Whenever the topic of children and the Macintosh comes up at the same time, HyperCard cannot be far behind. Oh, I know all that stuff that Apple says about HyperCard and business, and HyperText and all that multimedia mumbo-jumbo, but we know differently... HyperCard is really for kids!
Here is the ideal environment for the children. There are literally thousands of FREE stacks available in the PD library created just for children. You can find games, puzzles, and educational stacks in nearly unlimited topics and subjects. The activity of trying out new stacks alone can be an exciting and rewarding pass-time. Sure, you’ll find many that aren’t worth the disk space - but on other hand, there are some real gems available. I make it a regular point to announce “New stacks to try” and suddenly I’ve got a stacking companion on each knee! When you do find a “keeper” just create a new home button for that stack. When they wear the stack out (and they will), just remove the button and make room for the next one.
We’ve also had a great deal of fun (and benefit) in creating our own personal stacks. One favorite is Max’s Paint Stack. This stack is so simple it’s almost embarrassing, but it has provided a heap of fun and discovery. We set it up as sort of a stripped down paint program with a couple of unique features. It has the customary Next and Previous buttons, as well as a “New Card” button, and buttons for showing and hiding the tool and pattern pallets. Each new card becomes a part of the stack eliminating the need to create a new document. The tools are all easy to use and very predictable. Several of the “effects” really out-shine other paint programs. A special feature is the “show all” button for playing animated sequences. Here a picture can be drawn, copied to the next card, changed, the copied again and so forth. A click of the “show all” button flips through the cards giving an animation effect and a thrilling experience for the young creator. You’ll be surprised at some of the creations they’ll come up with too! This home-made paint program also keeps all those precious drawings together, with no need to open and close documents.
Another custom stack is a valuable possession called the diary stack. Kelly’s is password protected so “nobody else” can see it. It’s set up like the typical note-pad stack with a cover, and note pages. Two background text fields offer a place for those secret writings, and a show pallet button is handy for those moments of creative painting genius - or an occasional spot of “color.” Each card (page) has its own auto-date field, and page number, and there’s even a print button that temporarily hides the buttons and prints this particular entry page. I heartily recommend this kind of stack for children seven years and up. They can begin to become comfortable with the keyboard and can develop a real sense of “me”. No snooping - parents!
Stacks can also be used in the development of “responsibility.” Kelly also has a “Thank You Notes” stack. With generous grandparents, friends and relatives, this stack makes it fun for Kelly to fulfill her duties as recipient of all those gifts! Each card is set up as a “Thank You” note with a bow in the corner. She has five lines to write her message (in 30 point times) and can even embellish the card with a drawing or appropriate clip-art selection. Printing the notes to bright colored paper then makes a rather special correspondence for those generous gift givers. It also becomes a diary of who-gave-what and when. Probably the best benefit is the reward: each note will bring a beaming compliment from the recipient, once again reinforcing a sense of accomplishment, and pride in doing what is right.
The most enriching and rewarding part for me is watching and participating in the development process. Kelly, (eight years old) has now begun her own adventure stack. Inspired by the ManHole, the Inigo stacks, and several of the others, she announced one day that she wanted to make her own story stack. So, using the “Paint Stack” (mentioned earlier) as a starting point, she began developing her own story. Several sessions and demonstrations on how buttons are used to go from picture to picture with effects has opened an entirely new perspective on what the computer is and how it can be used creatively. I help with the scripting, because there’s a lot she doesn’t need to (and shouldn’t) know right now. Each new view is a new excitement to explore and develop, and I can hardly wait to see the results!
There are many hundreds of megs of stacks available and unlimited custom stack possibilities that can all become part of your child’s fun and development process. We’ve taken a look but a slight few of these possibilities. Any parent with a Macintosh must not pass up this rich opportunity which is made possible by HyperCard. It’s fun, it’s rewarding and it could possibly become a hobby that can happily last a lifetime!
