GCompris Activities
GCompris is a collection of activities written for Linux and ported to (packaged for installation on) the OLPC. These activities are normally bundled together which explains why several don't work properly when separated into individual activities. In particular, several activities go looking for voice files that aren't included in the download package.
The GCompris activities are all over the map when it comes to their quality and age appropriateness. I've organized this page according to which ages of children would find an activity appropriate. The ratings I've assigned are based on whether I think the activity is likely to be interesting initially and over the long term for your child.
Activities for
children 5 years old and younger
Activities for
children between 5 and 10 years old
Activities for children 10 and
older
To download an activity, click on the activity icon in the Download column. Click on the activity name to go to a page dedicated to that activity and see a screenshot.
Activities for children 5 years old and younger:
| Download | Activity | Rating | |
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babymatch - associate simple objects, e.g., a lamp and a bulb, a flower and a vase. |
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babyshapes - drag images to their corresponding outline |
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ball catch - push the beach ball to the penguin. In order to make the ball go straight you must press the two shift keys at exactly the same time. I couldn't see the learning value of this activity so I only gave it two stars. |
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enumerate - count the number of objects of each shape. |
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followline - this activity is dedicated to learning how to use a mouse - in particular to move the mouse in drag mode and follow an increasingly more difficult path. |
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| Learning Colors - two activities focused on teaching color names to young children |
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erase - learn how to control the mouse by using it to expose a hidden picture |
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erase_clic - practice clicking the left mouse button to expose a hidden picture. |
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click_on_letter - learn letter names by hearing them stated and then clicking on the correct letter. The voices aren't currently packaged with the activity so the activity is unusable. |
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chronos - learn to put mixed up images in time order. |
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clickanddraw - follow the blue dot around the picture and click on it to draw the image. |
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clickgame - click on fish as the swim across the screen. Click on them before they make it all the way across the tank. |
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Activities for children between 5 and 10 years old:
| Download | Activity | Rating | |
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doubleentry - logic game that involves identifying objects that meet two criteria. This activity has a lot of promise but falls short. |
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hexagon - search game where the clues come in the form of color. Find an object in a large field of hexagons by judging just how red the color in that area has become. |
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| Memory Games |
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paratrooper - a fun little game that involves controlling a parachutist so that he lands on a boat. Complicating the problem is that he jumps from a moving plane and is affected during his fall by the direction of the wind. |
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scalesboard - uses a balance metaphor to teach addition and subtraction |
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algorithm |
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| Flashcards |
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billiard |
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target - direct an arrow at a target. Take distance and wind direction into account for higher scores. |
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| Word Reading Games |
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| Mazes |
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canal_lock - open and close valves to raise or lower the level of water in locks to allow the boat to move forward in the canal |
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chat - as you would expect, this is a Chat activity. I had hoped for more but this doesn't work any better than the preinstalled Chat activity that comes with the XO and has some problems besides. |
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| Magic Hat |
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watercycle - |
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wordprocessor - without the ability to load and save documents, it doesn't make sense to even get started. For now, the preinstalled Write activity is the best word processor available for the XO. |
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Activities for children 10 and older:
| Download | Activity | Rating | |
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sudoku - the classic Japanese game enhanced to include levels appropriate for young children as well as older children. | v.4 |
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tangram | v..6 |
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traffic - a computerized version of the Rush Hour - Traffic Jam Puzzle from Discovery Toys (my personal choice for best single player game since solitaire). |
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algebra_guesscount - this is a clever math-logic game. Assemble several equations using integers and operations that you've been given to produce the given end result. For example can you assemble: 3, 4, 5 and +, - to end up with a final value of 4? Yes, if you first add 3 + 5 to equal 8 and then subtract 4 to produce 4. |
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superbrain - also a classic logic game, I wish I could remember the original name. Propose 4 colors and the computer will tell you how many you have correctly chosen and how many are in the correct position. Your job is to determine which are which. Propose a different combination of colors and let the computer tell you if you've gotten any closer to choosing the correct 4 colors and have placed them in the right order. |
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bargame |
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fifteen |
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| Tower of Hanoi |
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submarine - pilot a submarine to accomplish a task. This one has potential but is just too hard to do without more instruction about what each of the controls will do. |
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| Chess | |||
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awele |
Not yet categorized and rated:
Page last changed: 07/25/2008