Step-by-Step Guide: Scratch Programming for Beginners

Introduction to Scratch: Getting Started with the Interface

Welcome to your first step into the world of coding with Scratch! 🎉

If you’ve never coded before, don’t worry—Scratch is designed just for people like you. It’s a colorful, block-based platform where you can drag, drop, and snap pieces together like digital LEGO. Let’s get started and take a tour around Scratch’s friendly interface, so you’ll feel right at home before building your very first project.

What is Scratch?

Scratch is an online tool that lets you create your own stories, animations, and mini-games—all without needing to type complicated code. Everything is visual! Developed by MIT, Scratch is loved by millions of students around the world. You don’t need to download anything (unless you want to use the offline version)—just head to scratch.mit.edu and click “Create” to begin.

Getting to Know the Interface

When you first open Scratch, you’ll see a bright, simple screen with a few main parts:

1. Stage:
   This is where your project “lives.” Anything you create or animate will show up here, so think of it like your own digital theatre stage.
2. Sprite Area:
   Sprites are your characters or main objects. The cute cat you see by default? That’s a sprite! You can add, remove, or change sprites whenever you like.
3. Blocks Palette:
   On the left, you’ll find colorful blocks grouped into categories like Motion, Looks, Sound, Events, and more. Instead of writing code, you simply drag these blocks into your coding space.
4. Coding Area (Scripts Area):
   This is where you build instructions for your sprites. Drag blocks here, snap them together, and see what happens on your stage!
5. Toolbar:
   At the top, the toolbar lets you save, share, and manage your projects. There’s also a “Help” option if you get stuck.

How to Start Your First Project

• Log in (or sign up—it’s free!) so you can save your work.
• Click “Create” at the top of the page.
• Play around! Try dragging a “move 10 steps” block (from the Motion category) into your coding area and connect it to the green flag block (from Events).
• Click the green flag above the stage—watch your sprite move!

Quick Example: Let’s say you want your sprite to say “Hello!” and move across the stage:

• Drag a “when green flag clicked” block (Events category) into the coding area.
• Attach a “say Hello! for 2 seconds” block (Looks category).
• Add a “move 30 steps” block (Motion category).

Click the green flag and see the magic happen!

Tip:
Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are no mistakes, only discoveries. Scratch is the best place to play and learn at the same time.

Ready to create your first real project? Let’s go! 🚀

Basic Programming Concepts Using Scratch Blocks

Alright, now that you’ve gotten comfortable with the Scratch interface, let’s dive into some basic programming concepts. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple and fun! Coding is just about giving clear instructions—and with Scratch blocks, it’s as easy as stacking colourful puzzle pieces.

What Are Programming Blocks?

Think of each block as a mini-command. When you put them together, you’re building a set of instructions for your sprite to follow. There are different categories of blocks, each with its own colour and job:

• Motion (Blue): Tells your sprite how to move (left, right, turn, etc.)
• Looks (Purple): Changes how your sprite looks or what it says.
• Sound (Pink): Makes your sprite speak with sounds or music.
• Events (Yellow): Starts your code (for example, when the green flag is clicked).
• Control (Orange): Adds logic like repeating actions or making decisions.
• Sensing, Operators, Variables (Other Colors): More advanced features, but don’t worry, you’ll get there soon!

Your First Code: Making the Sprite Move & Talk

Let’s try something simple. Say you want your sprite to greet players and then walk forward:

1. Drag “when green flag clicked” (Events).
2. Drag “say Hello! for 2 seconds” (Looks).
3. Drag “move 20 steps” (Motion).

Just snap these blocks together in your coding area. Hit the green flag, and see your sprite do the magic!

Loops: Doing Things Again and Again

Sometimes you want your sprite to repeat an action, like walking back and forth. Instead of dragging the same block over and over, you use a loop!

• Drag the “repeat 10” block (Control category).
• Put a “move 10 steps” block inside the repeat block.
• Snap the whole thing under “when green flag clicked.”

Now, when you press the green flag, your sprite will move forward 10 steps, ten times in a row!

Changing Direction

• “turn 15 degrees” (Motion) will make your sprite turn.
• Add it after a move block to watch your sprite dance in a circle!

Simple If-Then Logic

Want your sprite to do something only if a condition is true? Use the “if __ then” block (Control).

For example:

• Put “if touching edge then” around a “say Oops!” block.
• Now your sprite reacts only if it bumps into the edge of the stage.

Why Scratch Blocks Are Awesome

These blocks prevent you from making coding errors (like typing mistakes) and let you focus on being creative. All you need is a cool idea and some curiosity!

Try This Challenge:
Make your sprite move, turn, and say something—combine blocks in any order and see what happens. The more you play around, the more you’ll learn.

Ready for the next step? Let’s level up and create your first interactive game in Scratch! 🚀

Creating Your First Interactive Game in Scratch

Now it’s time to put your new Scratch skills into action by building your first interactive game! Don’t worry if you’ve never made a game before—Scratch is made for beginners, so you’ll learn everything step by step. And the best part? You’ll have a playable game to show off at the end. 🎮

Let’s Make a Simple “Catch the Apple” Game!

Goal:
You control a basket at the bottom of the screen. Apples fall from the top. Catch as many apples as you can!

Step 1: Set Up the Sprites

• Click the cat icon (or the “Choose a Sprite” button) to add a basket sprite.
• Use the “Choose a Sprite” button again to add an apple sprite.
• You can also paint your own sprites if you want to get creative!

Step 2: Code the Basket (Player Controls)

• Select the basket sprite.
• From the “Events” category, drag when green flag clicked.
• Add two scripts:
  • For left arrow movement:
    • “when left arrow key pressed” (Events)
    • “change x by -20” (Motion)
  • For right arrow movement:
    • “when right arrow key pressed” (Events)
    • “change x by 20” (Motion)
• Now, when you press the left/right arrow keys, the basket moves!

Step 3: Code the Apple (Falling Down)

• Select the apple sprite.
• When the green flag is clicked:
  • Set the apple’s starting position (top of the stage).
    • “go to x: [random number] y: 180” (Motion)
  • Make the apple fall:
    • “repeat until touching basket” or “y position < -140” (Control with Operators & Sensing)
    • “change y by -5” (Motion)
  • If the apple touches the basket:
    • “say ‘Got it!’ for 1 second”
    • Add a point to the score (use a variable!).
  • If the apple misses, reset its position to the top.

Step 4: Add a Score

• Go to “Variables” and click “Make a variable” called Score.
• Every time the apple is caught, change Score by 1.

Step 5: Make the Game Fun!

• Add sounds when you catch or miss an apple.
• Make the apples fall faster as the score increases.
• Add extra sprites later (bananas? bombs?).

Step 6: Play and Share

• Click the green flag and test your game. Can you catch 10 apples in a row?
• When you’re happy with your game, click the “Share” button to let your friends play.

Tips:

• If you get stuck, try checking the Scratch “Tutorials” or “Help” section.
• It’s okay to make mistakes—every coder does! That’s how you learn.

Challenge for You:
Change the apple sprite to your favourite fruit, and see if you can add a “Game Over” message when you miss 5 apples.

You Did It!
You’ve just built your first interactive game from scratch (pun intended). Be proud and show your family and friends what you’ve made.

Ready to explore more about Scratch and what makes this platform so cool? Let’s move to the next topic!