First Coding Adventure · Course Guide
Build Your First Scratch Game
A beginner-friendly catch game: arrow controls, scoring, a five-point ending and replay. See what children learn, what they need and how the six live meetings work.
Is this the right first coding course?
For ages 8+: beginners who can use a mouse or trackpad and locate keys. No previous coding is needed.
The project: move a catcher with the arrow keys, catch a falling object, earn one point per catch, reach five and restart. Children choose a theme and test one improvement; lives, timers and multiple levels are outside the core course.
Six live one-hour meetings: up to 3 learners in Stittsville, Ottawa, or up to 6 online. Bring a laptop with Scratch in the browser or installed. No public Scratch profile is required.
Practice afterward: enrolled learners can revisit chapters released to them. Required learning happens in class; homework is optional.
📍 In-Person Classes in Stittsville, Ottawa & 🌐 Live Online Anywhere
Whether your family prefers an intimate physical classroom setting in Stittsville, Ottawa or the comfort of a live interactive online classroom from home anywhere, ReaderNook offers ultra-small class sizes with dedicated instructor mentorship.
- In-Person Cohorts (Stittsville, Ottawa): Strict cap of 3 students per class for maximum hands-on attention and personalized guidance.
- Live Online Cohorts: Small groups with a maximum of 6 students with real-time screen sharing and collaborative debugging.
- Zero Homework Anxiety: All required building, testing, and concept mastery happen in class.
Why Learn Scratch: Build Your First Game?
Scratch lets beginners assemble visible blocks into instructions and immediately test what happens. In this course, a simple catch game gives each new idea a purpose: events respond to keys, a loop moves the falling object, conditions detect a catch, and a variable remembers the score.
Children predict a result, build and test it, then make a choice of their own. They might compare movement speeds, choose a theme, or improve instructions after a playtest. Progress is shown through a working project and an explanation of the blocks, rather than copying alone.
Skills Your Child Will Practise
- Events and sequences: Starting a script with the green flag or a key press.
- Coordinates and controls: Moving left and right while keeping a catcher within boundaries.
- Loops and sensing: Making an object fall and detecting catches and misses.
- Variables: Starting at zero and awarding exactly one point for each catch.
- Ending and replay: Reaching five points, showing a win message, guarding controls and testing a fresh round.
The Course Journey
The course has six live one-hour meetings. Chapters are learning units: a chapter may span meetings, with time for practice, questions and saving work. Optional extensions depend on readiness and available time.
| Module | Focus & Learning Objectives | Tangible Evidence of Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 01 | Bring Your Game Character to Life Identify the stage and sprite; connect an event to movement and reset. | Run two scripts and save a project file. |
| Chapter 02 | Take the Controls — Add Player Movement Use arrow-key events, x positions, and a bounded play area. | Move both ways and return to the starting point. |
| Chapter 03 | Make Things Fall — Build the Catcher Use a loop, a falling object, and touching detection. | Demonstrate one catch and a repeatable object reset. |
| Chapter 04 | Scoreboard! Count Every Catch Create a score variable, initialize it, and award one point per catch. | Restart at zero and verify exactly one point per catch. |
| Chapter 05 | Reach Five Points — End and Replay Add instructions and a target-score ending; reset all game state. | Finish and replay the game without stale state. |
| Chapter 06 | Theme, Polish & Game Show Day Customize visuals and difficulty, playtest, and fix a bug. | Present the game and explain an event, loop, and condition. |
Course Details at a Glance
Target Age & Readiness
Recommended Age: 8+
Prerequisites: Can use a mouse or trackpad and locate keys. No coding experience needed.
Class Format & Schedule
Duration: 6 weekly sessions × 60 minutes
Tuition: See the current total price for your chosen class on the registration page before booking.
Equipment & Tools
Equipment: A laptop with Scratch available in the browser or installed in advance. A local project file is sufficient; a public profile is not required.
Work Preservation: All projects are saved locally on the student's computer.
Takeaway Creation
Project Outcome: A catch-or-collect game with controls, a score, and a clear ending.
Ready to showcase to family, teachers, and friends.
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Got questions about enrolling, class structure, or student readiness? Here are the most common questions Ottawa parents ask us:
Where are in-person classes located?
In Stittsville, Ottawa, serving students from Stittsville, Kanata, Richmond, and the greater Ottawa West region.
Can my child join online?
Absolutely. Our live interactive virtual classroom ensures students code alongside the mentor with live screen checks and instant feedback.
What age is this course designed for?
Ages 8 and up. Students only need basic mouse/trackpad familiarity and keyboard awareness. No prior coding is required.
What makes ReaderNook different from generic coding clubs?
We maintain ultra-small cohorts (max 3 in-person, max 6 online) so every child receives direct attention, fixes bugs with guided reasoning, and completes an original project.
Is homework assigned?
No homework is required. All core programming, collision mechanics, score variables, and win states are completed during the 60-minute classes.
What game does the student build?
A complete arcade catch-or-collect game featuring keyboard controls, bounded movement, random spawns, score tracking, and restartable win conditions.
Ready for Your Child to Become a Creator?
Choose from currently available dates and teaching modes. Groups have a maximum of 3 learners in person or 6 online.