Scratch

Scratch

Recommended Ages

2nd–12th grades

Scratch is a free visual programming platform from MIT that lets kids ages 8 and up create interactive stories, games, and animations by snapping together colorful code blocks. Instead of typing syntax, learners focus on logic and design, combining events, loops, and variables to bring their ideas to life. Developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, Scratch has become one of the most widely used beginner coding tools worldwide, supported by a huge library of community projects and tutorials. Parents and teachers appreciate that it runs in a browser, costs nothing, and encourages creativity as much as computation. It’s ideal for upper-elementary through middle school students and even older beginners. The open-ended nature can feel overwhelming at first, so a bit of guidance helps. For best results, start with a few structured tutorials or project cards and then invite kids to remix or design their own games.

Ideal for roughly ages 8–14 who enjoy tinkering, storytelling, and video games and who are motivated by building and sharing their own interactive projects.

Pros

Free visual programming language from MIT that lets kids create games, animations, and stories while learning core coding logic; widely recommended in homeschool tech guides as an accessible gateway to computer science and computational thinking.

Cons

Requires a computer, reading skills, and some frustration tolerance; the open online community means parents should supervise sharing; projects are limited compared to professional engines, and some kids bounce around tutorials without mastering fundamentals.

Because Scratch is free, there is nothing to buy or bill; many schools and libraries support Scratch clubs or labs with public funds, but homeschoolers access it at no cost.

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Scratch
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Skills

What kids will learn
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Coding
Coding
Scratch
Scratch
STEM
STEM

Scratch Mission

Scratch’s mission is to help young people think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively by programming their own interactive stories, games, and animations. Developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, the free, block-based programming language and online community are designed with a “low floor, high ceiling, wide walls” philosophy so that beginners can start quickly, grow into complex projects, and explore many different interests.

Scratch Story

The Scratch project started in the early 2000s under the leadership of MIT professor Mitchel Resnick, whose research group wanted to build on the legacy of Logo and LEGO Mindstorms by creating a programming environment tailored to children’s creative play. Observing kids in after-school Computer Clubhouses, the team saw that text-based languages were a barrier, so they designed colorful drag-and-drop code blocks that snap together like puzzle pieces to control sprites on screen. After years of prototyping and NSF-funded research, Scratch was publicly released in 2007, then grew into a global online community and later an independent nonprofit foundation that continues to support new versions like Scratch 3.0 and partnerships with schools worldwide.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Scratch

In a Scratch session, your child might sit at the family laptop dragging colorful code blocks to make the Scratch cat sprite spin, meow, and score points when it touches a magic star, testing the game over and over while tweaking loops and conditions, then proudly clicking “Share” so friends or siblings can try it too.

Scratch is a free, block‑based coding platform from MIT where kids ages roughly 8–16 create games, animations, and interactive stories in a browser and share them in a global online community. As a homeschooler you create a free account (or a teacher account for managing multiple students), work through tutorials, and then let kids build increasingly complex projects as part of their STEM time.

Many older kids explore Scratch independently while parents act as project managers—helping brainstorm ideas, troubleshooting when a script “breaks,” and setting family rules around sharing projects and using the online community safely.

Ideal for kids who can read simple on‑screen instructions, use a mouse or trackpad confidently, and are ready to think in terms of sequences, events, and variables; strong typing is helpful but not required.

Scratch’s block‑based coding environment is highly accessible for many profiles: it minimizes syntax, supports visual thinkers, and allows autistic and ADHD kids to build projects around their interests. Some kids need guidance to manage open‑ended choices; parents can scaffold with small, concrete project goals and celebrate creativity over perfection.

Very 2e‑friendly for many kids: open‑ended, visual coding lets gifted or autistic learners build complex projects while bypassing some handwriting and language demands. Because it’s so absorbing, some families set gentle time‑limits or help kids finish projects before starting new ones.

Scratch is free to use, so no refund policy applies.

Not a great fit for kids who strongly prefer text‑based coding from the start, families avoiding any online community, or learners who only thrive with a tightly sequenced, instructor‑led course.

Alternatives and complements include ScratchJr (for younger kids), Code.org, CodeCombat, Tynker, and book‑ or class‑based curricula like Ellipsis Education or Super Scratch Programming Adventure.

The Scratch team regularly updates the platform, adds new tutorial projects and sprites, and refines community guidelines to keep the online space safe and welcoming, while maintaining backward compatibility for existing projects.

Start with a small guided course or book, then have your child create a “project wishlist” (like a platformer, quiz, or animation) and build through that list intentionally instead of endlessly browsing random projects.

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Meet Mitchel

Mitchel Resnick is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab and leader of the Lifelong Kindergarten research group, which focuses on helping people learn through creative projects. A protégé of Seymour Papert, he has spent decades designing tools like LEGO Mindstorms and Scratch that bring constructionist learning to life by letting kids tinker, iterate, and share their creations. His book Lifelong Kindergarten and public talks have inspired educators worldwide to view coding not just as a job skill, but as a new medium for playful expression and collaboration.