TOP 30 Free Video Tutorials
Scratch programming, although it remains the simplest and most primitive language, is still popular at the initial stage of learning to code. And for good reason, because it is the best way to show a child how any computer code works, to teach him to think logically. Well, well-developed logical thinking in general will make life easier for a child and teach him to solve any complex problem.
But where to study? Of course, Scratch — accessible environment: you can go to the site right now and start doing something, using the trial and error method to assemble a code from blocks to get a primitive program. But this is ineffective, so we have collected 30 free video tutorials that explain step-by-step how to work with certain visual environment tools. And the selection also includes full guides from the Pixel school on creating popular games, which even a 7-8 year old can easily handle.
First Step into Code: Scratch Interface and First Project
Video length: 6:23
This lesson is the very first step in Scratch training for children. They tell you where the blocks are, why they are colored, and which one is responsible for what. Here you will also get acquainted with sprites, or more precisely with the main sprite – a red cat (by the way, if you know his real name, write in the comments). Using text output blocks, a timer, and a coordinate system, the cat will move around the stage (this is the name of the space where the action is launched in Scratch) and say: “Hello, world!” The lesson is extremely simple, and the teacher's step-by-step comments make it easy to repeat all the actions after him. So in 6.5 minutes, the child will have his first working program.
Duration: 3:58
We continue to “revive” our cat. In the “Code” section there is a “Sound” block. With its help, our ginger cat will start meowing. The video shows how to use blocks to adjust the sound volume, how to adjust the tone and insert sounds from the gallery. Yes, Scratch has its own large library with a variety of sounds. They can be cut to the desired duration and added to your project. In the meantime, our cat can already speak real cat language.
Customizing the appearance of sprites
Duration: 10:03
In the first lesson we already talked about sprites. So, in simple terms, it is a picture (including a character) that can be animated. In the Scratch interface, on the right there is a sprite control window, where, in particular, its name is set. We advise you not to neglect this, so that later there is no confusion when your code grows with a large number of operations. Here you can also set the coordinates of the character along the x and y axes, the scale (size). You can take the sprite itself from a ready-made library, draw it yourself – Scratch has a special graphics editor for this, or you can upload it from your computer.
The video tutorial also explains how to set the appearance of the scene where the characters are located.
Duration: 6:21
A detailed lesson on working with coordinate systems. With its help, we can understand where exactly our object is in space in Scratch. We have an x-axis that determines the horizontal position, left or right, there is a y-axis that determines the point in the up and down directions. You can move the sprite using the mouse, or you can set the coordinates manually in a special field. The starting point is zero, which means that our object is in the center of the intersection of the axes. And if we want our cat to be at the bottom and in the center, then we need to change the value of the y-coordinate, for example, to -20, and leave the value on the x-axis unchanged. The video shows in detail how to create a program for moving a sprite using the Movement block.
Duration: 2:33
A cycle is one of the key concepts in programming in general, along with algorithms. Thanks to it, we can repeat a certain action a specified number of times. To set up a cycle in Scratch, you need to go to the “Control” tab (it is orange). Here you will learn that a cycle can be made of two types: limited and infinite. In the first case, we set the program the number of repetitions that we need. In the second case, accordingly, the action will be repeated constantly.
The video tutorial clearly shows how to set up both options and why this can be useful using the example of creating a simple game.
Duration: 2:22
Another command in the orange “Control” block. With the help of waiting, we can set the program the time for which it should stop, i.e. do nothing. Using the example of the cat's movement in the lesson, it is shown how to make a suitable animation using this command.
Scratch learning for kids: condition and sensors
Duration: 6:51
Let's get acquainted with the concept of “condition”. In the visual environment, as everywhere, they are of two types: “if, then” and “if, then, otherwise”. In the latter case, this means that if the program performs some action, then the “then” condition is met, and if the action is not performed, then the “else” condition. To make it clear, let's look at a simple example from life. Let's say that Petya's mother told him to go to the store and buy apples. Petya comes to the store and, if there are apples there, he buys them (the “then” condition is met). If there are none (the “else” condition is met), he returns home. This works exactly the same way when setting up conditions in Scratch.
Sensors allow you to set up the “if” condition itself. That is, we can set, for example, a condition for our cat that it will disappear when it hits a white color, etc. The video clearly shows the settings for such a program.
Duration: 4:58
Working with the “Wait until” block and arithmetic and logical operators (highlighted in the interface in green). The lesson clearly shows how to make a program for a cat so that it rotates in place until it touches the mouse pointer or a certain color. And the block with operators (in the lesson, this is the “and” operator) will allow you to make sure that these two conditions are met simultaneously.
Working with variables and creating a game timer
Duration: 4:06
A variable is a memory cell with a given name that can store values. In Scratch, the Variables block (red-orange) is used to work with them. In the lesson, working with variables is shown by creating a simple timer for a game that counts down the time and appears or disappears from the scene using certain commands.
Duration: 6:01
Clones in Scratch are needed to create copies of sprites, so that we don’t have to make a copy of the sprite each time and manually write the same program for it. You can work with them through the “Control” tab using three commands: “Create clone”, “Delete clone” and “When I start as a clone”. The video shows a specific example of working with clones using our ginger cat as an example, and also talks about sending messages.
Duration: 3:24
Step-by-step video on how to create your own block. It is necessary when we, for example, make a game in which there are a lot of operations. To make life easier, they can all be combined into one block. This is done through the button “Other blocks” – “Create block”. Next, we write the name so that it is convenient to select it and instead of a large block code we get one compact one, which, if necessary, will be much more convenient to insert into the program.
Duration: 10:45
Doodle Jump is a series of mobile games with recognizable monsters of bizarre shapes. The lesson shows how to create such a game from scratch yourself, using only the Scratch platform. Here they show in detail how to work with the built-in graphic editor to create a character, how to create a platform for the game on which our monster sprite will move. Also shown are the stages of creating a program for jumping and a game timer (it will be useful if you missed this lesson).
How to Make a Scratch Game in a Trivia Style
Duration: 11:58
What is a quiz? It is a game in which you need to answer certain questions. We can give both the right and the wrong answer. To make such a game in Scratch, we will need a block with variables, commands for working with cycles and the game script itself. The video tutorial shows how, using a conscious script, you can change the background of the quiz to a festive one at its end.
Duration: 10:21
A great video to see the great potential of this seemingly simple platform. In the video, experts have selected ten of the best and most interesting games, some of which are far from easy to complete. There are racing games, sports games (boxing, for example), Ninja 3D, platformers and runners. By the way, there is a link for each of the games, so you can try your hand at completing each of them.
How to Run a Game from Scratch on Android
Duration: 6:00
Let's imagine that you've already created your first game on the Scratch platform and now want to play it on your smartphone. To do this, you'll need to master the process of converting the game into HTML code (hypertext markup language) and download an application for conversion. Watch the video tutorial to follow all the steps sequentially and not miss anything.
Duration: 28:46
A detailed guide on how to create your own Star Wars game from scratch. After watching the tutorial, you will get a game that will have an original opening screen, an enemy imperial boss ship, a player spaceship that will be controlled by arrows and a mouse. And you can create all this yourself, from drawing the scene and sprites to multiple blocks of movement and scripts.
How to Make a Simple Game Using Coordinates and Movement in Scratch
Duration: 3:19
Another video tutorial for beginners on how to work with the basic tools in the Scratch for Kids environment. It tells about setting up coordinates for sprites, creating a simple control program, adding a background with perspective. It also covers the topic of creating cycles with “if” or “else” conditions. The lesson will complement and help consolidate the material in the video above about cycles and coordinates.
Making a game with multiple sprites
Duration: 6:39
Above we have already told how to create a simple game project, where our ginger cat will perform simple movements. This lesson tells how to add another sprite to the game and write a script for it. In the process of creating a game in this lesson you can also gain skills in creating blocks, working with variables, cycles and algorithms.
Duration: 7:34
A step-by-step tutorial that opens up the creative possibilities of Scratch programming for creating sprites. If we don’t want to make a game with a red cat, which is added by default, we can go to the pop-up menu down and click “Select sprite”. A library will open with many different characters, from basketballs to dinosaurs. If we need to change the appearance of the sprite, we need to go to the “Costumes” tab.
Duration: 3:59
It is unlikely that modern children know who Tamagotchi is, but many have played the game “My Talking Tom”. They have the same essence – it is a simulator, where the player's task is to maintain the life of the pet. Using Scratch programming, you can create a similar game. To do this, you need to select suitable sprites and set up movement programs for them, as well as the conditions for their execution. How to do this step by step – watch the video tutorial.
Let's create a game “Plants vs. Zombies”
Duration: 18:22
Creating an exciting shooter where you can shoot peas at zombies (and you can play it alone or with a friend). The video tutorial shows in detail how to work with ready-made sprites, that is, those pictures that you found on the Internet and downloaded to your computer.
Scratch language for kids: how to create a Zombie in Scratch
Duration: 4:49
It will appeal to those who like to fight against monsters in online games. After watching this lesson, you will be able to create your own zombie in the virtual environment of Scratch. More precisely, a whole army of zombies that will attack the hero. By the way, you can take as a basis only the process of creating the program, which is shown in the video, and come up with the design and appearance of your characters yourself. For example, you can make our cat the hero, who will shoot red balls at zombies somewhere in the desert. Here your imagination is not limited by anything.
Duration: 6:00
It's easy to combine business with pleasure. And those who love mathematics will be doubly pleased, since the video talks about arithmetic games created on the Scratch platform. Here you can jump around the platform, simultaneously solving examples, choosing the right number, etc. Perhaps one of the games will inspire a child to create their own math shooter, where a red cat will shoot tomatoes at the player for incorrect examples?
Duration: 12:19
Scratch training for children can also take place through interesting games. The video shows how to create a game based on the Roblox horror story “Rainbow Friends”. Its main plot is similar to a typical horror movie scenario: a bus with passengers turns in the wrong direction and gets into an accident, after which the passengers lose consciousness. And when they wake up, they find themselves in an unfamiliar room. But in fact, this is a house with many monsters, from which you need to escape as quickly as possible. Since the game has a time limit, you will need to create a stopwatch. How to do this – watch the video.
Scratch for kids: programming Mario
Duration: 14:06
But not only those who played it on the Dendy console have definitely heard of Mario, but also modern children. In 14 minutes, you can assemble part of a platformer from scratch, drawing Mario and that very mushroom that he needs to jump over. For this, you will need cycle operations, waits, appearance blocks. After watching this lesson, if you wish, you can easily continue creating other levels of the game, in one of which our hero-plumber will finally save the princess.
Duration: 11:28
A video tutorial on how to assemble a simple RPG game using block programming. The sprites you will need are a mage, a knight, a heart-shaped life icon, and a suitable background for the scene. The video tutorial will tell you how to find or draw all of this. The lesson is good because you can immediately repeat all the steps after the teacher and enjoy playing your own game in 12-20 minutes.
Duration: 7:19
Let's make a football penalty on visual blocks in Scratch. To do this, you first need to decide on the background – the Scratch library has a suitable picture with a football goal (or you can upload your own from your computer). Next, select a suitable sprite for the goalkeeper and select its size to match the scale of the goal. Then write a program for our football player so that he moves on the field in a certain way. This is done using the “Control”, “Sensors”, “Appearance” blocks.
See the video for step-by-step code setup.
Duration: 8:54
After watching this tutorial, you can create a 3D maze using visual coding tools. First, you need to prepare several sprites: the maze, the exit line, a pointer for the player to move, and a “Victory” sign in case you manage to get out of the maze. The program starts with a “When the flag is pressed” block and setting up the hero's movement through a coordinate system. It also clearly shows how infinite loops and conditions work.
Interactive postcard in Scratch
Duration: 8:20
The Scratch programming language allows you to create not only games of different genres, but also cartoons and animated cards. This is exactly the card that is created in this video tutorial. Here you can use all your imagination and Scratch drawing tools to design the project. Using the code, you can make the card open, and the sprites placed on it perform certain actions. In the example in the video, a little ballerina is hidden inside the card, jumping when the card is opened, and the inscription “Happy Birthday” appears above her. It is not difficult to write a program for such animation: all the stages are described in the video. But how many creative and interactive gifts you can give to your friends and family!
You can take these lessons either separately or all together. In any case, almost every one of them contains a detailed explanation of the blocks and commands used. Choose the number of lessons that are interesting to you and rely on the child's skill level. But for those who just want to get acquainted with computer code, we recommend starting with the first video lessons of the collection and gradually moving on to videos with guides on game creation.
Good luck with your first steps into the world of code!
