A Full One on One Scratch Game Making Experience

New class

Ages 6-18

Live 1-on-1 Lessons

Learn how to create your own dream game on Scratch for completely new students or the most experienced! Based on my Roblox class which has been taught nearly 1500 times!

Dr Mark R. O'Brien

Average rating:

4.5

Number of reviews:

(24 reviews)

Live video meetings

Meets on demand

45 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What’s included

Meets on Demand

schedule meetings as needed

45 mins

per session

Teacher support

Projects

1-2 hours per week. When doing something students enjoy as much as making games, they will be their own hardest critic. It's up to them to identify if they made a game they would play or not.

Grading

When doing something students enjoy as much as making games, they will be their own hardest critic. It's up to them to identify if they made a game they would play or not.

Class Experience

US Grade 1 - 5

These one-on-one courses are for any student at any level. Every game is different, and every student is different, so these courses will be uniquely tailored to each student's needs. Creating your own video game in Scratch is fun, rewarding, and a great way to learn coding fundamentals. We start by assessing a student's goals, familiarity with basic computer skills, and experience with Scratch. The instructor has created numerous interactive projects, taught several hundred young game designers, and can provide the skills needed to bring a student's own dream game to life.


Topics:

Character Movement & Controls – Learn how to make a character move using keyboard inputs or mouse clicks.
Basic Game Logic & Events – Use Scratch’s block-based coding to create simple game mechanics like scoring, timers, and win/loss conditions.
Animations & Effects – Learn how to animate sprites, create smooth transitions, and add fun visual effects.
Game Interaction & Challenges – Design fun gameplay elements like obstacles, enemies, or puzzles to make the game more engaging.

Learning Goals

Learn every step of making your own dream Scratch game, from sounds, animations, character movement, scoring systems, and interactive game mechanics—all using block-based coding.

Other Details

Learning Needs

This class is flexible and adaptive, making it great for students with ADHD, ASD, or other unique learning needs. With one-on-one classes, I provide individualized support, adjusting pacing and engagement to help maintain focus.

Parental Guidance

This class does not include any content that may be upsetting or scary to learners. We will use Scratch, a free, online platform, which does not require any external accounts or purchases. Students will use their existing Scratch accounts or create new ones at the start of the class if needed. Since this is a one-on-one course, students will collaborate directly with the instructor. Scratch usernames may be shared privately between the student and the instructor to facilitate game sharing and collaboration. Please ensure usernames are shared via Outschool messaging for privacy and security.

Pre-Requisites

Students should be familiar with how to use a keyboard, mouse, and basic drag and drop mechanics.

External Resources

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Scratch

Sources

This class uses Scratch, a free online platform provided by the MIT Media Lab. Students will access Scratch via scratch.mit.edu, which offers resources, tutorials, and community features to support game creation and learning. No additional books or materials are required for the class.

Meet the teacher

Dr Mark R. O'Brien

Joined September, 2022

4.5

24reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

2 Degrees

Doctoral Degree in Mathematics from Tufts University

Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Lycoming College

I hold a PhD in Mathematics, which has given me a strong foundation in logic, problem-solving, and technical skills—qualities I bring to teaching coding. Alongside my background in math, I have years of experience creating Scratch games and teaching coding to young learners. With nearly 25 years of teaching experience, I have developed the ability to explain complex concepts in simple, engaging ways that make learning both fun and effective.