Many professionals working in the video game industry today got started by learning computer programming and coding their own games for fun. Scratch is a popular online coding platform that anyone can use to learn the basics of computer coding, discover how to build a good program, and even to create your own game! Scratch is an especially good resource for kids, because programs in Scratch are built visually and don’t require writing complicated code.
Coding Games in Scratch, by physicist and tech educator Jon Woodcock, is a great way for you or your kids to get started. It kicks off with an introduction to how programming works and what makes a good game, but most of the book is made up of examples! There are eight different games that you can re-create while learning the fundamentals of working in Scratch, all clearly explained and illustrated at each step of the way. There are even more exercises to follow in the Coding in Scratch: Games workbook.
“Look around you at today’s world, computers are everywhere: in your home, your car, at your work/school, even in your pockets…we are living in the world of the computers. An understanding of programming changes the way you think about and interact with the modern world.” —Jon Woodcock, Why Kids Should Code
