Download ScratchJr for free on the iPad

30 July 2014

The team behind the Scratch programming language has released ScratchJr for the iPad, following a successful Kickstarter campaign which I was pleased to support with a small donation. ScratchJr is aimed at younger children, aged 5 to 7 years old, and has a simplified interface and set of blocks for making scripts. It has some great looking graphics, and the blocks can be used to create some surprisingly sophisticated effects. The app can be used to make stories with different scenes (a new feature in ScratchJr), and simple games too.

Our nieces and nephews are already experienced iPad users, so I'm confident that the interface will present no challenge at all to young children. They quickly learn what the icons mean and happily explore what they do.

Here are three scripts you can use to make an arcade game in ScratchJr:

The Alien Shooter game

To understand how that program works, and get an overview of the new app, see my review of ScratchJr on the iPad, including how to make an arcade game. If you're a fan of ScratchJr's older cousin Scratch, check out the bonus resources from my book Scratch Programming in Easy Steps.

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