For kids aged 5-7, ScratchJr offers a fun and engaging way to dive into the world of programming by dragging colorful blocks to create programs and make characters move! This introductory programming language is perfect for young children, allowing them to craft their own interactive stories and games. By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. They can even customize their characters in the paint editor, add their own voices and sounds, or include photos of themselves, bringing their creations to life through coding.
ScratchJr draws inspiration from the renowned Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu), which is popular among millions of young people aged 8 and above worldwide. To cater to the developmental needs of younger children, ScratchJr's interface and programming language have been thoughtfully redesigned. We've carefully crafted features to align with the cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development stages of young learners.
We view coding, or computer programming, as a new form of literacy. Just as writing aids in organizing thoughts and expressing ideas, coding does the same. Previously considered too challenging for most, we believe coding should be accessible to everyone, much like writing.
As children engage with ScratchJr, they learn to create and express themselves using the computer, rather than just interacting with it. This process helps them develop problem-solving and project design skills, and they hone sequencing abilities that are crucial for future academic success. They also engage with math and language in a meaningful and motivating way, fostering early-childhood numeracy and literacy. Through ScratchJr, children aren't just learning to code; they are coding to learn.
ScratchJr is a collaborative effort between the Developmental Technologies group at Tufts University, the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, and the Playful Invention Company. The Android version was implemented by Two Sigma, with graphics and illustrations provided by HvingtQuatre Company and Sarah Thomson.
If you enjoy using this free app, consider making a donation to the Scratch Foundation (http://www.scratchfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization that supports ScratchJr. We appreciate donations of all sizes.
This version of ScratchJr is designed to work on tablets that are 7 inches or larger and run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) or higher.
For more details, please refer to our Terms of Use: http://www.scratchjr.org/eula.html
What's New in the Latest Version 1.5.11
Last updated on Nov 28, 2023
Minor bug fixes and improvements. Install or update to the newest version to check it out!
