Exploring programming with Scratch: a step-by-step guide for beginners

Scratch is a relatively simple programming language that aims to help beginners understand the complex world of programming. You can start by creating a game, an animation, a virtual music program, interactive presentations, digital art projects, among others.

Scratch codes are made up of blocks that fit together, like a puzzle. The stage is where everything you program will happen (top right), the block palette is where you find the blocks you can use to program (far left), and the Sprites are the elements that will appear on the stage (bottom right). The interface is well-optimized and straightforward.

Commands: If you want the Scratch Cat sprite to ask “Hello, what's your name?” When you click on it, just do this code (assemble the code within the SCRATCH CAT palette, not from another sprite!):

when this sprite clicked
ask [Hello, what's your name?] and wait

Translation: When this sprite is clicked, ask “Hello, what's your name” and wait for the answer.
To make Scratch Cat respond “________ is a beautiful name!” just put together the code below, notice that now we are no longer using the “ask” block, but rather “say”.

when this sprite clicked
ask [Hello, what's your name?] and wait
say (join (response) [that's a beautiful name!]) for (3) seconds

The block

 (answer) 

is what stores the last answer to the question.

A variable is a block that stores something inside, for example the block

 (answer) 

is a variable that comes inside Scratch, we cannot delete it, but you can create a variable, for example

 (punctuation) 

.

Let's make a condition, when your score is 2000, the Scratch Cat says “Congratulations, your score is 2000”.

when green flag clicked
forever
if <(score) = [2000]> then
say [Congratulations, your score is 2000] for (3) secs
end
end

Translation: when the green flag clicked (when the program starts) if (condition) score (variable) is 2000 says “Congratulations, your score is 2000”.

I hope you learned a little about Scratch, but there's still a lot more coding to do, so read on here.

Nice guide! Though please read this before posting in the New Scratchers forum. You can make a project explaining your guide and I'm sure it can be useful and helpful! :)

Hello! It's great that you want to help out other Scratchers. However, I think we have enough guides in the forums at the moment. Please feel free to welcome new Scratchers on the group welcoming topic or on individual topics created by New Scratchers.

Other places that can always use more helpful Scratchers like you, are the "Help With Scripts“ and ”Questions About Scratch" areas - please use them as designed, by responding to topics created by folks with problems to solve

Finally, a really good place for Scratch guides is the Scratch Wiki - check it out and see if it's something you might like to work on. They have a number of guides - and great organization.