Learn to Code with Eat Yummy Taco: Fun Scratch Game Tutorial for Kids - Step-by-Step Guide

Get ready to dive into a deliciously engaging game that will tickle your taste buds and test your reflexes — all while learning how to code! "Eat Yummy Taco" is a beginner-friendly and fun Scratch game for kids developed by Kodex Academy that turns learning into an exciting adventure. Whether you're a young coder just starting out or a teacher looking for an interactive classroom project, this game is packed with creativity, color, and coding challenges.

This beginner Scratch game tutorial introduces kids coding with interactive elements like sprite collisions and variable scoring.

Build Eat Yummy Taco: Scratch Game for Kids.Step-by-step guide for kids: Create sprites, add motion/sounds, implement scoring with variables, and win conditions using loops and collisions.

Set Up Sprites and Backdrop

Delete default sprite. Add Nano (player), Taco (collectible), Giga/Duck (targets). Choose schoolyard backdrop; duplicate for 'You Win' screen. Resize sprites (Nano 80%, Taco 50%).

Program Nano Movement

Use arrow keys for motion. Add 'When green flag clicked' to say 'Let's eat!' and start game.

Add Taco Collection

Taco appears near Nano, glides forward, hides at edge. Play 'Yummy!' sound on collection.

Implement Giga and Duck Movement

Giga/Duck glide randomly; collision with Nano: +1/-1 score, sounds ('Ouch!' quack).

Create Score Variable and Collisions

Set score to 0. On touch: change score by 1/-1; broadcast win at 5 points.

Add Sounds and Win Condition

Background music; switch backdrop and stop at win. Use 'repeat until' for loops.

Scratch Game for Kids: What Is "Eat Yummy Taco"?

Basic Game Design with Scratch

Objective:

Create a fun, interactive game where Nano throws tacos to Giga, avoids a mischievous duck, and scores points until the player wins.

Step-by-Step Design Process for this Game

You start by deleting the default sprite and choosing four important sprites from the Scratch library:

• • Nano – The player who throws the tacos
• • Giga – The friend who receives the tacos
• • Duck – The tricky obstacle
• • Taco – The moving object Nano throws

Then, select your backdrop — a schoolyard scene — and duplicate it to create a "You Win" screen that shows when the player scores 5 points. Add a "You Win" message to the second backdrop using Scratch's backdrop editor.

Customization Tips

Resize your sprites for visual balance:

• • Duck: 50%
• • Giga: 60%
• • Nano: 80%
• • Taco: 50%

Set your default backdrop at the beginning of the game using:

Key Game Design Concepts Learned

1. Setting up a game environment
2. Planning character roles and goals
3. Visual design through sprite sizing and backdrop creation
4. Ending the game with a win condition

How to Use Sprites, Sounds, and Motion

Sprites are the core components of this game. Each sprite has specific behaviors and interactions that bring your game to life.

A. Nano – Player Control

Nano can be moved up and down using the arrow keys:

Nano also displays a helpful message at the start:

B. Taco – Action Sprite

Taco is the interactive object Nano throws at Giga or accidentally at the duck. It's programmed to show up at Nano's position, move forward, and hide once it hits the edge.

Taco throw mechanics (code):

C. Giga & Duck – Moving Targets

Both Giga and Duckling move randomly across the screen to make hitting targets a fun challenge. Their movement is created using glide and random coordinates:

D. Adding Sounds

To make the game more immersive:

• • Background music plays throughout:

• • Giga says "Yummy!" and plays a pop sound when hit:

• • Duck says "Ouch!" and makes a quacking sound:

Simple Coding Logic for Interactive Game-play

This game project introduces kids to interactive game logic, including conditions, variables, and loops that power a real game engine.

A. Create and Use a Score Variable

You track the player's success with a point variable:

B. Collision-Based Scoring

In your taco sprite, you create logic that checks for collisions with other sprites to determine what happens:

C. Win Condition with Backdrop Switch

When your score reaches 5, the backdrop changes to display the "You Win" message and the game stops:

This is a major milestone in the game and teaches conditional logic in a meaningful way.

D. Repeat Until Logic

You use control blocks like repeat until to run a loop as long as the taco hasn't hit the edge:

This teaches students how game engines work — repeating actions until a condition is met.

Bonus Learning Points

While building "Eat Yummy Taco," you'll also learn:

Events	when green flag clicked, when space key pressed
Loops	forever, repeat until
Conditions	if, if then with touching blocks
Variables	set, change, and check point
Motion	move, go to, glide to random position
Looks	say, switch backdrop to, show, hide
Sound	play sound until done for interaction and feedback
Sensing	touching [sprite] to detect collisions

This Scratch game tutorial is perfect for:

• • 👧 Kids just starting out with coding
• • 👩‍🏫 Teachers building STEM lesson plans
• • 👨‍👩‍👧 Parents wanting a guided project for their kids
• • 🕹️ New coders who love games

Final Thoughts

"Eat Yummy Taco" isn't just about tacos — it's a full learning journey wrapped in fun. This Scratch game for kids, provides understanding on real programming logic in a visual, friendly format. Every feature — from moving sprites to scoring logic to win conditions — helps you level up your coding skills.

By the end, you won't just have a game; you'll have coded your first game engine — and that's a big win 🎉.

So go ahead, fire up Scratch, open your imagination, and start chomping your way to code mastery with Kodex Academy!

Happy coding with Kodex Academy! 🚀