Getting Started with Scratch

Create your own games, animations, interactive stories, and more!

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Getting Started

You can use Scratch online at: scratch.mit.edu

Once you get to the website, click Create. This takes you to the Scratch Editor, the workspace where you build your projects. If you create or log in to a free Scratch account, you can save your work.

If your computer has an older operating system, or your internet connection isn't reliable, you can download Scratch and use it without being online. Visit scratch.mit.edu/download to learn how to install the Scratch app.

The Scratch Editor

The Scratch Editor is the screen where you build your Scratch projects. It has several main parts that you'll get to know as you work.

Let's Code!

In Scratch, you build programs by snapping together blocks, almost like puzzle pieces. Each block gives your character an instruction to follow.

Start by dragging out a "move" block. Click the block to try it out. Does your cat move across the screen?

Now let's make it talk! Click the Looks category, then drag out a "say" block. Snap it onto the bottom of the "move" block so they connect. Click your blocks to see what happens.

What Is a Sprite?

In Scratch, any character or object you use in a project is called a sprite. Every new project starts with a cat sprite by default.

Want to use a different sprite instead? Click the New Sprite icon to pick one from the sprite library. Or hover over the New Sprite icon to see other choices — you can draw your own sprite, get a random "surprise" sprite, or upload a picture from your computer.

For more tips, check out the Sprite Creation coding cards in the Learning Library: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation

Want to remove a sprite from your project? First, click its thumbnail in the Sprite List to select it. Then click the trash can icon to delete it.

Where Is Your Sprite?

Every sprite has a position on the Stage, described using two numbers: x and y.

• x tells you the sprite's position from left to right.
• y tells you the sprite's position from top to bottom.

Right in the center of the Stage, x equals 0 and y equals 0. When you move your sprite around, you'll notice its x and y numbers change to match its new position.

To learn more, visit: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/x-y-coordinates-grids

Quick Tips

Sometimes your code won't work the way you expected. Here are a few tricks to help:

Add temporary waits. Slowing down the action gives you time to see whether each step is working correctly. Once everything works, you can remove the waits.

Try changing the order of your blocks. Ask yourself: What needs to happen first? What comes second? What comes third?

Test blocks one at a time. Separate your blocks and click each one individually to see exactly what it does. Is there a similar block that might work better in your sequence?

Debugging means finding and fixing errors in your code. Click the bug icon in the Scratch Project Editor for helpful tips, or visit scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/debugging for more support.

Next Steps

Many Scratch projects start running when the user clicks the green flag above the Stage. To set this up, click the Events category and drag out the block that will trigger your code. Attach it to the top of your code sequence, then click the green flag to test it.

You can share your projects with the worldwide Scratch community by clicking the Share button on your project page.

• Sharing lets other people try your program and look inside to see how you built it.
• You can unshare a project anytime (find it under "My Stuff"). You can also turn commenting on or off, depending on your preference.

Embrace remix culture! Remixing means taking someone else's shared project and changing it to make something new. The Scratch community encourages this — it's a great way to collaborate, get new ideas, and help each other grow as creators. Click the Remix button on any shared project to make your own copy, then add a meaningful change to make it your own.

Starter Projects

Starter projects are simple pieces of code you can remix to build your own creations — so you don't have to start completely from scratch! Find them at scratch.mit.edu/starter-projects. Click "See Inside" to begin.

Tutorials

The Scratch Tutorials Library offers a range of step-by-step guides for building projects, including stories, animations, and games. You can open the Tutorials Library from the Scratch Editor by clicking the Tutorials button.

The "Getting Started" tutorial is a great place to learn the basics.

Once you pick a tutorial, it opens inside the Scratch Editor. Click the green arrow to move through each step. When you finish a tutorial, you can choose another suggested one, click "See More" to browse all tutorials, or close the window to keep customizing your project.

You can also find video tutorials on the official Scratch YouTube channel: youtube.com/c/ScratchTeam

Coding Cards

Scratch Coding Cards are another way to learn how to build projects. You can find them in the Learning Library: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library

On the back of each title card is a list of all the cards in that set. Each set shows examples of what you can create, along with cards that walk you through every step.

Once you finish a card set, try customizing your project by adding your own sprites, backdrops, sounds, and more! The Animate a Character card set is a great one to start with. The front of each card shows what you can create, and flipping it over shows you how.

Get Creative!

Tinker, explore, and use your imagination while making projects. Here are some ways to make your Scratch projects one-of-a-kind:

• Design your own sprites and backdrops. See: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation and scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/backdrop-background
• Choose a sound or record your own. See: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/sound-music
• Experiment with your code. Try changing numbers or adding new blocks to see what happens. Customize your project however you like!

Level Up!

Ready to learn more advanced skills? Check out these video tutorials and coding cards:

• Conditional Statements — blocks that make decisions ("if this happens, then do that"): scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/conditional-statements
• Variables and Lists — ways to store and track information: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/variables-lists
• My Blocks (custom blocks) — blocks you design yourself: scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library/my-blocks-custom-blocks
• Clones — making 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

Scratch wants everything on the site to be easy to read so more people can express themselves — this follows guidelines for making websites accessible to everyone. Because of this, you can choose High Contrast blocks, which are easier for some people to read, or stick with the original block colors while working in the project editor.

Change this setting in the project editor under Settings > Color Mode. You can switch back and forth anytime.

Choose Your Language

Do you, or someone you're working with, prefer a language other than English? You can change the language of the project editor under Settings > Language, or set your language at the bottom of many pages on the site.

Looking for More?

Want even more resources? The Scratch Foundation's website has a Learning Library packed with hundreds of free creative learning materials — coding cards, video tutorials, lesson plans, and more! Explore it at scratchfoundation.org/learn/learning-library. You can search and filter the materials, and new resources are added regularly, so check back often.

For Parents and Caregivers, helpful resources include:

• The Creative Learning Guide for Families, which shares tips for creating together and encouraging playful learning and a "tinkering" mindset
• The Scratch Design Journal, which helps creators plan, try out ideas, and reflect during every stage of a project
• The Guide to the Scratch Online Community

For Educators, helpful resources include:

• Scratch's Creative Learning Philosophy, which shares guiding principles along with facilitation tips and recommended reading
• Teacher Accounts information for setting up accounts and managing classes
• Lesson Plans and Educator Guides on many different topics
• All Blocks Posters, showing all the primary blocks, the project editor, extension blocks, and more
• The Scratch Design Journal, which helps students plan, try out ideas, and reflect during every stage of their project
• Reflection worksheets for sharing work and thinking about the creative process
• The Studio Guide for learning how to create studios (collections of shared projects)

Created by the Scratch Foundation (scratchfoundation.org). Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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