Getting Started with Scratch

Make your own games, cartoons, stories, and more!

Made by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). You can share this for free under a special license called CCbySA 4.0.

Getting Started

You can use Scratch online. Go to this website: scratch.mit.edu

Once you get there, click Create.

This takes you to the Scratch Editor. This is the place where you make your projects. (You can make a free account or log in, so you can save your work.)

Does your computer have an older system? Or does your internet stop and start? You can get Scratch as an app instead. Go to scratch.mit.edu/download to learn how.

The Scratch Editor

The Scratch Editor is where you build your projects. It has a few main parts you will use a lot.

Let's Code!

To make projects in Scratch, you snap blocks together, like puzzle pieces.

First, drag out a "move" block.

Click the block to try it. Does your cat move?

Now let's make it talk!

Click the Looks category (a group of blocks).

Drag out a "say" block.

Snap it onto the "move" block.

Click your blocks to try them out.

What Is a Sprite?

In Scratch, a sprite is any character or object in your project. Every new project starts with a Cat sprite.

Want a different sprite? Click the New Sprite icon to pick one from the sprite library.

You can also hover over the New Sprite icon. This shows more choices: draw your own sprite, get a surprise sprite, or upload a picture from your computer.

Want more tips? Download our Sprite Creation coding cards here: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation

Want to delete a sprite? First, click its picture in the Sprite List to choose it. Then click the trash can to delete it.

Where Is Your Sprite?

Every sprite has a spot on the Stage. This spot is shown with two numbers: x and y.

• x tells how far left or right the sprite is.
• y tells how far up or down the sprite is.

Right in the middle of the Stage, x is 0 and y is 0.

When you move your sprite, watch the x and y numbers change!

Learn more here: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/x-y-coordinates-grids

Quick Tips

Is something not working right? Try these ideas:

Add wait blocks. These slow down your project. This gives you time to see if each part is working. Once you know it works, you can take the wait blocks out.

Change the order of your blocks. Ask yourself: What should happen first? What should happen second? What comes third?

Try each block by itself. Click on each block alone to see what it does. Maybe a different block would work better.

Debugging means finding mistakes in your code. Click the bug icon in the Scratch Editor for tips on finding and fixing problems. You can also visit: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/debugging

Next Steps

Many Scratch projects start when someone clicks the green flag above the Stage.

Click the Events category. Drag out the block that will start your code. Attach it to your other blocks. Click the green flag to test it.

You can share your project with other people in the Scratch community. Just click the Share button on your project page.

• Sharing lets other people try your project and look inside to see your code.
• You can unshare a project anytime (look under "My Stuff"). You can also turn comments on or off.

Try remixing! Remixing means using someone else's shared project to make your own new version. It's a great way to get ideas and work with others. Click the Remix button on any shared project to get your own copy. Then make a change to make it yours.

Starter Projects

Starter projects already have some simple code in them. You can remix them to make your own creation — you don't have to start from nothing! Find them at scratch.mit.edu/starter-projects. Click "See Inside" to begin.

Tutorials

A tutorial is a set of steps that teaches you how to do something. The Scratch Tutorials Library has many tutorials. They help you make your own stories, cartoons, and games.

To find them, click the Tutorials button in the Scratch Editor.

The "Getting Started" tutorial teaches you the basics.

Once you pick a tutorial, it opens in the Scratch Editor. Click the green arrow to see each step.

When you finish a tutorial, you can pick another one, click "See More" to see all of them, or click the close button to keep working on your project.

You can also find video tutorials on our Scratch YouTube page: youtube.com/c/ScratchTeam

Coding Cards

Scratch Coding Cards are another way to learn. Find them here: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library

Each set of cards has a title card. The back of it lists all the cards in that set. Inside, you'll see examples of what to build, plus step-by-step cards to help you.

After you finish a card set, make the project your own! Add your own sprites, backdrops (backgrounds), sounds, and more.

A good set to start with is Animate a Character.

Look at the front of a card to see what you can make. Flip it over to see how to do it.

Get Creative!

Play around, explore, and use your imagination! Here are ways to make your project special:

Make your own sprites and backdrops.

• scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation
• scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/backdrop-background

Pick a sound, or record your own.

• scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sound-music

Try changing numbers or adding new blocks. See what happens! Have fun experimenting.

Level Up!

Want to learn more? Check out videos and coding cards about:

• Conditional Statements (blocks that make decisions) — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/conditional-statements
• Variables and Lists (ways to store information) — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/variables-lists
• My Blocks (blocks you make yourself) — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/my-blocks-custom-blocks
• Clones (copies of a sprite) — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/clones
• Face Sensing — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/face-sensing
• Pen Blocks/Turtle Graphics (drawing with code) — scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/pen-blocks-turtle-graphics

Choose Your Color Mode

We want everyone to be able to read the site easily. So you can choose High Contrast blocks, which are easier for some people to see. Or you can keep the regular block colors.

To change this, go to Settings > Color Mode in the project editor. You can switch back anytime.

Choose Your Language

Do you read or work in a language other than English? You can change the language of the Scratch Editor. Go to Settings > Language. You can also change the language at the bottom of many pages on the site.

Looking for More?

Want even more help? The Scratch Foundation's website has a Learning Library. It has hundreds of free learning materials — coding cards, videos, lesson plans, and more! Visit scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library. You can search for what you need, and new things are added often.

For Parents and Caregivers:

• Creative Learning Guide for Families — tips for learning together
• Scratch Design Journal — helps creators plan and think about their projects
• Guide to the Scratch Online Community

For Teachers:

• Scratch's Creative Learning Philosophy — our teaching ideas and tips
• Teacher Accounts — how to set up accounts and manage classes
• Lesson Plans and Educator Guides on many topics
• All Blocks Posters — posters showing all the blocks and tools
• Scratch Design Journal — helps students plan and think about their projects
• Reflection worksheets — for sharing work and thinking about the process
• Studio Guide — how to make a studio (a place to collect projects)

Made by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). You can share this for free under a special license called CCbySA 4.0.