Scratch

Scratch is a visual programming language for young people to learn coding, by using a simple visual interface to drag and combine blocks to create their own programs, with access to a broad range of functionality and extensions!


Get to know Scratch with this poster that introduces how it works:


  • Olympic Medal Counter

    Create a medal counter using variables and sounds, check the official Olympic Medal Table and tally medals won by teams at the Paris 2024 Games!

  • Programming a Piano

    Create a virtual piano keyboard in Scratch, then connect with NZ Music Month by playing along with a favourite song by a New Zealand artist.

  • Collecting Poppies

    Create a game to score points by collecting poppies as they appear and disappear at random sizes and in random places across the screen.

  • Virtual Presentation: Matariki

    Create a program with interactive sound recordings, based on research about the stars of the Matariki cluster.

  • Virtual Presentation: Olympic Rings

    Create a program with interactive sound recordings, based on research about the Olympic Rings.

  • Move the Hoiho!

    Create a simple game using Video Sensing to move a yellow-eyed penguin sprite by detecting motion over directional arrows.

  • He Pepeha / He Mihimihi

    Create a digital storytelling program for sharing your pepeha or mihimihi using images, text, and sound.

  • My Kupu App: "He aha tēna?"

    Create an interactive visual glossary that identifies objects in English and te reo Māori using text display and audio files.

  • My Kupu App: Search Functon

    Use lists in Scratch to create an interactive app for translating between English and te reo Māori.

  • Māori Chatbot

    Over 4 sessions, create an interactive chatbot program from start to finish, that can respond using English and te reo Māori.

  • Kōhiti Watch

    Build a game to find a hidden grasshopper (he kōhiti), with unique ‘start’ and ‘end’ screens, and a timer to show how quickly players pass each level.

  • E haere ake nei...

    Watch this space for more fun, creative, and interactive projects using the Scratch programming language!

Links and Resources

  • Scratch Editor Interface (Scratch)

    Click here to access the Scratch Editor interface, where you can build your own projects using code block, graphics, sounds, and more!

  • Scratch in Practice (SiP)

    A project from Scratch and the Lifelong Kindergarten Group (MIT Media Lab) to share ideas and materials by and for educators.

  • For Parents (Scratch)

    A resource page from Scratch with information and guidance for how Scratch works for children, learning, and community.

  • Ideas Page (Scratch)

    A hub of resources from the Scratch Team to help you get started with tutorials, activity guides, starter projects, and more!

  • Pathway: Scratch (RPF)

    A hub of lessons, resources, and projects for learning with the Scratch programming platform. From the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

  • Creative Computing Curriculum

    A hub of ideas, strategies, and activities with Scratch. From the Creative Computing Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Machine Learning for Kids is a free tool that uses Scratch to introduce machine learning (ML) and provide hands-on experiences working with pre-trained models, training machine learning systems, and building fun projects with them. Click the icon to check out some sweet ML projects!