ScratchJr is a free, introductory computer programming language that runs on iPads, Android tablets, Amazon tablets, and Chromebooks. Inspired by Scratch, the wildly popular programming language used by millions of children worldwide, ScratchJr helps even younger kids create their own playful animations, interactive stories, and dynamic games. The Official ScratchJr Book is the perfect companion to this free app and makes coding easy and fun for all. Kids learn to program by connecting blocks of code to make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. Each chapter includes several activities that build on one another, culminating in a fun final project. These hands-on activities help kids develop computational-thinking, problem-solving, and design skills. In each activity, you’ll find: –Step-by-step, easy-to-follow directions –Ways to connect the activity with literacy and math concepts –Tips for grown-ups and teachers –Creative challenges to take the learning further By the end of the book, kids will be ready for all sorts of new programming adventures! The ScratchJr app now supports English, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch, French, Italian, and Thai.

The ScratchJr Coding Cards are a deck of 75 activity cards covering fun and exciting projects designed to educate young children with the visual programming language, ScratchJr. ScratchJr is a free, introductory computer programming language that runs on iPads, Android tablets, Amazon tablets, and Chromebooks. Derived from Scratch, the wildly popular programming language used by millions of kids worldwide, ScratchJr helps even younger children (5 to 7 years old) create their own playful animations, interactive stories, and dynamic games. The ScratchJr Coding Cards encourage kids to think creatively and systematically while developing computational thinking skills. Kids will learn powerful ideas about computer science by using ScratchJr programming blocks to make characters move, jump, dance, sing, and more. As they work through the deck, they will become creative thinkers and problem solvers. Written by the ScratchJr co-creator, Prof. Marina Umaschi Bers, and Dr. Amanda Sullivan, the exercises in ScratchJr Coding Cards will encourage kids to develop coding skills as well as foundational concepts for literacy, math, planning, and problem-solving, all while having fun. The cards are created using the pedagogical approach developed by Prof. Bers to teach coding in a playful way to young children.

This fun, friendly guide is a perfect first introduction to computer coding. Discover how computers work and what coding does - then follow simple, step-by-step instructions to code your own stories and games. The coding uses ScratchJr, a computer language designed for beginners and available for free on computers and tablets. Helpful notes for grown-ups included!

ScratchJr is a beginner's programming language that is fun and easy to use. Through simple text written to foster creativity and problem solving, students will learn the art of innovation. Large, colorful images show students how to complete activities. Additional tools, including a glossary and an index, help students learn new vocabulary and locate information.

How lessons from kindergarten can help everyone develop the creative thinking skills needed to thrive in today's society. In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. In Lifelong Kindergarten, learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively—and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens. Drawing on experiences from more than thirty years at MIT's Media Lab, Resnick discusses new technologies and strategies for engaging young people in creative learning experiences. He tells stories of how children are programming their own games, stories, and inventions (for example, a diary security system, created by a twelve-year-old girl), and collaborating through remixing, crowdsourcing, and large-scale group projects (such as a Halloween-themed game called Night at Dreary Castle, produced by more than twenty kids scattered around the world). By providing young people with opportunities to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit, we can help them prepare for a world where creative thinking is more important than ever before.

A collection of ten themed activity card sets that introduces children to computer programming fundamentals using Scratch, a visual programming language developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab.

Build your own computer games with Scratch 3! Learn how to make fun games with Scratch--a free, beginner-friendly programming language from the MIT Media Lab. Create mazes, road-crossing games, and two-player games that keep score. Colorful pictures and easy-to-follow instructions show you how to add cool animations and sound effects to your games. You'll have hours of fun catching snowflakes, gobbling up tacos, and dodging donuts in space--while learning how to code along the way! Covers Scratch 3