Coding

Scratch

Interactive stories, animations and games built by snapping visual coding blocks together.

Scratch starts from a blank stage that can become a story, a game or an animated drawing. Children connect blocks to control characters, using the supplied pictures and sounds or making their own. Starter projects, tutorials and remixing give a first project some shape, and from there it can stay small or keep growing.

Ages: Choose by reading and coding readiness
Works on: Web browser; App
Format: Open-ended
Topics: Coding, Creative play
Languages: English

What kids do

Animate a character
Make a scene respond to clicks
Remix a starter game
Add drawings and sounds

Who it suits

There’s no set age. Reading and coding readiness are a better guide, and it probably appeals most to children who want to make something personal.

Notes for parents

The website hosts a public community where projects are shared. Scratch also offers a way to create offline.

What you need

A web browser

Visit Scratch

In these guides

Coding for kids, from picture blocks to typed Python: Where kids can start coding at 4, 7 or 11: picture-block apps, Scratch, typed Python and robots, in the order many children come across them.
Drawing, animation and music apps for kids who would rather make than watch: Creative apps for kids: digital painting, step-by-step drawing, stop motion, pixel animation and beat-making, grouped by the kind of making each involves.

More Coding

Code.org / CodeAI: Guided coding activities alongside open tools for making games, animations, apps and web pages.
ScratchJr: Picture-based programming blocks for making characters move and telling interactive stories.
Kodable Basics: Maze-style coding challenges that begin with sequences and patterns.
codeSpark: Coding for Kids: Coding puzzles that don’t rely on reading, leading into tools for making stories and games.
Tynker: Coding for Kids: Guided coding puzzles, game-making and Minecraft-related projects.
Hopscotch: Programming for Kids: Tutorials and open creation tools for building games and other interactive projects.
Tynker Junior: Coding for Kids: Picture commands, voiceovers and themed adventures that introduce sequencing, loops and conditions.
Sphero Edu: Program a physical Sphero robot by drawing paths, arranging blocks or writing text code.