Scratch Coding for Kids: Make Games and Animations (Ages 8–12)

Twelve lessons that take a child from opening Scratch for the first time to building their own game — sprites, motion, events, loops, if-then, variables and a final project — using the free Scratch tool from MIT, with nothing to install.

What you'll be able to do

• Open Scratch and find your way around the blocks, the stage and the sprites
• Make a sprite move, turn and glide, and understand the x-y grid of the stage
• Start a program with the green flag and react to clicks and key presses
• Repeat actions with loops, and animate a sprite by switching costumes
• Add sound, and make decisions with if and if-else using sensing blocks
• Keep a score with a variable, and build a simple game and a quiz
• Plan, build, test and share a project of your own, safely

Before you start

• A computer or tablet with a web browser and internet — nothing to install
• Comfortable reading short instructions, or a grown-up to help (especially under 10)
• About 20–30 minutes per lesson

Curriculum

Lesson 1 is free to read, no account needed. The rest unlock the moment you buy.

1. 1 Getting started with Scratch Preview free What Scratch is, how to open it free in a browser, a quick tour of the screen, and your very first program — making the cat move and talk. 3 min
2. 2 Sprites and the stage Sprites are the characters in your project. How to add, delete and choose them, change the backdrop, and give each sprite its own blocks. 3 min
3. 3 Moving sprites and the x-y grid The Motion blocks — move, turn, glide and point — and how the stage's x-y grid lets you send a sprite to an exact spot. 3 min
4. 4 Events — making things happen Event blocks start your programs — the green flag, key presses, clicking a sprite and broadcasts — so your project reacts to the player. 3 min
5. 5 Loops — repeating without copying The Control blocks that repeat actions — repeat, forever and repeat until — so you write a step once instead of many times. 3 min
6. 6 Looks and animation The Looks blocks — say, think, show, hide, size and colour — and how switching costumes makes a sprite come alive with animation. 3 min
7. 7 Adding sound The Sound blocks — playing sounds, choosing and recording them, and playing notes and drums — to bring your projects to life with audio. 3 min
8. 8 If-then decisions and sensing The if and if-else blocks, and the Sensing blocks that let a sprite notice touching, the mouse and key presses — so your project can make choices. 3 min
9. 9 Variables — keeping score What a variable is, how to make one in Scratch, and how to use it to keep a score, count lives or remember anything that changes. 3 min
10. 10 Project — make a catch game Put loops, events, if-then, variables and sound together to build a complete game where you catch falling objects for points. 3 min
11. 11 Project — make a talking quiz Use "ask and wait", the answer, and if-then to build a quiz that asks questions, checks answers and keeps a score. 3 min
12. 12 Your own project — and sharing it safely Plan and build a project of your own, learn how to share it safely on Scratch, and see where to go next. 3 min

How it works

1. 1 · Buy once

   One payment in your own currency, no subscription. An adult buys; the account is created from the email you pay with.

2. 2 · Log in and read

   Every lesson opens in the adult's account on any device. Mark each one done and pick up where you left off.

3. 3 · Keep the Word file

   The whole course as a .docx — annotate it, print it, read it offline. Re-download it any time from your orders.

Questions about this course