I have always been interested in computers, and would find myself hanging out with the Computer Science students instead of the Aviation Management or Business Management students I was a part of. At home and at work I have been largely self-teaching myself using computers starting with Excel and Access with VBA through ASP and SQL at work. Thankfully my current employer values education, and so I have been taking classes and not only learning the technology, but un-learning what I have been doing wrong over the years. At home, though, I have been teaching myself Linux, system administration, networking and the overall method of migrating our system from Windows to Linux. I am involved in the Danbury Area Computer Society (DACS.org) I have the opportunity to take what I've learned the hard way and hopefully help others.. I have been enjoying Open Source for a while now, and I am hoping to get a better understanding of the entire model and application.
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My kids started out with Edubuntu and then Ubuntu proper (8.04 LTS?). There were a number of programs they enjoyed using such as gCompris, Childsplay, Phun, Kpatience, TuxDraw, Super Tux Kart, Super Tux and FreeCiv.
At first I thought the login requirement was going to be tough for them, but they quickly got used to it and it hasn't been an issue. Even when my son, at 4 or 5 tried logging in under the username "daddy"!
My teen daughter likes to use my openSUSE laptop, in part because it is in my bedroom as a media PC, thus she is separated from her siblings! School uses Google Apps for Education so she could use any of the computers for homework but she has stated flat out "I prefer Linux". Who am I to argue? ;)
When they started going to school, the difference between Ubuntu and Windows was annoying for them at worst. Not because of things being different (that is only a minor annoyance), but because the school's computers are sloooow and not stable!
Until recently, 2 of the 3 also used my Chromebook and took to that after a few quick instructions. I have recently gotten a Raspberry Pi and every time I hook it up and turn it on the kids swarm me to check it out. :)
So for all intent and purpose, they have grown up using Linux. I do have a Windows machine accessible, in case they are more comfortable with that because of what they use at school. Honestly if it weren't for a couple of Windows-only games there would be little to no need for Windows. Except maybe to learn how everybody else using Windows has to do things.
I agree that children don't necessarily need their own distribution. I had picked Edubuntu for the family computer more for the kid-friendly icons and wallpaper. Now it has been 4+ years of regular Ubuntu (first Gnome then Unity).
I think for kids it is more "all about the apps!". Most of my support is finding what they are wanting to do and the best programs to do that.
That's one of the reasons why I stick with Ubuntu .. the largest collection of apps (pre-built) in the repositories.