Kids on Keys

Lore & Background

Kids on Keys was designed by Freeda Lekkerkerker and published by Spinnaker Software in 1983. Spinnaker president David Seuss stated that the program's intention was not to teach typing but to promote 'keyboard familiarity', teaching children how to reach all keys and type faster. Lekkerkerker wanted the game to challenge players who wanted to advance beyond using a joystick while gaming.

The game contains three minigames. In the first, players type a falling letter before it hits the ground. The second requires typing the full name of household items before the words reach the bottom of the screen. The third shows names of objects at the bottom of the screen while pictorial icons appear in the center; players press the number key corresponding to the object's icon.

Kids on Keys entered the Billboard Top Educational Computer Software chart at #8 on February 9, 1985. By that time it had sold over 150,000 copies and had been successful during the 1983 and 1984 holiday seasons.

Reader's Guide

Kids on Keys is significant as an early educational video game that focused on keyboard familiarity rather than formal typing instruction. Its design by Freeda Lekkerkerker aimed to bridge the gap between joystick-based gaming and keyboard use, helping young players become comfortable with the computer keyboard. The game's commercial success, with over 150,000 copies sold by early 1985 and a Billboard chart placement, indicates its popularity during the early home computer era. Texas Monthly described the game as 'imaginative' and a decent rote-learning game, noting that along with Early Games it offered a great first computing experience for young gamers. Ahoy! called it 'a positive step' in teaching children typing but criticized the bonus round as 'indecipherable semi-graphics'. The game's legacy lies in its approach to introducing children to computer interaction through play, predating many later educational typing games.

Did You Know?

• Kids on Keys was designed by Freeda Lekkerkerker and published by Spinnaker Software in 1983.
• The game's intention was to promote 'keyboard familiarity', not to teach typing, according to Spinnaker president David Seuss.
• It entered the Billboard Top Educational Computer Software chart at #8 on February 9, 1985, having sold over 150,000 copies.
• Ahoy! criticized the bonus round as 'indecipherable semi-graphics'.