TL;DR
If you’re tired of seeing your kid enter a catatonic state while watching "Skibidi Toilet" memes or mindlessly scrolling through YouTube, Scratch is the antidote. It’s a free, MIT-developed platform that turns screen time from passive consumption into active creation. It’s essentially digital LEGOs for coding.
Quick Links:
Scratch is a "block-based" programming language. Instead of typing out cryptic lines of code where one missing semicolon ruins your entire afternoon, kids drag and drop colorful blocks that snap together.
If the block says "Move 10 steps" and they snap it under "When Green Flag Clicked," the character on the screen moves. It’s immediate, it’s visual, and it removes the high barrier to entry that usually makes coding feel like doing taxes. It was built by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, which tells you everything you need to know about their philosophy: learning should feel like play.
We talk a lot about "brain rot" these days—that specific type of low-effort content that kids consume until their eyes glaze over. Scratch is the opposite. It’s cognitively demanding but in a way that feels like a game.
Kids love it because it gives them agency. In Roblox, they are playing someone else's game (and usually being begged to spend your money on Robux). In Scratch, they are the architects. They can make a game where a cat flies through space eating tacos, or a complex platformer that rivals the early Mario games.
It’s also "social" in a way that feels a bit more wholesome than a standard social network. They can "remix" other people's projects. If they see a cool game another kid made, they can look under the hood, see how the code works, and change it to make it their own. It’s the ultimate "Ohio" move (in the good way)—taking something weird and making it weirder and better.
Learn more about the difference between active and passive screen time
This is the flagship. It runs in a web browser, so you don't need a beefy gaming PC. It’s completely free, supported by grants, and has no in-app purchases. None. Zero. It’s one of the few places on the internet where no one is trying to sell your kid a skin or a loot box.
- Ages: 8-16
- Platform: Website
If you have a 5 or 6-year-old who wants to be like their big sibling, ScratchJr is the move. It’s an app designed for non-readers. The blocks use symbols instead of words, allowing kids to create their own interactive stories and simple games before they can even spell "algorithm."
- Ages: 5-7
- Platform: App (iPad/Android tablets)
If your child finds the open-ended nature of Scratch a bit overwhelming, Code.org is a fantastic alternative. It uses the same block-based logic but wraps it in "Hour of Code" tutorials featuring characters from Minecraft, Frozen, and Star Wars. It’s much more "on rails," which is great for building initial confidence.
- Ages: 4+
- Platform: Website
Tynker is like the "premium" version of Scratch. It’s very polished and has great built-in courses, but it is a paid subscription. If your kid exhausts everything on Scratch and wants to start learning how to mod Minecraft, Tynker is a solid next step.
- Ages: 7-13
- Platform: App/Website
While Scratch is generally the "nursery" of the internet, there are a few things to keep in mind based on your kid's age:
- Ages 5-7: Stick to ScratchJr. There is no "community" or commenting feature here; everything stays on the device. It’s 100% safe.
- Ages 8-10: This is the sweet spot for the Scratch website. They’ll likely need you to help them set up an account. Pro tip: Don't use their real name as the username.
- Ages 11+: They might start getting interested in the community aspect—commenting on projects and joining "studios." This is a great time to talk about digital citizenship.
Check out our guide on teaching kids digital citizenship
Parents often ask: "Is Scratch safe?" The short answer is yes, but with a small asterisk.
The Scratch community is heavily moderated. They have strict rules against bullying, violence, and inappropriate content. However, it is a social network. Users can comment on projects and message each other.
What to watch for:
- The Comments: Like any place where humans gather, comments can occasionally get salty. It’s rarely "toxic" in the way Fortnite can be, but you might see some "this game sucks" or "L + Ratio" type energy.
- Personal Info: Kids love to share. Remind them that they shouldn't be sharing their Discord tag, their school name, or their face in their projects.
- The "Remix" Drama: Sometimes kids get upset when someone "remixes" their project without giving what they feel is enough credit. It’s a great teaching moment about how the open-source internet works.
Read our full guide on is Scratch safe for kids?
A lot of parents hope that coding will lead to their kid becoming the next tech billionaire. Let's be real: Scratch isn't going to make your kid money. It’s not Roblox, where there’s a direct (and often predatory) pipeline from "making a game" to "earning Robux."
Scratch is about logic and persistence. When a kid's code doesn't work, they have to "debug" it. They have to look at their logic, find the error, and try again. That skill—staying calm when things don't work and systematically fixing them—is worth way more than a few digital coins.
If your kid is obsessed with the "business" side of gaming, Scratch is the "school" they attend before they try to launch a "business" on Roblox. It teaches them that games are made of logic, not just magic and credit card swipes.
If you want to engage with your kid about their Scratch projects without sounding like you're performing a wellness check, try these prompts:
- "That's a cool sprite (character). Did you draw that yourself or find it in the library?"
- "Show me the code that makes the gravity work. That part looks tricky."
- "I saw you remixed that game—what did you change to make it better?"
- "If you could add one 'boss level' to this, what would it look like?"
Avoid asking "What are you learning?" because that’s the fastest way to make a kid close their laptop. Ask "How does it work?" instead.
Scratch is the best $0 you will ever spend on your child’s digital education. It’s the "Goldilocks" of creative tech: not too hard that they give up, not too easy that they get bored. It bridges the gap between being a consumer of the digital world and being a creator of it.
If your kid is currently "all-in" on Minecraft or Roblox, Scratch is the natural evolution. It’s the difference between playing with a toy and building one.
- Set up an account on the Scratch website with your child this weekend.
- Spend 20 minutes doing one of the built-in tutorials (the "Make it Fly" one is a classic).
- Check out our guide on transitioning from Scratch to Python if your kid is already a pro.
- Ask our chatbot for specific project ideas based on your kid's interests.
Ask our chatbot: What are some Scratch project ideas for a kid who loves Pokémon?