I used two different programs - LOGO, and one called Turtle Tracks. The both did the same thing - you directed a cursor around that drew a line behind it. Turtle Tracks had a slightly more "kid-friendly" interface than LOGO, and the commands were opposite - to make the cursor turn right, it would be RT (right turn) in one (can't remember which is which!), and TR (turn right) in the other.
And I started programming in BASIC and LOGO on our Apple IIe when I was 7. Of course, this was when Apple IIe's were state of the art, so I wasn't used to snazzy interfaces or anything. Just the fact that I could MAKE the computer do what I wanted it to do was simply amazing to me. Hopefully it will be for your kids as well. Don't underestimate your kids - I begged my parents to find me a class I could take to learn more, and they found me the logo class - I was 7, everyone else was over 30. If they want to learn, they will, definitely. Hook them up with what you think is the best, and they will soak it right up. Good luck!
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I used two different programs - LOGO, and one called Turtle Tracks. The both did the same thing - you directed a cursor around that drew a line behind it. Turtle Tracks had a slightly more "kid-friendly" interface than LOGO, and the commands were opposite - to make the cursor turn right, it would be RT (right turn) in one (can't remember which is which!), and TR (turn right) in the other.
And I started programming in BASIC and LOGO on our Apple IIe when I was 7. Of course, this was when Apple IIe's were state of the art, so I wasn't used to snazzy interfaces or anything. Just the fact that I could MAKE the computer do what I wanted it to do was simply amazing to me. Hopefully it will be for your kids as well. Don't underestimate your kids - I begged my parents to find me a class I could take to learn more, and they found me the logo class - I was 7, everyone else was over 30. If they want to learn, they will, definitely. Hook them up with what you think is the best, and they will soak it right up. Good luck!