Get to the Scratch website and start a new project
Open a web browser (Chrome or Firefox works best).
In the address bar at the top, type: scratch.mit.edu and press Enter.
Click the orange "Start Creating" button in the middle of the page — or click "Create" in the top menu.
A new project will open. You will see the Scratch editor for the first time.
⚠️ Watch out!
Make sure the address is scratch.mit.edu — not a search result. If you see a list of links, look for the official site.
Your teacher may have already set up a class account for you. If so, ask them whether to sign in first.
If the page doesn't load, check your internet connection or ask your teacher.
2
Find your way around
Scratch has four main areas — learn where they are
Look at your screen carefully. You should see four different areas:
Stage — the large square in the top-left. This is where your game runs.
Sprite Pane — the row of characters below the stage.
Block Palette — the coloured column of blocks in the middle.
Scripts Area — the large white area on the right. This is where you write your code.
👀 What you should see
A cat is already on the stage. In the Sprite Pane below, there is a small picture of the cat with the name "Sprite1". The Block Palette shows blue blocks labelled "Motion".
⚠️ Watch out!
If you can only see a small stage with no blocks, you may be in fullscreen mode. Look for a small arrow or "⊠" icon near the top-right of the stage and click it to go back to the editor.
If the screen looks very different — like a list of projects — you may have accidentally gone to "My Stuff" instead of the editor. Click Create in the top menu to get back.
3
Select the cat sprite
Make sure Scratch knows which sprite you are working on
Look at the Sprite Pane at the bottom-left.
Click on the orange cat picture. It should get a blue highlight border around it — this means it is selected.
The name "Sprite1" will also appear in a box above the sprite pane. That is your active sprite.
👀 What you should see
The cat in the Sprite Pane has a blue border around it. The Scripts Area on the right is empty — that is normal, we haven't added any code yet.
⚠️ Watch out!
If the backdrop is selected instead (the white square with mountains in the bottom-right of the stage area), the Block Palette will look different. Click the cat picture in the Sprite Pane to switch back to the cat.
Any code you add goes to whichever sprite is selected. Always check the blue highlight before dragging blocks!
4
Find the Motion blocks
Blocks are sorted by colour — Motion blocks are blue
Look at the Block Palette in the middle of your screen.
At the top you will see a row of coloured circles (Motion, Looks, Sound…). Click the word "Motion" — it has a blue circle.
A list of blue blocks appears. These control how sprites move.
Find the block move 10 steps. It should be near the top.
👀 What you should see
The palette is full of blue blocks. The first one says "move 10 steps". Below it you should see blocks like "turn", "go to x y", and "glide".
⚠️ Watch out!
If the blocks are purple, you clicked "Looks". If they are yellow/orange, you clicked "Events". Click the blue "Motion" circle at the top to get the right blocks.
If you can see the block categories but they look like small icons instead of words, your browser zoom may be too high. Try pressing Ctrl + − (minus) to zoom out a little.
🔍 Check Your Progress — Before Step 5
Before you continue, make sure all of these are true:
The Scratch editor is open with a cat on the stage
The cat has a blue border in the Sprite Pane (it is selected)
The Block Palette is showing blue Motion blocks
The Scripts Area on the right is empty
🆘 Something looks different?
No cat on the stage: Click the blue "Choose a Sprite" button in the Sprite Pane and pick "Cat" from the Animals category.
Scripts area has blocks already: Right-click on any block and choose "Delete Block", or ask your teacher to reset your project.
Can't find the Motion section: Look for a vertical strip of coloured words on the left edge of the palette. Click the blue one labelled "Motion".
5
Add your first block and run it
Drag a block into the Scripts Area and click it to run
Click and hold the move 10 steps block in the palette.
While still holding, drag it across to the big white Scripts Area on the right.
Let go (drop it). The block should now sit in the Scripts Area by itself.
Click the block once. You should see the cat jump slightly to the right on the stage!
Click it a few more times — the cat keeps moving right.
👀 What you should see
Every time you click the block, the cat moves a tiny bit to the right. If the cat reaches the edge of the stage, it stops. That is fine for now.
⚠️ Watch out!
If the cat does not move when you click the block, make sure you are clicking the block in the Scripts Area, not in the palette.
If the block disappeared when you let go, you may have dropped it on the stage instead of the Scripts Area. The stage won't accept blocks — drag the block to the wide white area to the right of the palette.
If the cat has walked off the edge and you can't see it, drag it back to the middle of the stage with your mouse.
6
Connect the Green Flag trigger
Add a "when flag clicked" hat block so your code runs properly
In the Block Palette, click the orange "Events" section.
Find the block when 🚩 clicked — it has a green flag on it and a rounded top (called a "hat block").
Drag it to the Scripts Area and drop it directly above your "move 10 steps" block.
As you get close, you will see a white glow appear — that means they are about to snap together. Let go when you see the glow.
Click the green flag button above the stage (top-left of the stage area). The cat should move!
👀 What you should see
The two blocks are joined — they look like one connected piece. When you click the green flag, the cat moves 10 steps. Every click of the flag = one move.
⚠️ Watch out!
If the hat block is floating separately instead of snapping on top of "move 10 steps", try dragging it lower until you see the white snap-glow appear, then release.
If nothing happens when you press the green flag, check the two blocks are connected — there should be no gap between them.
The green flag is the small triangle above the stage — not the "Scratch" logo at the top of the page.
7
Make the cat say something
Add a Looks block to display a speech bubble
In the Block Palette, click the purple "Looks" section.
Find say Hello! for 2 seconds.
Drag it to the Scripts Area and snap it below "move 10 steps".
Click the green flag. The cat should move and show a speech bubble saying "Hello!".
Customise it: double-click the word "Hello!" in the block and change it to anything you like — your name, a joke, or "I'm moving!".
👀 What you should see
Your script now has three connected blocks. When the flag is clicked: the cat moves 10 steps, then a speech bubble appears for 2 seconds. The bubble disappears on its own.
⚠️ Watch out!
If the cat moves but the speech bubble doesn't appear, the Looks block may not be snapped on — look for a gap between blocks and drag them together.
If the speech bubble appears but the cat doesn't move, the blocks are in the wrong order. The "move" block should be the second block (just below the flag), not at the bottom.
There is also a say Hello! block (without a timer) — make sure you picked the one that says "for 2 seconds".
🔍 Check Your Progress — Before Step 8
Your script should look like this (three blocks stacked top to bottom):
when 🚩 clicked
move 10 steps
say [your text] for 2 seconds
Clicking the green flag makes the cat move and speak
All three blocks are joined with no gaps between them
The speech bubble shows your custom text
🆘 Something looks different?
Blocks are separate and won't snap: Try dragging the lower block very slowly until you see the white glow appear between them — then release.
Cat is stuck at the edge: Click and drag the cat sprite on the stage back to the centre. Then click the green flag again.
I deleted a block by accident: Go to the Edit menu (top of page) and choose Undo, or press Ctrl + Z.
I can't find the right Looks block: Make sure the purple "Looks" section is open in the palette. Scroll down if needed — the block with "for 2 seconds" is a bit further down the list.
8
Mini-project — My Animated Pet
Now put it all together and make it your own
Use everything you have learned today to build your own animated pet:
Change the backdrop: click the backdrop square bottom-right, then click the mountains icon to choose a new one from the library.
Change or replace the sprite: click the cat in the Sprite Pane, then click the blue "Choose a Sprite" button. Pick any animal you like.
Make it bounce: in the Motion section, find if on edge, bounce and add it after your "move" block.
Add a Looks block: use set size to 100% or switch costume to change how your sprite looks.
Save your project: click File → Save now (if signed in) or File → Save to your computer. Name it "Week 1 — My Pet".
⚠️ Watch out!
When you add a new sprite, Scratch automatically selects it. Any blocks you drag will go to the new sprite — not the original. Always check which sprite is highlighted in the Sprite Pane before adding blocks.
if on edge, bounce must be inside your main script (below "move 10 steps"), not floating separately.
If the sprite is moving too fast, change the number in "move 10 steps" to something smaller — try move 3 steps.
🎉
Brilliant work — Week 1 complete!
You have opened Scratch, learned the four main areas, added blocks, and built your first animated pet. Next week you will learn how to control sprites with your keyboard.