Inspire Your Future Engineer with the Scratch Coding Challenge
At Envision by WorldStrides, we provide hands-on educational experiences to foster critical thinking and innovation—even when we can’t be together in person! Our Family Labs are at-home experiential learning activities that promote new ways of learning.
Welcome to the Envision Family Lab: Scratch Coding Challenge! This is your child’s chance to dive into the fascinating world of computer coding—they will peek behind the content they see on their devices every day and learn about the language that brings everything from games to online news to life.
Please note: This lab was specifically designed for middle school students in grades 6-8. However, it can be enjoyed by students who are older or younger.
Your child will take on the role of a software engineer, using the Scratch platform. Scratch is a project of the MIT Media Lab, designed to help students think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively. During this lab, they’ll be introduced to Scratch block coding and challenged to develop their own game or animation. As a software engineer, they’ll need to use their imagination and creativity to develop an original Scratch project.
Are you wondering how your child will be able to take on the task? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. They can begin by following the steps listed in the lab manual, which is designed to help them successfully complete this challenge. Each step will bring them closer to understanding the Scratch programing language. There’s also a lesson plan for you, if they need your guidance during the process.
Your child will use the Design Thinking Process to complete this Family Lab. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals use computer coding and the Design Thinking Process to solve real-world problems every day. If they enjoy their role as a software engineer, we encourage them to explore the variety of different careers in STEM at the National Youth Leadership Forum: Explore STEM.
Have fun learning something new about the exciting STEM world with your child during the Envision Family Lab: Scratch Coding Challenge!
Family Lab: Scratch Coding Challenge - LAB MANUAL - for students
Family Lab: Scratch Coding Challenge - LESSON PLAN - for educators and families
Don’t forget to share your child’s discoveries in the comments below and pass along this activity to any other families you think would like it.
We would also love to get your feedback! Please complete this optional two-minute survey and provide us your thoughts. Thank you!