Your nine favourite Scratch projects!

Have you ever wanted to know which Scratch projects educators enjoy using in their Code Clubs?

We asked educators and supporters to tell us about their favourite Code Club Scratch projects.

The nine projects below were firm favourites from our community. Find out why they are so special to our educators and how you can use them in your Code Club. There is a perfect project for everyone, from beginners to more experienced coders.

Top nine Scratch projects

1. Boat race

This brilliant racing game is super popular with young coders who love developing their coding skills to create their own variations of the game.

“It’s simple enough for even the younger students to follow but has so much scope for extra features. It’s also a great basis for creating other top-down racing games.”

Darren Townsend, Southwold Primary School Code Club

“I love Boat Race, there are always so many awesome variations/remixes on that project with young people sharing and playing each other’s games and seeing who can make the trickiest map/maze to get through in a fast time!”

Tanya Howden, The Innovation Centre at Tynecastle Park

2. Space talk

The first project in the project path ‘Introduction to Scratch: sprites, scripts, and loops’ provides a great introduction to block-based programming. 

“It’s such an easy way to understand how coding logic and conditions work. Whether you’re a young coder or a volunteer with no coding experience, this is a really fun and accessible project.”

Izzy Ronaldson, Global Community Coordinator

Space talk

3. Chatbot

We have loved seeing so many remixes of the Chatbot project over the years. It introduces learners to use code to join text in Scratch.

“Chatbot is still my all-time favourite [project]. You can use it for quizzes and many other interactive games.”

Queen Elohoghene Justice-Usum, QueTice Code Club, Nigeria

4. Ghostbusters

Ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and sometimes an Easter egg! This brilliant Scratch project really gets coders to be imaginative as they create a game where they can add a variable to store a score. 

“Ghostbusters for sure! I taught a remix Easter egg hunt version a couple of years ago which the children loved.”

Miss Singleton, St Mark’s Primary, Scotland 

5. Catch the bus

Building on the skills from ‘Space talk’, this project helps learners to create a fun animation. They learn how to use the repeat loop, move sprites, and switch costumes.

“I love seeing the look of amazement on the young coders’ faces when the sprites disappear and the bus drives off.”

Darren Bayliss, Programme Coordinator, Ireland

Catch the bus

6. I made you a book

In this project, learners use a project brief to create their own book. They can tell a story or share facts on a subject that interests them. 

“This project has everything, [it] gives the right amount of freedom, flexibility and guidance to young people to create and build on their own ideas — however different or similar they may be!”

Sangeeta Sharma, NGB Code Club, India

7. Grow a dragonfly

This project belongs to our new project path ‘More Scratch: broadcast, decisions, and variables’. Learners make a nature app where a dragonfly grows bigger as it eats insects. They can also explore the sound editor to add and change sounds in the app — headphones are optional! 

“Not only did my code clubbers find out some amazing facts about dragonflies that blew their minds, but when they saw the fab edits they could make to Scratch library sounds they got so creative — since then every session has had an extra level of noise….and I love it!”

Liz Smart, Clarendon Road Code Club, England

Grow a dragon fly

8. Lost in space

An oldie but a favourite amongst our beginner coders (young and old). This Scratch project guarantees to bring a smile to your face and ignite your curiosity to learn more about coding.

“‘Lost in space’ and it’s great to see how much learners enjoy their first Scratch animation.”

Paul Brennan, Rhiwbina Library Code Club, Wales

9. Create your own world

Go on an adventure with your Code Club members and build an adventure world with multiple levels to explore.

“‘Create your own world’ is a great introduction to creating a multi-level game. I absolutely love it!”

Christina Foust, Program Manager North America

Explore our free educational project paths

Whether your Code Club is starting out on Scratch projects or looking to explore other coding languages, we have something for you. 

You can find all the Code Club classics on our projects webpage or explore the all-new project paths, where coders are guided through new coding and design skills to make things that matter to them. 

Have we missed your favourite Scratch project off our list? Share it with us on Twitter, using the hashtag #MyCodeClub. 

Go on a coding adventure with our NEW project paths!

To celebrate the new term, we’re bringing new coding discoveries to your Code Club. Find out how you can support your club members to become independent tech creators with our free educational project paths

Our new project path learning resources are structured so learners develop skills, knowledge, and increased independence as they progress through each path.  

Each path contains six projects. In the first three projects, known as ‘Explore’, new skills are introduced and learners are provided with step-by-step instructions to build their confidence. Next up are two ‘Design’ projects, to give children the opportunity to practise their new skills by creating their own personalised projects. The final ‘Invent’ project encourages coders to meet a project brief and decide how they want to develop their ideas using the toolbox of skills they’ve learned in previous projects. 

The project paths

Explore the project paths and choose one that suits your club this term. 

Introduction to Scratch: sprites, scripts, and loops
Club members find out how to add code, costumes, and sounds to sprites. They can make animations, games, apps, and books within this path.

Space Talk Scratch project

More Scratch: broadcast, decisions, and variables
To build on what they have learnt in the ‘Introduction to Scratch’ path, learners explore message broadcasting, if..then and if..then..else decisions, and variables.

Liz Smart, Learning Coordinator, shares why she’s enjoying the Grow a dragonfly project with her Code Club: 

“When club members realised the range of edits they could make to existing Scratch sounds, and how these could be used in their code, the club sessions got super creative! Every session since then has had an extra level of noise….and I love it!

An added bonus to this project was the amazing dragonfly facts that we all learned.”

Grow a Dragonfly Scratch project

Further Scratch: clones, my blocks, and Boolean logic
To take their Scratch learning a stage further, club members learn how to use Boolean logic, functions, clones, and more within their projects.

Introduction to Python: variables, functions, and loops
Coders are introduced to the text-based programming language Python. They code with variables, loops, and functions to create visual and interactive artwork, animations, simulations, games, and more.

Physical computing with Scratch and the Raspberry Pi
Bring physical computing into your club! This path guides you through how to use input and output electronics with Scratch and a Raspberry Pi computer.

Introduction to Unity: 3D objects, character controllers, colliders, text, and buttons
Help your coders take their first exciting steps in learning how to create 3D worlds and games with collectibles, timers, and non-player characters. These projects are brought to you with generous support from Unity Technologies.

Join us at an online workshop and discover how your Code Club can make 3D worlds with our NEW Unity project path!  

Unity 101: Setting up for success
Wednesday 2 February, 11:00 GMT / 6:00 EST / 16:30 IST

Unity 102: Creating 3D worlds
Wednesday 9 February, 13:00 GMT / 8:00 EST / 18:30 IST

Celebrating success 

Once club members have completed a path, celebrate their achievements by downloading one of our editable path certificates. 

If you’re based in the UK, the USA, India, or Ireland, head to your dashboard to download. If you’re based outside of these countries, visit our Code Club International website

Share your completed projects with the Code Club community on Twitter, using the hashtag #MyCodeClub.

Astro Pi Mission Zero gives real-world coding experience to club members!

In December, we watched two brand-new Astro Pi units launch into space for the European Astro Pi challenge. They’re now on board the International Space Station (ISS) ready to run young learners’ Astro Pi Mission Zero code! 

What is Astro Pi Mission Zero? 

Astro Pi Mission Zero is an engaging beginners’ coding challenge, open to all young people under the age of 19 in ESA member and associate states.

Using the step-by-step instructions young people will write a simple Python programme, which will display a message to the astronauts on board the ISS using the Astro Pi units.

First-hand experience 

Teacher Sophie Hudson, from Linton-on-Ouse Primary School, shares her experience taking part in Astro Pi Mission Zero, and why the bespoke certificates caused excitement amongst her club members!

“Although it might look daunting, it is actually very manageable! I did complete it myself first so that I knew what to do and had got my head around it. The instructions were very clear and helpful, making it manageable step-by-step.

Make sure you emphasise the real-world impact the activity has – their work is actually going into space!

The certificates were also a big excitement as they were interested to find where on the ISS their code was run.”

Educator, Sophie Hudson

Conversations on space

Our fascination with space is universal! Astro Pi Mission Zero gives young coders real-world experience, whilst supporting curriculum learning outside of the classroom.

Inquisitive minds are able to explore space science first-hand, asking questions that matter to them. Educator Ruth Laird from St Paul’s Code Club in York, has had just this experience: 

“It makes them more aware of what sort of things happen on the International Space Station and lets them be a part of it too. The excitement on the kid’s faces when you tell them that their code will actually be run there is unbelievable. 

Projects like this open up other conversations too. I had kids asking me how the astronauts go to the toilet and what they do with the waste!”

Get ready for blast off

Here are five things to remember before you head to space with Astro Pi Mission Zero:

  • You don’t need special equipment or coding skills
  • Register your club to take part in Mission Zero 
  • Plan one to two sessions in the new term to complete your mission
  • Club members will receive a special certificate showing exactly where the ISS was when their program ran
  • The closing date for entries is Friday 18 March 

Connect with the Code Club team on Twitter at Code Club UK or Code Club World and let us know how your coders get on with Astro Pi Mission Zero!