Block Programming

Introduction: Variable Blocks in Scratch Whether you’re just getting started with Scratch programming or looking to take your projects to the next level, understanding variables and lists is crucial. These powerful tools let you store, manage, and manipulate data — making your games and animations smarter, more dynamic, and interactive. In this beginner-friendly guide inspired by Kodex Academy’s Scratch tutorial video, you’ll learn: What Are Variables in Scratch A variable in Scratch is a storage container for a single piece of data at a time—it could be a number, a word (text/string), or boolean‑like (true/false) values. Scratch provides built‑in capability to: There is always a default variable (“my variable”) present, as explained in the transcript. Scratch variables are usually of two types: Also, Scratch supports cloud variables, which are global variables stored on Scratch’s servers, sharing state across users or project instances. However, there are limitations (e.g. only numeric, update rates, etc.). en.scratch-wiki How to Create and Use Variables in Scratch Based on the Kodex Academy transcript, here are step‑by‑step ways to use variables in Scratch, with added tips and code blocks. Creating a Variable Tip: Use meaningful names (playerScore, livesLeft) rather than generic ones—helps when your project gets larger. Basic Variable Blocks After creating a variable, some of the most commonly used blocks are: Example: Reset Score on Game Start Suppose you have a game where you want the score to start at zero each time the game starts. You could script: Example: Increase Score When Collecting an Object Example: Hide / Show Score What Are Lists in Scratch A list is like a variable but can contain multiple items (text, numbers). You can think of it as an array or group of values. Lists are great when you need to manage collections: names, days, levels, scoreboard entries, inventories, etc. List blocks in Scratch allow you to: Using Lists – Step by Step Using the transcript’s scenarios, here’s what to do: Adding Items Deleting Items Checking If an Item Exists Find Length of the List Hide / Show List Full Example: Making a Simple Game with Variables and Lists Let’s imagine a quiz game. You want to: Here’s a skeleton script for one sprite (“QuizMaster”) and the Stage: This uses variables (score) and list (UsedQuestions) together to build an interactive game. Additional Scenarios & Use‑Cases Enhancement Features & Advanced Code Ideas To go beyond basics, here are enhancements you can add, with code templates: 1. Cloud Variables for Leaderboards Using cloud variables, you can store high scores or global stats that persist across sessions and are visible to others. Then you can compare and update if the player beats the previous high score. 2. Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Use variables to adjust how hard the game gets: Using Lists for Randomized Content To avoid repetition, you can pick random items from a list and then remove them to ensure uniqueness: Improved UI / Display Animations or Interactive Effects Controlled by Variables For example: control sprite size, color, speed based on variable value. Troubleshooting & How to Avoid Errors Conclusion Mastering variables and lists in Scratch is a game-changer when it comes to creating engaging, interactive, and smart projects. Whether you’re building a Scratch game, developing a quiz, or working on a creative animation, understanding how to create a variable in Scratch or manage a list opens up endless possibilities. In this tutorial, we’ve covered: Whether you’re just starting or aiming to create advanced games in Scratch, working with variables and lists is the key to unlocking the full potential of Scratch programming. Call to Action Happy coding with Kodex Academy! 🚀 Learn More with Kodex Academy At Kodex Academy, we’re passionate about helping students learn coding in creative ways. This project teaches more than Scratch—it empowers young minds to build tools that work in the real world. Explore more: Stay updated with new content, free tutorials, and coding challenges! Further Reading & Links

Animating Earth revolving around the Sun is a classic beginner/intermediate Scratch animation project. It combines trigonometry (sine & cosine), variables, loops, and visual scripting. Kids can learn how to use sin and cos blocks to compute X/Y positions based on an angle and radius, how to use pen tools to trace orbits, and how to add rotation, sound, and other effects.

One of the most powerful features in Scratch is its Operator Blocks — essential for handling math operations, logic comparisons, and string manipulations.

In today’s session, we’re diving deep into one of the most powerful features of Scratch — Sensing Blocks. These blocks allow your projects to interact with the world, detect touches, respond to colors, receive user input, sense sound levels, track mouse and keyboard actions, and even keep time!

“Control blocks” in Scratch are those blocks (from the Control category) that manage the flow of your script: when things happen, how many times they happen, making decisions, repeating actions, timing pauses, stopping or creating clones, etc. These are essential when doing Scratch programming for beginners, because they let your sprites do more than just move: they allow logic, loops, and interactivity.

Welcome to this tutorial on Scratch Event Blocks—your introduction to event-driven programming, where creativity meets interactivity!
how powerful Scratch’s event blocks can be in bringing projects to life. From click-triggered animations to keyboard-controlled actions and sprite-to-sprite conversations, these blocks form the foundation for dynamic storytelling and engaging, user-driven experiences.

In this comprehensive Create Stunning Geometric Art in Scratch tutorial, you’ll learn how to draw fascinating geometric shapes and bring them to life using vibrant colors, smart loops, and the powerful pen extension tool in Scratch.
this tutorial walks you through step-by-step how to combine logic and artistry to generate stunning geometric art. The video shows how to use loops in Scratch, control angles and movement, and draw patterns that are both visually appealing and mathematically intriguing.

Sound is one of the most powerful tools in storytelling and game design. In Scratch, adding music, sound effects, and voice recordings doesn’t just make your project “heard”—it makes it felt. Whether you’re designing an interactive game, animating a fun story, or building your first coding project, Scratch sound blocks help you turn static scenes into immersive experiences.

we’ll walk you through one of the most exciting concepts in 2D game development: the scrolling background and character animation effect. This type of animation makes your game environment feel alive and dynamic, just like popular side-scrolling games such as Super Mario Bros. or Sonic the Hedgehog.