If your child has come home excited about "Scratch," you might be wondering exactly what it is and why it's become the go-to first coding language for millions of kids worldwide. Here's a quick guide to help you understand what your child is learning — and how you can support them.
What is Scratch?
Scratch is a free, visual programming language developed by MIT, designed specifically for children aged 8 and up. Instead of typing lines of code, kids snap together colourful blocks like puzzle pieces to build animations, games, and interactive stories. Each block represents an instruction — move, turn, say, repeat — so children can focus on logic and creativity without getting stuck on typos or syntax errors.
Why Start with Scratch?
- No typing required: Younger children can build real programs without needing strong typing or spelling skills.
- Instant feedback: Every change can be tested immediately, so kids see cause and effect right away.
- Built-in creativity tools: A full library of characters, backgrounds, and sounds means kids spend their time solving problems, not searching for assets.
- A safe, global community: Kids can share and remix projects with other young creators around the world.
How You Can Help at Home
You don't need any coding experience to support your child's Scratch journey. Ask them to show you what they've built and explain how it works — teaching back is one of the best ways for kids to cement new skills. Encourage experimentation: in Scratch, "mistakes" are just part of the process, and every broken project is a chance to debug and learn.
Ready to see it in action? Our Code Explorer course is designed to take complete beginners from their very first Scratch project to confidently building their own games and animations.