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Scratch engages millions of children around the world in coding and sharing projects to express their ideas and develop their creativity.
Scratch is a free creative coding platform and online community that allows children of all ages to code, share, and remix their own stories, games, and animations. Scratch is translated into 50+ languages and available both online and offline. There are hundreds of thousands of educators around the world who are using Scratch in and out of classrooms and across the curriculum.
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HundrED 2021
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Overview
HundrED has selected this innovation to
2007
Established
43M
Children
163
Countries
Updated
March 2020
As children create and share Scratch projects, they’re learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for everyone in today’s society.
About the innovation
We support creative coding for everyone.
What we do?
Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
Scratch was first launched as a desktop application in 2007 by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Inspired by the early programming language Logo, Scratch was developed as an open source, block-based platform to support a wide range of creative expression. Scratch 3.0, launched in 2019, is designed to work in any current browser and on a wide variety of devices — including touch devices like tablets. Kids can create their own interactive stories, games, and animations on their computer and share them with the online community by uploading them to the Scratch website. No internet? No problem. The Scratch app allows you to create Scratch projects without an internet connection. With more than 43 million registered users, Scratch is now the world’s largest creative coding community for children.
The Scratch online community lies at the heart of Scratch as a collaborative tool. Scratch users can remix any project on the Scratch website to modify and add their own ideas. We believe that remixing other people’s projects is a great way to learn to program and to create interesting projects. Through remixing, creative ideas spread through the Scratch community, and everyone benefits. In the spirit of collaboration, Scratch also supports user comments and collections of themed projects in Scratch studios.
Scratch is used in hundreds of thousands of schools around the world, in many different subject areas (including language arts, science, history, math, and computer science). You can learn more about strategies and resources for using Scratch in schools and other learning environments (such as museums, libraries, and community centers) on our Educators Page and Scratch in Practice (SiP) Page.
Scratch and partner organizations continue to innovate with ways to integrate Scratch with other technologies and experiences through their extensions library. For example, there are built-in extension blocks that enable you to program physical devices (such as micro:bit, MaKey MaKey, and LEGO robotics kits). There is also an experimental extensions site that supports integration with more advanced hardware and technologies such as the Internet of things (IoT) and augmented reality (A/R). The team will keep adding new extensions over time, so what you can do with Scratch will continue to grow over time!
The Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT and collaborators continue to research how people use and learn with Scratch. Find out more about Scratch research and statistics.
Why we do it?
Our mission is to provide all children, from all backgrounds, with opportunities to imagine, create, and collaborate – so they can shape the world of tomorrow.
We envision a world where all children, from all backgrounds, can become full and active contributors to tomorrow’s society.
Impact & scalability
Impact & Scalability
Scratch is providing opportunities for students to learn how to code using offline and online options. Their collaborative platform brings together students from around the world to remix, create and explore different ways of coding. A great way to immerse yourself in coding, regardless of your experience.
HundrED Academy Reviews
HUGE fan of Scratch! I currently use this innovation at my school. It’s a free creative coding platform and online community that allows children of all ages to code, share, and remix their own stories, games, and animations. It’s very impactful and very scalable.
I have been waiting for this type of a website. Flexible in and out of our curriculum! As a high school teacher, I will introduce SCRATCH into our project based learning. Thank you.
- Academy member
Academy review results
High Impact
Low Scalability
High Impact
High Scalability
Low Impact
Low Scalability
Low Impact
High Scalability
Implementation steps
Imagine
Check out the Ideas page to see lots of ways to get started with Scratch. For each activity, you can try a Tutorial, download a set of Coding Cards, or view the Educator Guide.
Create
Go to the Scratch website to design your own project: choose Create, or click on the Start Creating button for a quick tutorial. Now is a great time to create an accountso that you can save projects and participate in the Scratch online community.
Share
With your project open, click on the orange Share button to share your project with the entire Scratch community. Now people can comment on your project and even remix it (make a copy) and add their own ideas.
For more information on using Scratch, please visit our FAQ page.
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As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of coding education and creative learning, I bring to you a wealth of knowledge about Scratch, a revolutionary platform that engages millions of children worldwide in coding and project-sharing activities. My expertise stems from a comprehensive understanding of Scratch's history, features, and its impact on fostering essential skills for the 21st century.
Scratch, launched in 2007 as a desktop application by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, draws inspiration from the early programming language Logo. This open-source, block-based platform was designed to support a diverse range of creative expressions. The latest iteration, Scratch 3.0 (2019), operates seamlessly on various devices, including touch-enabled ones like tablets, making coding accessible to children everywhere.
With over 43 million registered users, Scratch stands as the world's largest creative coding community for children. Through Scratch, young minds learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and collaborate effectively—skills deemed crucial in today's society. The Scratch online community is at the core of this collaborative tool, enabling users to remix projects, fostering the spread of creative ideas and knowledge.
One remarkable aspect is that Scratch goes beyond the digital realm, acknowledging the importance of offline accessibility. The Scratch app allows project creation without an internet connection, ensuring inclusivity and flexibility. The platform's reach extends to hundreds of thousands of schools worldwide, impacting various subjects such as language arts, science, history, math, and computer science.
Scratch's mission is rooted in providing all children, irrespective of background, with opportunities to imagine, create, and collaborate. The platform's impact is evident in its scalability, offering both online and offline coding options. The Scratch team continually innovates, integrating the platform with other technologies through its extensions library, including support for physical devices like micro:bit, MaKey MaKey, LEGO robotics kits, and even experimental extensions for advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (A/R).
The Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT, along with partner organizations, actively conducts research on how people use and learn with Scratch, further enhancing the platform's effectiveness. The success stories and positive impact of Scratch in education have garnered recognition from organizations like HundrED, which selected it for the 2021 Quality Education for All during Covid-19 initiative.
In conclusion, Scratch is not just a coding platform; it's a catalyst for nurturing creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills in children worldwide. Its significance in shaping the educational landscape is undeniable, and its continuous evolution ensures that it remains at the forefront of creative coding education.
