5 to 7
Junior Thinker
ScratchJr and codeSpark Academy on a tablet: picture blocks that make a character move and a story play back, with nothing to read and nothing to spell.
Junior Thinker, coding and robotics for ages 5 to 7 →Scratch for kids
Scratch Coding Classes for Kids Ages 7 to 12
Where the logic is visible, and every class ends with something working.
Scratch is where most of our students start. It's Levels 1 to 4 of Junior Creator: complete games and simulations built from blocks, with variables, logic and functions along the way, and their first trained AI model. Five to seven-year-olds start a step earlier, with ScratchJr in Junior Thinker.
- Ages 7 to 12
- Levels 1 to 4
- 6 students per instructor
What Scratch looks like at Ultimate Coders
Scratch is Levels 1 to 4 of Junior Creator, our in-person coding program for kids ages 7 to 14, and is usually taken between ages 7 and 12. Students build complete games, animations and simulations from blocks, and train their first AI model, before moving on to Python.
Where Scratch is taught
Block coding comes in two sizes: picture blocks for children who are not reading fluently yet, and Scratch for those who are.
7 to 14
Junior Creator
Scratch is the first of four tracks: Levels 1 to 4, from their first game to physics, particles and procedural worlds, before they move on to Python.
Junior Creator, coding and AI for ages 7 to 14 →The four Scratch levels
Each level is ten 60-minute lessons. A child who is ahead can test out of a level and move up.
- 1
Intro to Scratch
Sequences, motion and animation, their first game, and a robot that speaks four languages.
- 2
Scratch Beginner
Variables, logic and clones, with enemies and a chatbot that follow rules they wrote.
- 3
Scratch Intermediate
Functions, lists and generative art, plus a real image model they train and then play at rock, paper, scissors.
- 4
Scratch Advanced
Physics, particles and procedural worlds, plus a trainable neuron that learns in front of them.
Isn't Scratch just a game?
It looks like one, which is the point. The blocks take typing and spelling out of the way, so the hour goes on the thinking: sequences, variables, logic, functions and lists, the same ideas a professional programmer works with.
By Level 3 your child is training a real image model and playing rock, paper, scissors against it. By Level 4 it's physics, particles and procedural worlds. When they reach Python at Level 5, the logic comes with them.
School coding is usually Scratch. A child who has covered the early levels can test out of them and start further along.
Find a location near you
19 centres across Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Schedules and prices are set by each centre and shown on its own page.
Peel and Halton
York and Toronto
British Columbia
Questions parents ask
What age is Scratch for?
Junior Creator's Scratch levels are usually taken between ages 7 and 12. Children five to seven start with ScratchJr in Junior Thinker, which uses picture blocks and needs no reading.
What's the difference between Scratch and ScratchJr?
ScratchJr uses picture blocks on a tablet and needs no reading, which is why five to seven-year-olds use it in Junior Thinker. Scratch, in Junior Creator, takes children much further: variables, logic, functions, lists and their first trained AI model.
My child already does Scratch at school. Will they repeat it?
Not if they're past it. A student can test out of any level they've outgrown with a short practical build and start further along. The free trial class is where the instructor recommends the level.
What will my child build in Scratch?
Animations and their first game in Level 1, with a robot that speaks four languages; enemies and a chatbot that follow rules they wrote in Level 2; generative art and an image model they train in Level 3; and physics, particles and procedural worlds in Level 4.
How long does each level take?
Every level is ten 60-minute lessons, so it depends on how often your child comes: once, twice or three times a week. A student who is ahead can test out of a level and move up.
What comes after Scratch?
Python, Levels 5 to 8 of Junior Creator, typed in VS Code. Then websites and apps, and finally an AI project of their own.
Do we need anything at home?
No. Everything is provided at the centre. Scratch is free, so your child can carry on at home if they want to, but take-home projects are optional, never required.
Start with blocks. The first class is free.
One free class at your local centre. Your child builds something, and the instructor tells you honestly which level fits.