If you are looking for high quality educational software for children from 2 to 10 years, we recommend that you try GCompris. GCompris is a suite of more than 100 activities covering different areas of knowledge and child development. Some of the activities are playful, but all have an educational goal. In this article we will explain how to download GCompris for different platforms, what features and benefits it has and what alternatives exist.
GCompris is free and open source software that can be adapted to your own needs, improved and shared with other children. The GCompris project is hosted and developed by the KDE community. To download GCompris there are several options depending on the operating system used:
You can install GCompris from the Windows Store. Note: the Windows Store needs Windows 10. Otherwise, you can download the installer with the following links. System requirements: Windows 7, 8 or 10 with OpenGL 2.
Note: If your system does not allow OpenGL 2 or if it does not work properly with it, use the entry GCompris (safe mode) from the start menu to launch GCompris with software rendering, which does not use OpenGL. If you really need a version that can run on Windows XP or if your system does not allow using the new version, you can use the latest installer for the old version of GCompris 15.10.
To activate all the activities of this old version, use the code 200202 in the input box that contains the word Code after starting the application.
The Android version is distributed in the Play Store.
We provide support for 32 and 64 bit versions of the Play Store. The appropriate version is automatically downloaded according to the version of your Android operating system. GCompris is also available in F-Droid, the repository of free and open source Android applications.
You can also download the apk directly from our website to install it manually on your device.
For devices running Android 2.
If you have a Raspberry Pi 3, you can download a standalone package for GCompris. It has only been tested in Raspberry Pi 3.
To use it, open a terminal in the folder where you downloaded the installer and run these commands:
GCompris is an educational software that offers more than 100 activities for children from 2 to 10 years. Some of the activities are game-like, but all have an educational purpose. Here are some of the categories of activities you can find in GCompris:
These activities help children become familiar with the use of the computer and its peripherals. For example, they can learn how to use the mouse to move the cursor, click, drag and drop objects, or use the keyboard to type letters, numbers and symbols.
These activities help children develop their reading and writing skills. For example, they may learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet, form words with syllables, read texts with images, or write texts with a simple word processor.
These activities help children develop their math skills. For example, they can learn to count objects, add and subtract numbers, memorize multiplication tables, solve simple problems, or use a double-entry table to classify data.
These activities help children discover some basic scientific concepts. For example, they can learn how a lock works to allow boats to pass between two different water levels, how rain and rainbows are formed, or what renewable energies are and how they are produced.
These activities help children to know the world around them. For example, they can learn the names and flags of countries in the world, regions and capitals of Spain, or some cultural aspects of different places.
These activities are classic games that stimulate childrens logical reasoning and memory. For example, they can play chess against the computer or against another player, the memory game with different themes (animals, fruits, instruments...), connecting 4 with different levels of difficulty, hanging with words in several languages, or three in a row with different board sizes.
These are just some of the activities offered by GCompris, but there are many more. They all have an attractive and colorful design, a simple and friendly interface, and a voice-over that guides and congratulates children. In addition, GCompris is available in more than 20 languages, making it accessible to children around the world.
GCompris is one of the best educational programs for children that exist, but it is not the only one. If you want to know other similar options, we recommend you take a look at these:
Tux Paint is a drawing and painting program for children. It allows you to create works of art with different tools, such as brushes, stamps, shapes, texts, effects and much more. It also has a photo gallery for inspiration and a voice-over commenting on the childs actions. Tux Paint is free and available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
Yasminoku is a sudoku game for children and adults. Sudoku is a hobby of filling a 9x9 cell grid with numbers from 1 to 9 without repeating them in the same row, column, or 3x3 subquadrant. Yasminoku offers different difficulty levels, customization options and tracks. Yasminoku is free and can be played online from any browser.
Childsplay is a collection of educational games for children. It includes activities of memory, logic, letters, numbers, colors, sounds and more. Childsplay has a simple and fun design, with animated characters and sounds. Childsplay is free and available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
If you want to test GCompris or support its development, you can visit its official website: https://gcompris.net/index-es.html. There you will find all the information about the project, downloads, donations and contact. You can also follow GCompris news on their social networks: Facebook, Twitter e Instagram.
GCompris is an excellent choice for children to learn by playing with the computer. However, there are also other similar alternatives you can explore, such as Tux Paint, Yasminoku or Childsplay. The important thing is that children have fun while developing their cognitive and creative skills.
GCompris is an invented word that comes from the French "J'ai compris", which means "I understood". It is a way of expressing that the child has learned something new with the program.
GCompris is designed for children from 2 to 10 years. However, some parents have reported that their children under 2 have also enjoyed some simple activities. It all depends on the childs level of maturity and curiosity and parental supervision and support.
The free version of GCompris offers about 60 activities, while the paid version offers more than 100. The paid version costs 9.99 euros and can be purchased from the Windows Store, the Play Store or the official website. By purchasing the paid version, you contribute to the maintenance and development of the project.
There are several ways to collaborate with the GCompris project, such as:
All information on how to collaborate can be found on the official website: https://gcompris.net/index-es.html#contribute.
GCompris is a lightweight program that doesnt need many resources to work. However, it is recommended to have at least the following technical requirements:
| Operating system | Minimum requirements |
|---|
| Windows | Windows 7, 8 or 10 with OpenGL 2 |
| Android | Android 4.1 or higher |
| macOS | macOS 10.9 or higher |
| Linux | Any distribution with Qt 5.9 or higher |
| Raspberry Pi | Raspberry Pi 3 with Raspbian Stretch or higher |