Where to start?

[holland_patrick]

Delete this before posting. Please make sure to include the language that you're using in the title, and use the <> button for any code.

SO my son is 11 years old and his friends are starting to build computers and I would like to see him do more then play games. He is interested in the lego league and their school did a spring fling lego comp where they did 4 different lego games  and his school won. now i'm not against him having fun but i want him to learn stuff also. He is totally in to Ironman and want to be an engineer so i'm working towards that. I'm out of the loop as I would only get something prebuild and  play games. but when i was his age I was rocking the C64 with tape drives and a 300 baud modem that i dialed up to BBS pre internet. I want to help him her are we are going to have fun with a computer build but once we build it I want him to have fun and learn at the same time ..

 

SO help me help him.

 

 

[Hinjima]

39 minutes ago, holland_patrick said:

Delete this before posting. Please make sure to include the language that you're using in the title, and use the <> button for any code.

SO my son is 11 years old and his friends are starting to build computers and I would like to see him do more then play games. He is interested in the lego league and their school did a spring fling lego comp where they did 4 different lego games  and his school won. now i'm not against him having fun but i want him to learn stuff also. He is totally in to Ironman and want to be an engineer so i'm working towards that. I'm out of the loop as I would only get something prebuild and  play games. but when i was his age I was rocking the C64 with tape drives and a 300 baud modem that i dialed up to BBS pre internet. I want to help him her are we are going to have fun with a computer build but once we build it I want him to have fun and learn at the same time ..

 

SO help me help him.

 

 

Just to note, there are A LOT of games that require learning to play.  Simulation games like Kerbal Space Program and Kerbal Space Program 2  where you have to build your own rockets / space ships to launch into space with correct weight / fuel etc etc. Games like Factorio is also complicated.  Both games might be a bit rough for an 11 year old but there are plenty of games to start with.  A game called automation lets you build cars completely from screatch, and you have to build the engine yourself in extreme detail. Here is a trailer for the game, again a bit complex for an 11 year old but for an engineer its a fantastic game.

 

[Franck]

On 3/31/2023 at 7:02 PM, holland_patrick said:

He is totally in to Ironman and want to be an engineer so i'm working towards that.

install him 1 simple program Autodesk Fusion 360.

 

Select hobbyist license which is free unless you make certain amount per year from it (i know it's at least 30k+ the value). This is a very good CAD tool for the engineering side. It is well done and follow similar path of design as other CAD. It's a very good software and take my word from it coming from a long time user of Solidworks, SolidEdge, ProE, NX. He will be able to sketch and design his own idea's on it. If he really like it you can unlock the pro version for a about 450$ / year that unlock every advance feature like multilayer PCB, Simulation, Bigger render, Sheet metal.. Still 1/10th of the price of Solidworks which was around ~5500$ last year and that's without the electrical module.

 

Then the next future upgrade will be to get a reliable 3D printer to print his first ironman suit.

[Timme]

 

On 4/1/2023 at 2:02 AM, holland_patrick said:

Delete this before posting. Please make sure to include the language that you're using in the title, and use the <> button for any code.

SO my son is 11 years old and his friends are starting to build computers and I would like to see him do more then play games. He is interested in the lego league and their school did a spring fling lego comp where they did 4 different lego games and his school won. now i'm not against him having fun but i want him to learn stuff also. He is totally in to Ironman and want to be an engineer so i'm working towards that. I'm out of the loop as I would only get something prebuild and play games. but when i was his age I was rocking the C64 with tape drives and a 300 baud modem that i dialed up to BBS pre internet. I want to help him her are we are going to have fun with a computer build but once we build it I want him to have fun and learn at the same time ..

 

SO help me help him.

 

 

The real question here "Is your son even interested in whatever you are trying to push on him?". If not, it sounds like you're just trying to forcibly shape him in your vision. Age 11 is far past your authority to define what his interests should look like or what he should invest his free time in. Your childhood is yours alone. The same goes for your son. Let him have it the way he enjoys it. You're just trying to shape him in your vision. Better focus your efforts on trying to understand better his interests and figuring out the ways you could engage and teach him more about that and related. Otherwise, you'll miss when he's really in need of help. And who knows, maybe he'll become a doctor or an accountant instead.

Also, LEGO. It can be a far more useful, efficient, and boundless learning medium. Can involve programming too. Check it out in more detail, perhaps. 

[Guest]

My official answer is here

but your son is 11. 

 

 

The Lego mind storm is a programmable electronic toy. 

 

One thing my parents did was make me do some learning things to earn some video games I wanted. 

You could use the Lego mind storm as a programming and engineering "job" to earn toys and stuff. 

 

It's difficult to get into it so don't expect to buy it and have your kid just do it. Even if there are rewards. 

 

If you get into "real" programming, this program called "robot c" allows you to program vex robots and Lego mind storm robots in the c programming language. 

 

Vex is a great robot company too and might have "better" learning resources since it targets education more than the toy market. 

 

 

I took a robot class in school and we used both robots using robot c. 

Robot c also has "simulation" programs so you program a robot to go around an obstacle course basically. 

In my class we had to navigate a course basically. Then we had to use different sensors for different courses. 

Building and modifying the robot was necessary.