You’re probably reading this because you’ve got an old computer in your home and it’s just sat somewhere gathering dust. You thought about recycling it, but you’ve been wondering whether you can put it to better use.

Have you considered repurposing it as a computer that your children can use to help advance their education?

These days, many kids have access to tablets and even smartphones. But, conventional desktop and laptop computers are much better educational tools.

If you’re on the fence about whether your old computer can get an excellent educational aid for your young kids, take a look at the following ways that it can help:

1. Internet Research

Your old computer can get repurposed as a safe and controlled way for your children to access the Internet.

They can use your old PC or Mac to go online and do research on Google, Wikipedia, and elsewhere that provide the educational resources they need for their schoolwork.

Of course, you’ll need to clean your system of your old files and programs first to make it quicker to use. There are just a few simple ways to do it for Macs and PCs, and you’ll have a repurposed educational system in no time.

2. Remote Learning

When the COVID-19 pandemic first affected everyone, many children had to learn from home using a computer or Internet-connected device. These days, restrictions are easing for learning, and kids are resuming their regular school-based education.

However, if you home-school your kids or they have extra lessons via private tutors, your old computer can be useful for them during their remote learning sessions.

Most laptops have built-in webcams that enable them to interact with their teachers online, but if you’re using a desktop computer, you can buy an inexpensive USB webcam for them to use.

3. Educational Games

There’s no denying that playing games is fun, and it’s something that all children enjoy doing each day. You might not know it, but your offspring can use a broad range of educational games on your computer.

Those games might seem like ordinary games that they’d play on their games consoles, for instance, but their aim is to teach children about specific subjects and reward them during their progress – a process known as gamification.

Educational games can also be more interactive for some kids than traditional learning methods.

4. Enhanced Typing Skills

The problem with using a smartphone or tablet is that you aren’t learning how to type. Predictive texting means people don’t even need to know how to spell or construct words!

Typing is a skill that you should instill in your kids for their future careers, irrespective of what they want to do for a living. The best way to teach your child how to type, of course, is by having them use a regular computer and not a smart device.

5. Enhanced Programming Skills

Do one or more of your kids have a desire to learn how to program? They might have had some exposure to programming in the classroom by building small robots, for instance. 

Programming is a skill you can foster in your kids by letting them use your old computer for such purposes.

For example, they can use your old PC or Mac with a Raspberry Pi and create all kinds of inventions at home. Moreover, there are many programming guides and courses they can follow specifically aimed at kids.

6. Google Earth

All children love to learn about new things, and one example is by looking at the world around them for some educational inspiration. Sadly, it’s not possible for all children to visit all countries and cultures in their young lives.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible, thanks to the magic of Google Earth! Your old computer can have a new lease of life as a tool to help them navigate the world and see all kinds of magnificent sights using Google Earth.

7. Drawing And Illustration

One final reason to repurpose your old PC or Mac is to help grow your children’s creativity through drawing and illustration. Did you know that even the most basic specification computers are more than capable of running drawing and illustration applications?

You could even install a free Linux operating system like Ubuntu and download some open-source applications to help your kids improve their drawing and design skills.

If you prefer to keep your computer on a Windows or Mac operating system, the good news is you can find plenty of free, open-source drawing and illustration applications for those platforms too