For kids aged 5-7, ScratchJr offers a fun and engaging way to dive into the world of programming! By dragging colorful blocks, young children can create programs and bring characters to life, making them move, jump, dance, and sing. With ScratchJr, kids can also customize their characters using the paint editor, add their own voices and sounds, and even include photos of themselves. This interactive platform allows children to build their own stories and games, sparking creativity and imagination.
ScratchJr draws inspiration from the renowned Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu), which is popular among millions of young people aged 8 and up. To cater to younger children, ScratchJr's interface and programming language have been carefully redesigned to be developmentally appropriate. We've thoughtfully crafted features to align with the cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development of young kids.
We believe coding is a new form of literacy, much like writing. It helps children organize their thoughts and express their ideas. While coding was once thought to be too complex for most, we see it as a skill accessible to everyone, just like writing. Through ScratchJr, young children learn to create and express themselves using computers, not just interact with them. This process fosters problem-solving, project design, and sequencing skills essential for future academic success. It also integrates math and language learning in a fun and motivating context, promoting early numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, kids don't just learn to code; they code to learn.
ScratchJr is a collaborative effort by the Developmental Technologies group at Tufts University, the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, and the Playful Invention Company. Two Sigma implemented the Android version, while HvingtQuatre Company and Sarah Thomson provided the delightful graphics and illustrations.
If you enjoy this free app, please consider donating to the Scratch Foundation (http://www.scratchfoundation.org), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting ScratchJr. We value donations of any size.
This version of ScratchJr is designed for tablets with screens 7 inches or larger and running Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) or higher.
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 have been made. Install or update to the newest version to experience the enhancements!