SCRATCH - Animation and programming for kids
I’m just catching up on this. Thanks to Neil Winton’s post.
SCRATCH is a free program which lets kids create animations by using a simple programming language. It seems to be quite powerful and, apart from the fun the kids would have, it could be used to create quite adventurous programs. It’s not for casual use - you need to spend some time familiarising yourself with the program but the results can be excellent. Take a look a t the examples on the site to see what can be achieved.
The SCRATCH site has the program download, and lots of support materials and examples.
Hi Andy…
Don’t underestimate the power of the natives in coming to grips with the program… My laddie was showing me what to do within half-an-hour, and had completely lost me by bed-time!
I think Scratch’s great strength is that it is possible to pick up really complex ideas/concepts in a very short time… and the social aspect allows you to ask other users how they achieve particular effects. In a sense, they are teaching each other… and it’s a brilliant thing to watch!