[Fsf-friends] educational software for children--townplanning

[Harish Narayanan]

Kush wrote:
> I hope ngos and software developers can both think of such better ways 
> to educate the newer generation and take away the dread of a 
> specialised occupation by building even better games and user 
> interfaces. Such games taken at a young stage could easily launch a 
> child into a career and give them a headstart. Parents would also like 
> to see children doing something constructive even while playing 
> computer games.
(I seem to have missed this e-mail in a sudden flood of traffic from 
mailing-lists over last week.)

Not that this has anything to do with this list, but why try to force 
play to be more than just fun? Even seemingly "non-constructive" play 
offers children creative release, and emotional and cognitive 
development on various fronts. I am not sure if regimented play 
activities aiming to give children a "head-start toward their career" 
will really have the positive effect you are aiming for. In fact, I 
could argue to a contrary.

But I won't, for I am obviously not a child-psychologist.

Harish