Helping kids everywhere create what they imagine

Getting Started

Getting Started

New to Scratch or ready to learn about some of the features of the platform? Our Getting Started guide and tutorials are the perfect place to begin!

Tags
Platform
Scratch
Audience
Educators and FacilitatorsStudents and LearnersParents and Caregivers
Experience Level
Getting Started
Type
VideoGuide or WorksheetInteractive Tutorial
Topic
Scratcher Resources
Language
ASL (American Sign Language)English

Related Resources

In-editor Tutorials, Interactive Tutorials
In-editor Tutorials, Interactive Tutorials

See a list and choose one of our in-editor/in-platform interactive tutorials. Once you’ve selected a tutorial, it will open in the Scratch Project Editor. Click the arrows to see each step. When you’ve reached the end of a tutorial, you can select from another suggested tutorial, click the “See More” button to see all the Tutorials, or click the close button to continue to customize your project.

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Starter Projects
Starter Projects

Starter projects include some simple code you can remix to make your own creations, so you don’t have to start from scratch! Find notes inside the code to guide you. "See Inside" and click "Remix" to get started. See our full listing of starter projects on our Starter Projects page.

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Debugging
Debugging

Debugging is finding and fixing issues or errors in your code that result in it not working as expected or at all. Issues are often called bugs. Use these strategies to find bugs and fix problems.

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Scratch's Creative Learning Philosophy
Scratch's Creative Learning Philosophy

Scratch pioneered block-based programming, enabling young people to learn to code creatively and interactively. Creating Scratch projects fosters the development of computational and creative thinking skills that are critical for future success: learners identify problems, break them into smaller parts, debug them, and iterate on solutions.

 

Over the years, we’ve loved seeing the unique, exciting strategies educators use to explore Scratch and creative learning in their classrooms, clubs, and beyond. To learn more about our Creative Learning Philosophy, see our guide that lays out our guiding stars and includes a trove of facilitation tips and recommended reading. And we encourage you to explore the variety of Creative Learning Materials in our Learning Library (including lesson plans, coding cards, and educator guides).

 

When we adapt/remix or develop a creative coding activity/lesson, we look to:

  • Design for tinkering and learning through play
  • Design spaces for learners to bring themselves in and see themselves in the lesson (considerations we call the 4/5 P’s): Peers, Passion, Projects, Play, and Purpose
  • Allow multiple pathways of engagement to foster a wide diversity of projects and support different experience levels (what we call low floors, wide walls, high ceilings or the “house model”)
  • Create opportunities that naturally guide learners through the creative learning spiral (an iterative process of imagining, creating, playing, sharing, reflecting, and imagining again) by building in time and opportunities to play, share. and reflect

 

As facilitators, we want to support playful learning and tinkering mindset values, so that participants can:

  • Engage playfully in projects that are meaningful to them and elicit joy
  • Collaborate with peers to experiment, share, and celebrate ideas
  • Develop a mindset that is comfortable with the discomfort of getting stuck (making room for risk and iteration)
  • Develop a mindset that thinks critically about strategies for getting unstuck (saving space for the process to start again or help them imagine what’s next)
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Creative Learning Guide for Families
Creative Learning Guide for Families

Scratch pioneered block-based programming, enabling young people to learn to code creatively and interactively. Creating Scratch projects fosters the development of computational and creative thinking skills that are critical for future success: learners identify problems, break them into smaller parts, debug them, and iterate on solutions.

 

As a parent interested in engaging in creative learning and creative coding with your learner, we encourage you to support playful learning and tinkering mindset values by letting them engage playfully in projects that are meaningful to them and elicit joy, helping them develop a mindset that is comfortable with the discomfort of getting stuck (making room for risk and iteration), and helping them develop a mindset that thinks critically about strategies for getting unstuck (saving space for the process to start again or help them imagine what’s next).

 

To learn more about our Creative Learning Philosophy and how to engage young people in creative coding, see our guide. And we encourage you to explore the variety of Creative Learning Materials in our Learning Library (including coding cards, starter projects, tutorial videos and guides to blocks, and more).

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Scratch Design Journal
Scratch Design Journal

Worksheets to help learners imagine, plan, iterate, and reflect throughout all of the phases of their project’s development.

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Guardian Info Sheet
Guardian Info Sheet

Share with your learners and their families for a brief desription of Scratch and a helpful place to note their username and password.

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Scratch Online Community, Digital Citizenship
Scratch Online Community, Digital Citizenship

The Scratch online community is a global space where young people can create, share, and receive feedback from others around the world. It is a unique aspect of our coding platform that we encourage users to explore.

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