If you’re looking to introduce the wonderful world of coding for beginners, ScratchJr is truly the bee’s knees. This video tutorial walks you through the foundational steps of creating your very first interactive programme by teaching you how to use the essential ‘Say’ block.

Ready to make your first digital character speak? Let’s dive into the content of this brilliant follow-along lesson!

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1. Getting the App and Setting Up Your Project

The journey begins with preparation. Before you can start coding, you’ll need the software itself.

• Download ScratchJr: The video begins by demonstrating the simple process of finding and downloading the ScratchJr app onto your tablet or device via the App Store [00:05].
• Initial Navigation: Once downloaded, you’re introduced to the app’s initial screen. You’ll learn that the House icontakes you to the home screen where all your projects reside [01:00].
• Start a New Project: To kick off your first piece of beginner coding, simply tap the plus button on the left-hand side to create a brand-new project [01:11].
• Selecting a Background: The tutorial then shows you how to change the scene. You select the background icon at the top of the screen to choose a setting—in this case, the bedroom background is selected [01:25].

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2. Coding Sequence: Using the Essential ‘Say’ Block

This is the main event! The heart of this ScratchJr coding tutorial is learning how to structure a basic programme using the colour-coded programming blocks. The goal is to make the default kitten character say the word “YAWN”.

The video walks you through adding a sequence of three vital blocks:

The Starting Block (Yellow)

Every good programme needs a clear starting point. You’ll drag the Green Flag block from the yellow section into the coding area. This block is your universal “go” button and tells the kitten when to begin its actions [01:56].

The Action Block (Purple)

Next, you’ll move to the purple section to find and attach the star of the show: the ‘Say’ block.

• This block creates the speech bubble above the character’s head.
• The video shows you how to tap into the block to edit the text inside. The default “Hello!” is replaced with the all-caps word “YAWN” [02:21].

The Ending Block (Red)

Finally, you complete the sequence by heading to the red section and adding the Stop block. This is considered best practice, ensuring your programme sequence is clearly finished [02:14].

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3. Running and Reviewing Your Code

With your three blocks connected—Green Flag, Say, Stop—your first ScratchJr programme is ready to run!

• Test Your Code: Tap the Green Flag at the top right of the screen to watch your code execute. You’ll see the kitten immediately display the “YAWN” speech bubble, demonstrating the successful use of the ‘Say’ block [02:42].
• Full-Screen View: The tutorial also provides a handy tip on how to switch to full-screen mode to properly appreciate your hard work, and how to exit it again for further editing [02:54].

If you enjoyed this, here are more ScratchJr tutorials, projects and lessons.

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