Scratch looks like a toy: a cat, some coloured blocks, a white stage. Underneath, every block is a small piece of real computing, and a good teacher can show a child the maths and logic hiding inside it. This page is for families in Peru choosing Scratch for a child of 6 to 12. It explains what Scratch is, what a block actually does, how a six year old and a ten year old use it differently, and how to tell when a child is ready to move on.
Live classes since 2020 · 4.9 from about 547 Google reviews · children build, test and explain every project
Scratch in one paragraph
Modern Age Coders teaches Scratch to kids in Peru aged 6 to 12 in live online classes, in English. Scratch is a free block-based coding tool from the Scratch Foundation; children snap blocks together to make characters move, talk, score points and react to keys, with no typing needed. A mentor based in India watches the child's screen, asks them to predict what each script will do and helps them find their own mistakes. Families pick a group of fifteen to twenty children of the same age or one-to-one lessons, at any hour on Peru time, and the first class is free.
Starting points
Three Scratch courses for children in Peru
Choose by age and ambition. The free first class shows which one fits.
Scratch is a free coding tool in which children build programs from blocks instead of typed text. It is one of the most widely used first languages in the world, and for good reason.
Where Scratch comes from
According to the Scratch Foundation, Scratch "was developed at the MIT Media Lab in 2007", and in 2019 it moved from MIT to the Scratch Foundation, "an independent nonprofit". The Foundation says "200 million kids create on Scratch for free" and that children have "created over a billion Scratch projects".
"Scratch is free for everyone," the Foundation writes. It runs in a web browser, and an offline editor can be downloaded for computers without a steady connection. A family pays nothing for Scratch itself; what a class adds is a teacher.
Why blocks suit young children
A block cannot be misspelt. A six year old who cannot yet type "repeat" correctly can still drag a repeat block and see what it does. Blocks only fit together in ways that make sense, so children spend their effort on the idea rather than on punctuation.
That does not make Scratch shallow. Variables, loops, conditions, events, messages between characters and even simple physics all appear in Scratch. The limit is the teaching, not the tool, which is why the next section looks inside a block.
Inside a block
What does a Scratch block really do?
Scratch is open source, so anyone can read the code that runs each block. We did, and the answers are useful for parents and children alike.
Five facts about Scratch, read from Scratch's own source code (November 2026)
Question
Answer in the code
What it means for a child
How big is the stage?
480 wide, 360 high
x runs from -240 to 240 and y from -180 to 180, with 0, 0 in the middle
How often does Scratch update the screen?
The editor turns on compatibility mode, which steps 1000 / 30 milliseconds apart
About 30 updates every second; a script inside a forever loop moves once per update
What does "move 10 steps" calculate?
x changes by steps times cos(90 minus direction); y by steps times sin(90 minus direction)
Direction 90 is right, 0 is up; diagonal moves share the 10 steps between x and y
Does "pick random 1 to 10" include 10?
Yes: with whole numbers both ends can come up
A dice game with 1 to 6 really can roll a 6
And "pick random 1 to 10.5"?
A decimal in either box gives decimal answers
Typing 1.0 instead of 1 changes the kind of answer you get
Source: the Scratch Foundation's open source repositories on GitHub (scratch-vm: runtime.js, scratch3_motion.js, scratch3_operators.js; scratch-gui: layout-constants.js and vm-manager-hoc.jsx), develop branch, read on 9 November 2026. The plain-language readings in the last column are ours.
None of this needs to be taught to a six year old. But the third row is a piece of real trigonometry, and children of ten or eleven are perfectly able to discover it for themselves if a teacher sets up the right experiment. That is the lesson below.
A lesson for ages 10 to 12
How can Scratch teach a child real maths?
By asking questions the child can test. In this lesson a sprite moves 10 steps in different directions and the child writes down how far it travels along x and along y each time.
The experiment in Scratch
The child sets a direction, clicks "move 10 steps" once, and reads the change in x and y from the sprite's information panel. Direction 90: x goes up by 10. Direction 0: y goes up by 10. So far, nothing surprising.
Then the mentor asks for a prediction: "At direction 45, halfway between, how far will it move along x?" Most children say 5, or 10. Scratch says about 7.07, and the same along y.
Why 7.07 and not 5
The sprite still travels 10 steps, but along a slant. Seven and a bit across and seven and a bit up make a right-angled triangle whose long side is 10. Children who have met squares can check it: 7.07 times 7.07 is about 50, and 50 plus 50 is 100, which is 10 times 10.
Scratch's own code does this with cosine and sine of 90 minus the direction. We rebuild it in a few lines of Python so the child can print a whole table of directions at once.
Scratch's "move" block, rebuilt in PythonPython
import math
def move(steps, direction):
radians = math.radians(90 - direction)
dx = round(steps * math.cos(radians), 2) + 0.0
dy = round(steps * math.sin(radians), 2) + 0.0
return dx, dy
for direction in (90, 0, 45, 30, 180, -90):
dx, dy = move(10, direction)
print(f"move 10 steps, direction {direction:>3}: x {dx:+.2f}, y {dy:+.2f}")
What it printsOutput
move 10 steps, direction 90: x +10.00, y +0.00
move 10 steps, direction 0: x +0.00, y +10.00
move 10 steps, direction 45: x +7.07, y +7.07
move 10 steps, direction 30: x +5.00, y +8.66
move 10 steps, direction 180: x +0.00, y -10.00
move 10 steps, direction -90: x -10.00, y +0.00
Exact output of our run with Python 3. Direction 30 gives 5.00 across and 8.66 up; 5 squared plus 8.66 squared is again about 100.
The rule children write in their own notebooks is short: a step at a slant is shared between x and y, and the two parts always rebuild the full step. They have just met Pythagoras and a little trigonometry, years before school asks for it, through a block they have used a hundred times.
Part two: from steps to speed
Next question: how fast is "move 5 steps" inside a forever loop? The block does not know about seconds. But the Scratch editor updates about 30 times a second, so 5 steps per update means about 150 steps per second.
The stage is 480 steps wide. Children predict how long a sprite takes to cross it at 2, 5 and 10 steps per update, then run the calculation.
Why it matters in a game
A child who knows that speed is steps per frame times frames per second can design a game on purpose: a slow enemy that takes eight seconds to cross the screen, a fast one that takes under two.
It also explains a common puzzle: the same project can feel slower on an old computer that cannot keep up 30 updates a second. The steps did not change; the frames did.
Crossing the 480-step stagePython
FRAMES_PER_SECOND = 30
STAGE_WIDTH = 480
for steps in (2, 5, 10):
frames = STAGE_WIDTH / steps
print(f"{steps:>2} steps a frame: {frames:.0f} frames, "
f"{frames / FRAMES_PER_SECOND:.1f} seconds to cross")
What it printsOutput
2 steps a frame: 240 frames, 8.0 seconds to cross
5 steps a frame: 96 frames, 3.2 seconds to cross
10 steps a frame: 48 frames, 1.6 seconds to cross
Exact output of our run. Doubling the steps per frame halves the time to cross, which children then check with a stopwatch in Scratch.
Ages 6 to 8. On squared paper, walk a counter 10 squares right, then 10 squares up. Then try to reach the same diagonal line in 10 counted moves. What happens?
Ages 8 to 10. In Scratch, point the sprite in four directions and note x and y after each "move 10 steps". Which directions change only one number?
Ages 10 to 12. Run both Python programs. Then predict, and check, how many seconds a sprite moving 8 steps per frame needs to cross the stage.
Six and ten
Is Scratch for 6 year olds or for 10 year olds?
Both, used very differently. Peruvian primaria lasts six years, and by MINEDU's normative-age table a child of 6 is in 1st grade and a child of 10 in 5th grade. A good Scratch class changes shape across those years.
At 6 and 7: stories and sequence
Young children make a character walk, speak and change costume. The ideas are order (first this, then that), repetition and simple events such as "when this sprite is clicked". Reading is light, and the mentor names each block aloud.
Projects are short: an animated birthday card, a dancing cat, a talking animal. The aim is confidence and a child who says, in simple English, what their program does.
At 10 to 12: games and reasoning
Older children build games with scores, lives, levels and timers. They use variables, conditions that combine two tests, messages between sprites and lists. The lesson above, on direction and speed, belongs here.
Projects are planned before they are built, and the child is asked to test edge cases: what happens at zero lives, at the edge of the stage, when two keys are pressed together.
Families with a younger child can read our Spanish-language page on coding at 6, in 1st grade of primaria, and for the middle years, the page on coding at 8, in 3rd grade. Both describe the same English-taught classes from a parent's point of view.
Remix or copy
Is remixing Scratch projects the same as copying?
It can be, and that is the risk. Scratch invites children to remix other people's projects; the Foundation's own page says "Don't want to "start from Scratch"? Try remixing". Remixing is a fine way to learn when a child understands what they changed.
Read before you change
Before remixing, the child explains in a sentence what the original project does and which script does it. If they cannot, they are not ready to change it.
Change one thing, predict the result
One edit at a time, with a guess first. "If I change 5 to 10, the bat will fly twice as fast." Then run it and compare.
Build the next one alone
After a remix, the child builds a similar project from an empty stage. Only then is the idea theirs.
Peru's national curriculum, the CNEB, describes creating digital objects as building them "siguiendo un proceso de mejoras sucesivas y retroalimentación", by successive improvement and feedback. That is a fair description of a good Scratch class: build, show, hear a question, improve. Our classes run alongside school; we do not replace any part of it.
At home
What does my child need for Scratch classes at home?
A laptop or desktop computer with a browser, a mouse, and a headset if possible. Scratch itself costs nothing and needs no installation, though an offline version exists.
Why not a phone
INEI reports that 67.8% of Peruvian children aged 6 to 11 used a mobile phone in the second quarter of 2026. Phones are the screen children know best, but dragging small blocks with a finger while watching a mentor on the same screen is frustrating, so our Scratch classes use a computer.
A mouse makes a real difference for six and seven year olds, whose fingers find a trackpad hard to control. It is the cheapest upgrade a family can make for a Scratch class.
English or Spanish menus?
Scratch's language menu includes both English and Español Latinoamericano. In our classes children use the English menus, so the words they see on the blocks are the words the mentor says.
For a Spanish-speaking child that is part of the value: "forever", "repeat" and "if" become everyday words, heard and read in the same moment. Families who want the reasons in Spanish can read clases de programación para niños en inglés.
After Scratch
When is a child ready to move from Scratch to Python?
When Scratch starts getting in the way. Age matters less than signs, and most children show them somewhere between 9 and 11.
Scripts grow too long to see. The child scrolls for a long time to find one block and loses track.
They ask for things Scratch makes awkward, such as saving a score to a file or working with lots of text.
They read comfortably in English and can type a short sentence without hunting for each key.
They plan before building. A child who sketches the logic first is ready for a language where logic is all there is.
They predict correctly what a script will do most of the time, and can explain why when they are wrong.
When those signs appear, our mentor suggests the move, and the first Python lessons rebuild a familiar Scratch project in typed code, just as the direction lesson above rebuilt a block. Python for kids in Peru describes that first year of typed code. Children who are still enjoying Scratch at 11 are not behind; there is plenty left to learn in it.
Peru time
What time can my child have Scratch classes in Peru?
Whenever suits you. Peru is on UTC minus 5 and India on UTC plus 5:30 all year, which puts India ten and a half hours ahead every day. The table only shows conversions, not a timetable.
Example Peru hours converted to India time (not class slots)
Peru time
India time
Often chosen for
07:30
18:00
An early summer-holiday start
11:30
22:00
A Saturday late morning
15:30
02:00, next day
After school for younger children
16:30
03:00, next day
After a snack and a rest
19:00
05:30, next day
Evenings for older children
Based on the IANA time zone database: America/Lima at UTC minus 5 with no daylight saving, Asia/Kolkata at UTC plus 5:30. We worked out the conversions.
Because neither clock changes during the year, a class booked for 15:30 in Cusco stays at 15:30 in winter and summer. For help judging any live class for a young child, see online coding classes for kids in Peru; all our Peru pages are gathered on the coding and AI classes in Peru hub.
Progress
How can I see my child improving in Scratch?
Ask to see a project and hear it explained. These six stages are our own and guide each child's next step.
Our Scratch stages for children of 6 to 12
Stage
Typical age
Builds
Explains
1. Story
6 to 7
A character that moves and speaks in order
"First it says hello, then it walks."
2. Repeat
7 to 8
Animations with repeat and forever loops
"It does this ten times, then stops."
3. React
8 to 9
Projects that respond to keys, clicks and touching
"When it touches the wall, it turns."
4. Remember
9 to 10
Games with a score or lives in a variable
"The score goes up by one each time."
5. Measure
10 to 11
Movement planned with direction, speed and timing
"At 45 degrees it only moves 7 across."
6. Design
11 to 12
A planned, tested game with levels
"I tested zero lives and found a bug."
For parents
Ask which part of the project was hardest. A child who can name it is thinking about their own work.
Stage 5 is the direction lesson. Children who reach it often start explaining maths to the rest of the family.
For young Scratchers
Before you click the green flag, say what will happen. Then watch.
If a sprite does something strange, change one block at a time until you find the one responsible.
More courses
Nine more courses for before, beside and after Scratch
Live, in English, with one mentor throughout, in a group or one to one.
I
Before and beside
Ages 6 to 9
SCK / START / 01
Reasoning for young thinkers
Patterns and puzzles that prepare small children for code.
A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.
by Krish
Fees
Fees for Scratch classes from Peru
We bill in US dollars, monthly, to a card. Your bank chooses the soles exchange rate when the charge arrives, which is why the amount you see can shift slightly between months.
"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."
Ria Mukherjee
Parent
★★★★★
"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."
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Student
★★★★★
"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."
Vansh Agarwal
Student
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"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."
Sonam Oswal
Parent of Dhairya
★★★★★
"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."
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Parent
★★★★★
"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."
Ritu Kedia
Parent
Parents in Peru ask
Scratch for kids: questions from families in Peru
Are the classes in Spanish?
No. Every Scratch class is live, online and in English only. The mentor speaks plainly and patiently, follows your child's pace and accent, and points to each block while saying its name, so a child still learning English can keep up. Some of our Peru pages are in Spanish for parents, but the lessons are always in English.
What age is Scratch for?
Our Scratch course takes children from 6 to 12, grouped by age. Six and seven year olds make stories and animations; ten to twelve year olds build games with scores, timers and planned movement. In Peru that spans 1st to 6th grade of primaria.
Is Scratch free?
Yes. The Scratch Foundation says Scratch is free for everyone, and it runs in a web browser, with an offline editor available to download. Our classes charge for live teaching by a mentor, not for Scratch.
Can my child learn Scratch on a tablet or phone?
Not in our classes. Scratch needs a laptop or desktop with a mouse to drag blocks accurately, and the screen must show both the project and the mentor. A headset with a microphone helps a lot.
Does Scratch teach real coding?
Yes. Loops, conditions, variables, events and lists are real programming ideas, and Scratch's own code turns a single "move" block into trigonometry. Children who learn Scratch well find Python easier because the thinking is already in place.
When are Scratch classes on Peru time?
Any day, any time, flexible: choose a batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at the hour that suits your family. India is ten and a half hours ahead of Peru all year, so 15:30 in Peru is 02:00 the next day for the mentor.
Group or one to one for a young child?
A group of fifteen to twenty of the same age suits a child who likes sharing their work. One to one suits a six year old who needs more help with the mouse and the English, a shy child, or one far ahead of their age group. You can change format later.
When should my child move from Scratch to Python?
When long scripts become hard to manage, when they read and type comfortably in English, and when they predict what a script will do most of the time. That is usually between 9 and 11, but the signs matter more than the age.
Will my child just remix other people's projects?
Only after explaining what the original does, and then changing one thing at a time with a prediction first. Every remix is followed by a similar project built from an empty stage, so the idea becomes the child's own.
Are you part of Scratch, MINEDU or a school?
No. Modern Age Coders is an independent online school, not part of the Scratch Foundation, MINEDU or any Peruvian school. We award no Peruvian grades; finishing children receive a completion certificate from us.
During the trial your child opens Scratch with a mentor and makes a sprite move, turn and say something, then changes it on their own. The mentor sees how your child thinks and how much English they catch, and suggests a course, a format and a time that suit your week.
Our mentors teach from India by live video, in English only. For a fast answer, write to us on WhatsApp in English.
Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo
A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.
