What can you create with drag-and-drop block coding?
Sprites can be easily created from something like a shape tool, and again, their color effects can be altered with a looks block. Thus, creating a character in Scratch is called “painting a sprite.” Sprites can jump, move in different directions, speak, and more. Sound blocks: Used to add sounds to a story or game, or edit sound effects like pitch, and even change the volume of different sounds.įor example, a sound block can be used to start playing a “meow” sound, and then another sound block can be used to stop all sounds.īlocks provide a valuable learning experience, with kids quickly realizing that their programs will only do what they tell them to do, and will only run code in the order it was “written.” Tell me more about “sprites!”Īs mentioned, a sprite can be thought of as an image, which can be a character or object. Looks blocks: Used to change a sprite’s appearance, and can make a sprite say or think something, change costumes or backdrops, or even change the size or graphic effects of a sprite.įor example, creators can tell their sprite to display a text bubble and say “hello!” for a 2-second duration. Motion Blocks: Used to control movement, telling sprites (Scratch images) to move and turn in relation to the sprite itself, other sprites, or a certain position.įor instance, with one single block, creators can tell a sprite to move forward 10 steps, or turn 15 degrees to the right.
When we mention “blocks,” it’s a way to describe the “chunks” or “pieces” of instructions a user is putting together in order to tell their creation what to do.įor example, Scratch programming is block-based, and is one of the most popular options when it comes to kids coding languages. It’s an entry-level activity, where kids can gain a foundation in computational thinking through visuals as opposed to coding that is based in text. Block-based coding or programming utilizes a drag-and-drop learning environment, where programmers use coding instruction “blocks” to construct animated stories and games.