Coding is an essential academic skill for children and demands training from an early age. However, the process of transforming your kids into proficient coders can be a tough one. You can get kids to sit at a computer table dreaming of creating the next big game like Minecraft or Roblox.
All the kids would see is the blank white space in front of them, and they would feel confused. What is the best approach to help a kid learn to code? The answer would most likely direct you toward game development and design. The process of creating a game tests the creativity of children and hones their understanding of essential programming concepts.
Scratch is an exciting programming language that could help kids learn coding through visual components. The following post offers you a brief guide on using Scratch to create simple games to help your children learn about coding.
What is Scratch?
You must be wondering about the reasons for choosing Scratch programming language for teaching coding to kids. First of all, Scratch was created by MIT, which serves as a brand of credibility for the language. Another important highlight of Scratch is that it offers the benefit of visual coding, also known as block-based coding, which is more straightforward for kids. Compared to popular languages such as Python, Java, or JavaScript, Scratch offers coding through blocks rather than text. Children can use the ‘drag-and-drop’ interface of Scratch to create their game.
Visual coding enables children to observe the relationship between the code block they use and its corresponding action. The confidence to create their own game can serve promising value advantages in the future for encouraging kids to learn to code. Most important of all, the engaging experience of Scratch coding exercises can help kids blend creativity and code into innovative game designs. The catchy animations in Scratch are only the tip of the iceberg of features it has in store for young programmers.
Basic Blocks of Scratch Programming Language
If you want to use Scratch game programming exercises to teach coding to children, then you must know about its essential components. The three critical elements of Scratch are Scratch Sprite, User Interface, and Code Blocks. Let us take a look at their role in the use of Scratch for creating new games.
- Sprites
The most interesting thing about Scratch as a tool for serving intro to coding points at sprites. A sprite could be any object in the games created on Scratch. The objects could be characters such as people or animals and props such as clothes and shoes. The sprites are controlled through the blocks of code, which are an essential element of Scratch architecture. All the new projects in Scratch feature preloaded Sprites along with other additional predefined Sprites. Kids can also explore the option of adding a new sprite or renaming a sprite according to their needs.
- Code Blocks
Code blocks are the next prominent highlight which makes Scratch an ideal language for teaching coding to kids. As a matter of fact, Code Blocks ensure that coding classes become more engaging for children. As the name implies, code blocks have the power to create stories and games without entering text.
Scratch programming utilizes different types of blocks for defining the actions and behaviour of the sprites. The code blocks in Scratch include motion blocks, look blocks, control blocks, sound blocks, and event blocks. Each code block serves a distinct functionality. For example, the motion block helps in controlling the movements of sprites, while sound blocks can add sound effects to the character.
Which Type of Games Do You Want to Create?
The foremost highlight in a step-to-step guide for creating your video game with Scratch would be the type of game children want to create. A tutorial on Scratch would be incomplete without mentioning how it can offer multiple opportunities for engaging young learners. Scratch could help in understanding the mechanics of game design with simple features that are readily accessible to children. For example, kids can create games for Android smartphones, such as the pong game, maze game, or flappy bird game.
Once children are sure about the kind of game they want to develop, they can visualize the elements they want in the game. Children could know what the main character of their game would look like. At the same time, they would also know about the code they have to use to achieve the look. Above everything else, kids can overcome apprehensions about creating their first game or learning how to code by choosing the type of games they want to create.
Simple Steps for Creating Games on Scratch
The best thing about how to make a game on scratch is the simplicity of the process. Kids can build the skills to create advanced games by learning about the symphony of creativity and technology with every new Scratch project. Interestingly, the process of creating fun games on Scratch is simple, which makes it a green flag for kids to learn to code. Children can follow a few steps of a game tutorial on Scratch to develop their game.
The step-by-step tutorial for creating games on Scratch would begin with brainstorming ideas. Subsequently, kids must add a backdrop to the game and introduce sprites in the game according to their proposed design. It is also essential to check the positioning of objects on the bottom right or left for enhanced visual appeal. You can add functionalities for moving sprites with arrow keys by using the relevant code. Children should also pay attention to creating a scoreboard for the game and refining the design further.
Is Your Kid Ready to Learn Coding with Games?
The notion of learning coding by creating games is an exciting proposition for kids. As a parent or teacher, you need to understand how Scratch could help children in becoming a programmer while having fun. Games can serve as a promising avenue for welcoming kids to the world of computer science alongside offering an innovative approach to skill development. Let your children learn more about Scratch fundamentals with training classes by experts right now.
