Scratch

What Scratch is for and who uses it

Scratch is a coding app from the Scratch Foundation for making interactive stories, games and animations. The developer says millions of kids use it both at school and at home.

Finished projects can go to friends and family, to a classroom, or to the wider Scratch Community of creators. The store rates the app for ages 3 and up.

Building characters, backdrops and sounds

The app includes a library of characters and backdrops, and you can also make your own. Sounds work the same way: choose from the built-in library or record your own.

These are the visual and audio parts a story, game or animation is built from.

Coding projects and connecting physical devices

Coding is the core of the app. You write the instructions that make characters move, react and play sounds.

The listing says the app can also connect to physical devices, including the micro:bit, Makey Makey, LEGO MINDSTORMS and a computer's webcam. Code can then respond to or control those devices outside the screen.

Working offline and saving projects

Projects can be created and saved without an internet connection, so the work does not depend on being online. Sharing to the online community needs an account, which is a separate step.

Sharing, the online community and learning resources

Projects can be exported and sent to friends and family. Creating an account lets you share to the global Scratch Community of creators.

For teaching, the developer points to new tutorials on the Scratch ideas page and to dozens of free classroom resources for educators.