[Discuss] Encouraging Children to Explore Open Source

[omegahalo at gmail.com (Chris O'Connell)]

Hey All,

My friend's 9 year old nephew has an inquisitive mind.  He takes
electronics apart, figures out how they work and reassembles them,
sometimes adding other components like LEDs or battery packs.

I have a couple of the Genesi smart boxes hanging around and thought that
giving him one may be a good introduction to the world of Open Source.  I'm
afraid he may be overwhelmed however.  I have trouble thinking that a 9
year old will be able to find a creative use for Linux, as the OS is pretty
complicated and requires a lot of knowledge.  Further, why would someone so
young like to play with a somewhat primitive Gnome interface when they have
an Android Tablet and a Windows laptop at their disposal?

Can anyone recommend any ways/programs/resources to encourage interest in
Open Source to a kid of this age?

-- 
Chris O'Connell
http://outlookoutbox.blogspot.com