Here are some cool sugar applications that I did some research on:

Etoys 113: “Media authoring environment with graphical scripting for children of all ages. Aren't we all children?”

I love this idea. This is a great way to create stories through interacting with visuals. I also like that is aimed at a young age group. Pretty fun!

Grid Paint 1: “A simple paint activity for kids to draw pictures using a grid of triangles. Be expressive using just colored triangles: now everyone could be an artist! And it's very addictive.”

There is something very enticing about making art where there is a serious constraint on the project (ie: only using colored triangles to compose an image.) I know from experience that often, it is more difficult to be creative with a project with no constraints. By limiting how you can make the picture, it creates a great platform for divergent thinking. This alone is a great reason that this could be a successful learning game for children, but additionally I can also imagine this program helping children get a stronger understanding of pattern.

Tux Paint 6: “Tux Paint is a drawing app for tiny kids. Most 3-year-old kids and many 2-year-old kids are able to use it, yet 10-year-old kids (and kid- like adults) enjoy it too. Tux Paint features Tux the penguin, like Clippy but not so annoying. Tux Paint uses stereo sound according to where the mouse pointer is. Tux Paint is translated into about 70 different languages, including big-alphabet and right-to-left ones.”

Honestly what I find most impressive about this application is the fact that it is translated into so many languages, and the program can handle right to left alphabets. That is a large flaw in the Adobe design programs, so I find it pretty amazing that an open source drawing program for kids can do that.

:)