Getting Started with
Create your own games, animations,
interactive stories, and more!
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Getting Started
Access Scratch online at: [Link]
Once you’ve navigated to [Link], click Create.
This will bring you to the Scratch Editor, where you can start creating
projects. (Create or log in to your free Scratch account to save projects.)
If your computer uses an older operating system, or your internet
connection is unreliable, you can download Scratch and use it offline.
Visit [Link] for information on
downloading and installing the Scratch app.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
The Scratch Editor
The Scratch Editor is where you create projects in Scratch.
Here are its main parts:
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Let’s Code!
To code projects in Scratch, you snap together blocks.
Start by dragging out a ”move” block.
Click the block to try it. Does your
cat move?
Now say something!
Click the Looks category.
Drag out a “say” block.
Snap it onto the “move” block.
Click on your blocks to try them.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
What Is a Sprite?
In Scratch, any character or object is called a sprite.
Every new project in Scratch starts with the Cat sprite.
Want to choose a different
sprite?
Click the New Sprite icon to
choose a sprite from the library.
Or, hover over the New Sprite icon to see more options to draw your own
sprite, get a surprise sprite, or upload an image from your computer.
Download our Sprite Creation coding cards from the Learning Library for more tips and
tricks: [Link]/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation
Want to delete a sprite from your project?
First, select the sprite by clicking on its thumbnail in the
Sprite List. Then, click the trash can to delete the sprite.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Where Is Your Sprite?
Every sprite has an x and y position on the Stage.
x is the position of the sprite from left-to-right.
y is the position from top-to-bottom.
At the very center of the stage, x is 0 and y is 0.
When you move your sprite, you
can see its x and y position change.
Find resources to learn more in our Learning Library:
[Link]/learn/learning-library/x-y-coordinates-grids
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Quick Tips
Something not working as expected?
Add temporary waits to slow
down the action and give you time
to process if a piece worked or not.
Once you know the code is
working, you can remove these
waits.
Try adjusting the order/the First…
sequence of the blocks. Ask
yourself: What needs to happen Second…
first? What needs to happen
second? Third…
Separate the blocks and click on
each individually to see what it
does. Is there a similar but
different block option that might
work better in your sequence?
Debugging is finding the errors in your code. Click on the bug
in the Scratch Project Editor to find helpful tips on how to find
and fix issues. Or see additional resources in our Learning
Library [Link]/learn/learning-library/debugging.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Next Steps
Many Scratch projects are started when the
user clicks the green flag above the stage.
Click the Events category and drag out the
block you want to activate your code
sequence. Attach your code sequence to the
event block and click the green flag to test.
You can choose to share your projects with
the global Scratch community by clicking the
Share button on your project page.
● Sharing projects allows others to
experience your program and see
inside to explore your code.
● Projects can be unshared at any time
(under “My Stuff”). And commenting
can be turned on or off, based on your
preference.
Embrace remix culture! Remixing is
encouraged in the Scratch community, as it
is a great way to collaborate and connect
with others and can lead to new ideas and
also help others grow as creators. Click the
Remix button on any shared project to
create a copy. Then, make a meaningful
change to the project to personalize it and
make it your own.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
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 some at
[Link]/starter-projects. “See Inside” to get started.
Tutorials
There are a range of tutorials available in the Scratch Tutorials Library,
which guide learners in creating projects with Scratch. Students can get
started making their own stories, animations, and games.
You can get to the Tutorials Library from the Scratch Editor by clicking
the Tutorials button.
The Getting Started tutorial will walk you through the basics.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Once you’ve selected the tutorial, it will open in the Scratch Editor.
Click the green arrow 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.
You can also look for video tutorials on our official
Scratch YouTube page:
[Link]/c/ScratchTeam.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Coding Cards
The Scratch Coding Cards provide
another way to learn to create
projects with Scratch. Find coding
cards in our Learning Library:
[Link]/learn/learning-library.
On the back of each title card is a list of cards in the set. In each set, you’ll
find examples of what you can create and cards walking you through each
step of creating a project.
Once you’ve completed a
card set, customize your
projects by adding your
own sprites, backdrops,
sounds, and more!
The Animate a Character
cards are a great set to
start with.
See the front of cards for
what you can create…
…and flip the card over
to see how to do it.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Get Creative!
Tinker, explore, and use your imagination as you create projects. There are
many different ways to make Scratch projects unique:
Create your own unique and original sprites and backdrops!
[Link]/learn/learning-library/sprite-creation
[Link]/learn/learning-library/backdrop-background
Choose a sound or record your own.
[Link]/learn/learning-library/sound-music
Try changing numbers or adding blocks to your code to see
what happens. Experiment and customize your project however
you want!
Level Up!
Ready to learn more? See our video tutorials and coding cards on:
● Conditional Statements
[Link]/learn/learning-library/conditional-statements
● Variables and Lists
[Link]/learn/learning-library/variables-lists
● My Blocks custom blocks
[Link]/learn/learning-library/my-blocks-custom-blocks
● Clones [Link]/learn/learning-library/clones
● Face Sensing [Link]/learn/learning-library/face-sensing
● Pen Blocks/Turtle Graphics
[Link]/learn/learning-library/pen-blocks-turtle-graphics
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Choose Your Color Mode
We want to make sure everything on the site is easy to read so more
people can express themselves on Scratch, and we want to follow Web
Content Accessibility Guidelines. So Scratchers have the option to use
High Contrast blocks, which will be easier for some people to read, or
stick with the original block colors as they work in the project editor.
Set your mode in the project editor under Settings > Color Mode. And you
can always toggle the color mode back and forth if your preference
changes.
Original High Contrast
Choose Your Language
Do you, or a Scratcher you are working with, read/work in a language
other than English? You can adjust the language of the project editor
under Settings > Language. Or set the language at the bottom of many of
our site pages.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).
Educators
Looking for even more resources? The Scratch Foundation’s
website includes a Learning Library with hundreds of free
creative learning materials, from student-facing coding cards
to video tutorials to lesson plans…and more! Explore it at
[Link]
Resources are searchable and filterable, and we continue to
add to it, so keep checking back.
A few that may be of interest include:
● Scratch's Creative Learning Philosophy shares our
guiding stars and includes a trove of facilitation tips
and recommended reading
● Teacher Accounts for more information on setting up
teacher accounts and managing classes
● Lesson Plans and Educator Guides on a variety of topics
● All Blocks Posters posters showing all the primary blocks, the project editor,
extension blocks, and more
● Scratch Design Journal to help students imagine, plan, iterate, and reflect
throughout all of the phases of their project’s development
● Debugging for posters with strategies to use to help your students get unstuck
and debugging reflection questions
● Reflection worksheets for sharing their work and reflecting on their creative
process
● Studio Guide for more on creating studios
Tip: If you’d like to translate this guide, click here to make a copy of this Google doc.
Created by the Scratch Foundation ([Link]). Shared under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License (CCbySA 4.0).