how to install the program and create your first game
Programming language Scratch — is a relatively young language that appeared in 2007 as a way to teach children coding. It is simple, interactive and accessible to children, since it does not require writing lines of code, creating scripts with tags and classes, or connecting external libraries. Scratch is comparable to a children's computer game: you have a stage where the action with characters takes place. They can jump, run, throw a ball, race cars and perform any other actions. To create a program in Scratch, you need to build it from special “bricks” — colored operator blocks. So, with the help of blue blocks we move an object on the field, with a green block we perform all mathematical operations and set up logic, with a red block we set the values of variables, and so on.
Despite the absence of traditional code, during such Scratch training for children, free or otherwise, the most important points of programming are learned, its very essence:
Sequence of actions. In programming, everything is strictly subordinated to a hierarchy of actions that must be performed one after another to obtain a working code. In Scratch, a child also learns this by arranging colored bricks in the right sequence.
Introduction to Algorithms. Algorithms in computer science imply a set of specific rules, instructions, the implementation of which achieves a particular result. Here the child also gets acquainted with the conditions with the help of which it is possible to create an algorithm, and with their types. This knowledge is the foundation for any further study both in programming and in everyday life.
In addition, this unique game of Scratch teaches a child to solve complex problems, think logically, and break down seemingly unsolvable questions into smaller components.
This knowledge is enough for a basic level of coding. The editor tools allow you to do a lot and practically do not limit the child's imagination. Therefore, Scratch lessons for children are actively used by IT schools and individual teachers as an effective teaching tool.
Scratch programming for kids: free lessons on creating games and interesting facts
The ginger cat that is in the editor's logo and with whom we will work a lot further on is called Scratcher.
Scratch is not inferior in popularity to “adult” programming languages. Every day, more than 30 thousand games and cartoons created by users around the world appear on the platform. And the total number of people passionate about visual coding has crossed the 20 million mark.
Scratch Wednesday is perfect for creating retro games. For example, to release Pacman, you need to build a maze in the program window and create a script from blocks so that the yellow monster runs the same way as in the original game.
Using Scratch tools, it is easy to create a fan version of the most famous game in the wizarding world – Quidditch. It will also have two rings and a main ball that must be thrown to get points. Using the built-in editor, you can even create characters similar to a Gryffindor and a Slytherin student.
An analogue of Doodlejump in Scratch. The familiar green alien of this platformer can be replaced with a red cat, and then the game will be called Scratchjump. The rules in it will be the same: jump to infinity, rising level after level.
Let's play squid on the Scratch platform. Remember that one of the tests in the seraglio was to cut out cookies exactly along the outline? Well, you can make the same game in Scratch. But in the children's version, instead of a needle, there will be a computer mouse, and the number of attempts for a perfect result is not limited.
Sound in Scratch. One of the clear examples of how you can add sound commands to scratch in an interesting way is a piano simulator. If you go to the site, you will find more than 100 options for a variety of games on a virtual musical keyboard instrument. You can create such a game in scratch if you set three states for each key: no sound (rest), no sound, and playing a note. In this case, each key will be a sprite with its own settings.
Scratch programming online: first launch and introduction
Now let's go through the very first Scratch lesson for kids and learn more about this children's programming language.
Scratch is a visual programming environment. The Scratch language for children helps to learn the basics of programming, learn how to work with sprites and animation, and create your own game. Programs from blocks will help even the youngest users easily master the basics of coding, and the process of developing a project will be interesting and fun. You can start even with the simplest projects, and the possibilities for development are almost limitless.
In this Scratch programming lesson for kids, we will learn how to create an account, download the application to your computer, look at the program interface, and create the first project.
Programming for kids in Scratch: registration
First, let's open the site scratch.mit.edu/ and click on “Join”:
Next, you need to come up with an account name and password. Then fill in the country, date of birth and specify the email. We see that even the account creation stage is completely aimed at children and does not contain any complex elements.
Scratch Programming Basics: Downloading the Application
You can use the scratch learning environment for children not only on the website, but also using an application on your computer or laptop.
Let's download the Scratch 3.0 program to our computer. This way we can enter the editor and create a game even without the Internet.
You need to go to the page scratch.mit.edu/download and select your computer's operating system. Our example shows installation for MacOS.
Download the installation file and open it:
Let's follow the installation instructions and open the application.
Now we can start working. Scratch programs can be developed both in the application and on the site by selecting the “Create” tab.
The advantage of working in the application is access to projects without the Internet, however, in online mode on the site, children will have the opportunity to publish their work for other users.
Interface in Scratch programming online for kids
Let's get acquainted with the editor interface so that further Scratch programming lessons will be more understandable.
At the very beginning, when opening the editor, we see 4 zones:
A tab with blocks from which we can make a program for our sprite (on the left).
The field (stage) on which we will place our blocks (in the center).
Our game preview window (top right).
Window with sprites and backgrounds.
Scratch learning for kids: sprites
First of all, let's look at sprites, since they are what the user of our game will interact with.
When we create a new program, we will always have only a cat sprite.
Let's try adding another sprite. To do this, click on the button on the bottom right and select one of the many ready-made sprites in the window that opens. Let's use the bat sprite:
As we can see, there are now 2 sprites on the screen of our game – a bat and a cat.
We can change the position of the sprites by simply moving them with the mouse in the viewing window of our game.
In the same way, we can add a background to our game – click on the lower right button in the “background” section and choose the one that suits us:
Scratch programming for kids online: first code
Let's write the first program.
The active sprite is highlighted in the sprite window – that is, the one for which we will currently be placing code blocks. Let's select the cat sprite.
The game starts from the moment we click on the flag. If we click on it now, nothing will happen, because there is no command in our game that could be executed.
In the tab with blocks, go to the “Events” section. We see that all blocks are different colors, and the color of the event blocks is yellow.
Drag the block “when the flag is pressed” into the main field. Most programs in Scratch for children online start with it.
Now let's teach our cat to speak. To do this, let's move on to the appearance blocks. We need the “Say” and “Speak” blocks. These blocks display a message from the sprites on the game screen. “Say” – leaves a message until the end of the game, and the “Speak” block will be displayed only for a certain number of seconds, after which it will disappear.
Let's write a dialogue between the cat and the bat. After the “When the flag is pressed” block, add the “Talk” block with the text “Hello”. Let's run our game and see how our cat greeted us:
Now let's move on to the bat sprite and add the same blocks to it. As you can see, our sprites now greet each other at the same time:
Let's fix this by adding a “Wait” block from the “Control” section. It allows you to stop the execution of blocks for some time. Let's put a block between “When the flag is pressed” and “Speak” – now our bat will respond a second after the cat.
Thus, by alternating the “Talk” and “Wait” blocks, we can make a dialogue between two sprites. Try to write a program yourself, in which a cat meets and makes friends with a bat. And if you want, you can take any other characters. The program can be modified: for example, as the first introductory Scratch lesson for children, make it so that the cat says “Meow” instead of “Hello”.
Kids Programming in Scratch: Learning to Manage a Project
Each of your programs is a project: if you have created a game in the application, you can save it. To do this, select the item “Save to your computer” in the “File” menu.
If you have worked on the site, then by clicking on the folder icon you will be able to see a list of your projects. You will be able to return to the project and finalize it, or click on the “Share” button and send it to your friends.
As you can see, everything is very simple. Basic Scratch programming instructions for children are free and available to everyone on YouTube in the form of video tutorials.
If you enjoyed the introductory lesson and taught your Scratcher to say hello, there are a couple more fun free mini-lessons with detailed instructions:
All you need to do is repeat the actions of the teacher in the video. Such lessons will be enough to superficially get acquainted with visual coding and create the first programs. But if the child plans to develop in-depth in programming, we recommend paying attention to Scratch lessons for children at the Pixel programming school. At specialized courses, the child will be more motivated to learn to code: experienced teachers will not only explain the material clearly and accessibly, but also monitor academic performance, give feedback on the student's success, and also answer the most tricky questions and help solve the most difficult problems.
