Scratch is a wonderful, free(!) web-based coding environment that is great for young coders. Great for first-time coders but with so many features, your child will be creating for years to come! In my opinion, it is the best way to learn to code.

In this class, we'll learn how to make games that you can play. Each week we will work on a different game - we'll start with learning how to make the base game, and then you can add more to make the game your own.

We'll learn how to make sprites and animate them, how to control sprites with the keyboard and mouse, how to detect when things bump into each other, how to program gravity, and more!

This class is designed for "advanced beginners" - a student has used Scratch and has made a few projects. If your child is new to Scratch, I offer 2 beginner classes that meet 2 times  (2 hours total) called "Let's Tell a Joke" and "Make an Interactive Card", which are great introductions to Scratch, and would prepare them for this class.

Is this class right for your child? Here's how to tell: ask them to log into their Scratch account. If they can't do that - then they should start with a beginner class first. If they can log in, ask to see the projects they've made. If they have at least 4 projects, and the projects have more than an orange cat on a white background, then this class should be perfect.  (If they have more than 20 projects, and they are not just remixes, then this class may be too easy. Ask if there's something they want to learn - maybe we can set up a one-on-one session).

Note: this class is now part of a series. But it is a stand-alone class - 3 games will be built during this class. If your child likes this class they can take more!