Observing a child using technology

I introduced a kindergartner and second grader to several of the applets on the Illuminations website.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx
These applets do not really need any prior computer knowledge but fluent use of a mouse and left click button are highly recommended. I took these skills for granted with my subjects. They really needed to know point and click skills to be successful. The lesson I always need to relearn is that no matter what you think is the proper way to interface with anything in the world, small children will automatically try to interface with it in their own way, not by the rules. We started with an applet that showed three dimensional solids and asked for the number of sides, edges, and vertex's. Both children really enjoyed gripping the solid and spinning it around just for the effect of the motion on the screen, this was more fun than counting and coloring sides. In every case the kids made a point of pushing some game beyond its intended uses with the funniest case being an applet involving weighing and guessing shapes on a scale. The game turned into piling as many shapes on the scale, building "castles" on each side of the scales and ultimately precipitating a war between the two sides of the scale. Eventually I found my way to applets that were designed to build things using and manipulating geometric objects and the energy dropped to less bellicose levels and yet there was still full engagement.
We were using one screen and this did create difficulties. I found out that a child can visually learn as much in the role of a spectator while another child did the manipulation. That is to say the spectator learned just a quickly to "go click the spinney thing and make the blue thing go over up to the top" and the spectator would often beat the "driver" to such actions, perhaps because they were not as distracted by manipulating the mouse. The spectator though did not have a chance to learn the coordination associated with manipulations, this totally required use of the mouse to master.
The game we settled on was the digital analogue of a toy they have called "pattern blocks" from real world experience they knew the fundamental premise of the applet and were familiar with all its forms. It is hard to say how fluent they would have been if not exposed to the real wood block version, I'm not sure if their success in 45 min in mastering the manipulations is related to their prior exposure.
What did they learn? They certainly learned the specifics of the game's commands, but they also learned, again, how to deal with computers. They push the bounds, they hit radio buttons that have not yet been used and they try to turn the game on its head. In the end they master most of the commands through this approach. I think an adult is anticipating how the adult who designed the applet thought it should be used, and this will leave plenty of stones unturned, but in a simple case like this can lead to quick mastery. The kids have no sense of how it should be designed and they reach the same mastery. So what happens when the adult and the kids reach a really complicated technology with these differing approaches? The kids will probably still master it (by following a directory down to its lowest level just to see what is there and how far it goes. ) While an adult might just give up.