Coding activity
Scratch Jr. Adventures
Give commands to a pretend robot! Practice giving step-by-step directions and learn that coding is telling a computer exactly what to do.
Materials and setup
- command cards
- paper
- pencil
- maze templates
- crayons
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Give commands to a pretend robot! Practice giving step-by-step directions and learn that coding is telling a computer exactly what to do.
Steps
- Play 'Robot and Programmer': one person is the robot, the other gives commands (step forward, turn left, pick up).
- The robot can ONLY do exactly what you say. If you say 'walk,' but don't say 'stop,' the robot keeps walking!
- Practice: give the robot 5 commands to walk from one side of the room and pick up a toy.
- Switch roles: now you're the robot. Follow commands exactly.
- Talk about it: computers are like robots - they only do exactly what you tell them.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Understand that commands must be specific and sequential
- Practice giving clear, step-by-step instructions
- Grasp the concept that computers follow exact instructions
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Explore visual block coding concepts through an unplugged activity. Sequence command cards to create programs that move a character through a maze.
Steps
- Create command cards: arrows for forward, left turn, right turn, and a stop sign.
- Draw a simple grid maze on paper. Place a character at the start and a star at the finish.
- Lay out command cards in order to guide the character through the maze.
- Test your program: move the character following each card exactly. Did it reach the star?
- If there's a bug (mistake), find the wrong card and fix it. That's debugging!
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Sequence visual commands to create programs
- Navigate a character through a maze using directional commands
- Debug programs by identifying and fixing errors
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Learn block-based programming concepts using Scratch or similar: sequences, loops, events, and simple conditionals. Create an animated story.
Steps
- Learn programming concepts using unplugged activities or block coding: sequence (steps in order), loop (repeat), event (when something happens).
- Plan a simple animated story: character moves across the screen, says something, and encounters another character.
- Program the story step by step: move, wait, say, repeat.
- Add an 'event': when the user clicks, something special happens (character changes costume, background changes).
- Test and debug your program. Does it work as expected? Fix any bugs.
- Share your animated story with family and explain how you programmed it.
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Program sequences, loops, and events in block-based coding
- Create an interactive animated story with user events
- Debug programs by testing and fixing errors systematically
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Build advanced Scratch projects: interactive games with scoring, multi-sprite interactions, custom blocks (functions), and broadcasting messages.
Steps
- Design an interactive game: plan the gameplay, sprites, controls, and scoring system on paper first.
- Program player controls: arrow key movement with edge detection (bounce off walls).
- Add game mechanics: collision detection, score tracking using variables, and a game-over condition.
- Create custom blocks (functions) for repeated code sections to keep your program organized.
- Use broadcast messages so sprites can communicate with each other (when enemy touches player, broadcast 'game over').
- Test with 3 different players. Gather feedback and improve the game. Document your code with comments.
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Design and program interactive games with scoring systems
- Use variables, custom blocks, and broadcasting for complex programs
- Apply user testing and iteration to improve software
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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