Scratch – block-based programming for children

Scratch is a free visual programming language designed especially for children and beginners. It began at the MIT Media Lab and is run today by the non-profit Scratch Foundation. Instead of typing commands, a child drags coloured blocks and snaps them together like jigsaw pieces to move characters, add sounds, and build interactive stories, games and animations. This teaches real programming thinking – sequence, repetition, conditions, variables and events – without the child getting stuck on typing errors, which makes it one of the best ways into this world.

What you will find

• A free editor that runs in the browser, with a downloadable version that works on a computer without the internet.
• An interface available in many languages, including Arabic, so a child can program in their own language.
• Short tutorials inside the editor that explain, step by step, how to make a first project.
• A large community where children share their projects, and any project can be opened to see the blocks it was built from and learn from them.
• A section for teachers and parents with guides and ideas for using Scratch in education.

Who it suits

It mainly suits primary and preparatory-school children; the foundation says it is designed for ages 8 to 16 or so, with a simpler app called ScratchJr for younger children. It also suits teachers who want to bring programming into the classroom in an enjoyable way, and parents looking for a worthwhile activity that combines play and learning.

How to use it, step by step

1. Open the site, and switch the language to Arabic at the bottom of the page if you wish.
2. Start with one of the ready-made tutorials inside the editor, such as moving a character or making a simple animation.
3. Ask the child to make a short story about their day, then add sound and movement to it.
4. After a few projects, try a simple game with points and conditions for winning and losing.
5. If the child creates an account to share projects, do it with a parent’s supervision, introducing the community rules and respect for others.

Before you start

Scratch is not just a “game”: the ideas a child learns in it are the same ones they will later use in languages such as Python. When the child grows and feels the blocks have become limiting, it is a good time to move on to Python, as we explain in “Why start programming with Python?” on the academy’s blog, and in the Python course at Badr Academy Education. The content and its rights belong to the Scratch Foundation.