Hello, festive coders! Ready for another brilliant ScratchJr Christmas Coding project to add to your collection? This tutorial walks you through creating an exciting Christmas catch game where you control an elf trying to collect pieces of holly as they speed across the screen.

This ScratchJr game is a fantastic way to learn about continuous looping, staggered starts, and creating a winning condition using multiple sprites—all essential skills in any ScratchJr project!

---

Step 1: Design Your Elf, Holly, and Background

First, we need to set the scene and create our main character and collectible items.

• Create the Elf: The video starts by modifying the default cat sprite into an elf by adding a simple green and red hat using the rectangle and triangle tools ([00:00:19]). Adjust the elf’s size and place them on the ground ready for the action ([00:00:53]).
• Set the Background: Choose the ‘Winter’ background, but use the scissors tool in the paint editor to remove the trees, giving you a wider area for gameplay ([00:01:09]).
• Design the Holly: Create a new sprite for the holly, complete with red berries and green leaves ([00:01:28]).
• Create the “Golden” Holly: Duplicate your holly sprite, but change the berry colour to yellow ([00:05:32]). This special item will be the trigger for winning the game!

---

Step 2: Coding the Rolling Holly Obstacles

The main challenge is coding the holly to move across the screen and disappear when caught. The key is using the wait block to make them appear at different times, creating a constant flow of action.

• Movement Loop: For the first piece of holly, use the green flag block to start, then a show block, followed by a repeatblock (e.g., repeating 5 times). Inside the repeat, add a move left block that covers the width of the screen ([00:03:48]).
• Collision (Catching): Use the bump block. If the holly touches the elf, the code should stop and the holly should hide([00:04:17]).
• Staggered Start: For all subsequent pieces of holly, copy the code but add a wait block right after the green flag start. Use increasing values (e.g., wait 10, 20, 30, and 40 tenths of a second) to ensure a staggered start ([00:04:41]), making the game more dynamic.

---

Step 3: Coding the Elf’s Jump and Win Condition

The elf only needs one action: jumping to catch the holly!

• The Jump Button: Create a simple red sprite to act as your jump button ([00:07:46]).
• Send and Receive:
  1. Code the button to send a message (red) when tapped ([00:08:14]).
  2. Go back to the elf and use the receive message block (red) to trigger the jump sequence. Use the jump block, making sure to set the distance high enough to clear the ground and reach the holly ([00:08:29]).
• The Golden Holly Win: For your special ‘golden’ holly, use the same movement code but change the collision action: when the golden holly is touched, use the go to page 2 block ([00:06:45]).
• The Win Screen: Create a second page with your elf and a big text block that says “Merry Christmas” or “You Won!” ([00:06:35]).

---

This Elf Christmas Catch ScratchJr project is a brilliant way to challenge yourself with continuous, timed action and is incredibly satisfying when you catch that winning piece of golden holly!

If you’re ready for more holiday-themed coding adventures, don’t miss out on the other challenges in this series! Explore more fun Christmas coding projects or click here for yesterday’s ScratchJr Christmas Project.

Alternatively, if you are looking for Coding Tutor in Hertfordshire to support your children with this, I can also help.