How to Make a Simple Game in Scratch with Your Kids

Learn how to create your first game in Scratch using simple steps that work for beginners of all ages.

1. Get Started with Scratch. Go to scratch.mit.edu and click 'Create' to start a new project. You'll see a cat character (called a sprite) on a white stage, with colorful coding blocks on the left side. No need to create an account right away - you can start building immediately. The orange cat will be your main game character, but you can change or add characters later.
2. Plan Your Simple Game. Start with a basic 'catch the falling objects' game. Your cat will move left and right to catch good items (like apples) while avoiding bad ones (like rocks). This type of game uses simple concepts that are perfect for beginners. Decide together what your character should catch and what they should avoid - let your kids pick their favorite things.
3. Make Your Character Move. Click on the cat sprite, then drag blocks from the left panel to the coding area. Start with a 'when green flag clicked' block (from Events). Add a 'forever' block (from Control) underneath it. Inside the forever loop, add 'if key left arrow pressed then change x by -10' and 'if key right arrow pressed then change x by 10' (from Motion and Sensing). Click the green flag above the stage to test - your cat should now move left and right with the arrow keys.
4. Add Objects to Catch. Click the sprite icon in the bottom right to add a new character - choose or draw an apple. For the apple sprite, create code that makes it start at the top of the screen and fall down. Use 'when green flag clicked', then 'forever', then 'go to x: random -200 to 200 y: 180' and 'glide 3 secs to x: same x y: -180'. Add 'wait 1 second' at the end so apples appear regularly.
5. Make the Game Interactive. Create a score counter by clicking 'Make a Variable' (from Variables) and call it 'Score'. For the apple sprite, add an 'if touching cat then' block (from Sensing). Inside this, add 'change Score by 1' and make the apple disappear or move back to the top. You can also add sound effects from the Sounds tab - record your own cheering sound or pick from Scratch's library when the cat catches an apple.
6. Test and Improve Your Game. Click the green flag to play your game. Move the cat with arrow keys and try to catch the falling apples. If something isn't working, check that your blocks are connected properly. Make the game more fun by changing how fast things fall, adding more types of objects, or creating obstacles to avoid. Save your project by clicking 'File' then 'Save to your computer' so you don't lose your work.