved in their native format, so you can't create JPEG files for sharing with others.
This program is designed for children and not intended for serious art creation.
There are thousands of schools across the world using this software in art classes. You can see a list and reviews at the download site below.
