I discovered a great way to run the original version of Kid Pix free on modern OSes like Windows 10 and macOS Catalina. Kid Pix is a brilliant paint and art program that started on the original Macintosh platform before being ported to MSDOS, Windows, etc. Let me show you how to run the original on anything that has a web browser.
Great paint program for kids
Since I’ve been working from home more this month, I noticed my daughter was interested in using paint programs on my computer. Paint.net was way too advanced for her. I introduced her to TuxPaint, a free paint program for Windows and Linux geared towards children. It’s not bad, but lacks the polish and charm I remember when I played with Kid Pix as a child.
Wait a minute! What about Kid Pix?
I began searching for some Kid Pix free versions on the web, or at least anything that would run on a modern Windows system. My search led me to Kid Pix Deluxe 4 on a site for old, forgotten software (abandonware). Everything is great, but the software is old and when you run it, the full screen isn’t really full screen. The interface is rather small and might not be as exciting for a kid.
I looked into some workarounds to fix it, but it would result in me having to manually change some settings any time my daughter wanted to quickly kick me out of my chair and do some drawing activities. Therefore, I had a new idea.
Emulate the original Kid Pix free in full screen
While not 100% the same version I played with growing up, it is possible to run the DOS version within a web browser using emulation. After the embedded dosbox emulator loads the program, Kid Pix will start.
All you have to do now is enable sound and full screen the window. What happens next is pure magic. This is a more simple but charming version of Kid Pix, which should be plenty enough for small children. My daughter is three years old, so this is perfect. Older children may want something with a bit more advanced features, but even as an adult, I found the effects and options more entertaining than the free stuff in TuxPaint.
One example of the charm of Kid Pix is the unique pixel art of the stamps and sound effects from clicking certain buttons or performing actions. My favorite thing to do with my daughter is have her experiment with a bunch of tools and then go to the eraser.
With the eraser tool in Kid Pix, there are various ways to erase the canvas in entertaining ways. Whether it’s using dynamite to explode the screen, throwing letters and numbers, or other cool animations, it’s going to make drawing and erasing really fun and entertaining for your kids.
Now that I think of it, probably most kids these days are interacting with tablets and smartphones AKA touch screens, but if your child happens to want imitate Daddy/Mommy and sit at a traditional computer with a mouse, this is something a bit different and fun you can do with them. Or they might tell you to scram and want to create a masterpiece by themselves.
Final Thoughts on Kid Pix free on the web
If anyone grew up playing with Kid Pix, they are sure to love this, even is just for a few minutes. For those not familiar with it, I highly recommend this software for young children that just starting to become curious in computers.
Just click the link below to be taken to the page where you can emulate the original Kid Pix free for DOS and have fun!
meep27 says me want play