# ScratchJr

> Educational app for young children to program interactive stories and games. (iPhone/iPad app by Scratch Foundation, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchjr/id895485086 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Scratch Foundation, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1066012912)
- Category: Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 1,812 App Store ratings · 570 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 51 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-07-29
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchjr/id895485086/reviews.md

## What is ScratchJr?

With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games.

By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.

ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu), used by millions of people (ages 8 and up) around the world. The ScratchJr interface and programming language were redesigned to make them appropriate for younger children’s cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development.

ScratchJr is a collaboration between the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab, the Developmental Technologies research group at Tufts University, and the Playful Invention Company. The ScratchJr project has received generous financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664), Scratch Foundation, LEGO Foundation, and British Telecommunications.

If you enjoy using this free app, please consider making a donation to the Scratch Foundation (www.scratchfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization that provides ongoing support for ScratchJr. We appreciate donations of all sizes, large and small.

## Key features

- Program interactive stories
- Create games
- Snap-together programming blocks
- Develop problem-solving skills
- Foster creative expression
- Learn coding fundamentals

## What do users think of ScratchJr?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use for kids
- 🚀 Great for coding and creating animations
- 💡 Allows customization of characters and backgrounds
- ⭐ Fun and engaging for young users

**Cons**

- 🐛 Glitchy drawing/editing tools
- 🔧 Limited number of frames/scenes per project
- 🎨 Lack of color options and customization
- 🔊 Poor audio quality and limited sound options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Incorrect character movements and positioning
- Saving and loading problems
- Microphone and recording bugs

**Most requested features**

- Add more frames/scenes per project
- Improve drawing/editing tools
- Expand color and customization options
- Enhance audio features and sound library
- Integrate with the full Scratch platform

## Recent user reviews (10 of 570)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchjr/id895485086/reviews.md

### 1/5 — IT HAS A JUMP BUTTON BUT SCRATCH DOES NOT?!?!?

*2026-08-17, version 1.5.11*

THIS IS SO UNFAIR, WHY ON SCRATCH WE NEED TO CODE A JUMP BUTTON BUT HERE WE ALREADY HAVE ONE?!?!?

### 4/5 — Only one this BUT AWSOME!!!! [DEVELOPERS PLEASE READ]

*2026-08-16, version 1.5.11*

Okay I’m going to say it’s not a bad app it great and perfect just please add a button that lets you go through your camera roll and pick a sprite from there so you can draw your sprites outside of the app or get them off a website that’s all

### 1/5 — It is too hard for me to use

*2026-08-16, version 1.5.11*

The first time I use this, I can’t even use it properly cause I’m a little too dumb to use it I’m just six and it’s too hard so please make it a little bit easier

### 4/5 — (-_-)

*2026-08-12, version 1.5.11*

PRETTY FUNNY 😆 0_0

### 5/5 — I play this at school

*2026-08-11, version 1.5.11*

Every day when I go to school I play scratch jr with my friends

### 4/5 — Let us add up to 16 backgrounds instead of 4

*2026-08-08, version 1.5.11*

Please add 16 backgrounds because I have long projects up to 16 sene so can you let us select 16 backgrounds for my children 
🇸🇿🇵🇹🇲🇰🇬🇧🇬🇮🇧🇷🇰🇪🇸🇦🇿🇦

### 3/5 — Good app

*2026-08-05, version 1.5.11*

DOSENT require internet and it’s a good code simple idea! So you should try this. Even schools use this !

### 2/5 — :/

*2026-08-05, version 1.5.11*

not as good as scratch but can't find that in the app store so I downloaded this app. I wish there were more options and was more like scratch and was easier to color. Definitely for kids.

### 4/5 — Slow speed dpesnt work

*2026-07-30, version 1.5.11*

The app is cool n all but, when you save a level with a slow speed block, if you back into it it becomes an icon-less block. And it doesn’t work! Sometimes, it becomes normal speed aswell. Please fix this!

### 5/5 — Just cool

*2026-07-30, version 1.5.11*

Coool

## Frequently asked questions about ScratchJr

### What is ScratchJr?

ScratchJr is an educational app designed for young children aged 5-7. It allows them to learn programming concepts by creating their own interactive stories and games through a visual block-based interface.

### How does ScratchJr help children learn?

By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, and sing. This process helps them develop problem-solving skills, design thinking, and creative expression, while also reinforcing math and language concepts.

### Is ScratchJr free to use?

Yes, ScratchJr is a free app. While the app itself is free, users are encouraged to consider making a donation to the Scratch Foundation to support its ongoing development and maintenance.

### What age group is ScratchJr for?

ScratchJr is specifically designed for young children aged 5 to 7 years old. The interface and programming language have been adapted to suit their cognitive and developmental needs.

### Can I use ScratchJr on different devices?

The description does not specify compatibility details. However, it is a mobile application, suggesting it is available on common mobile operating systems like iOS and Android.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.5.11 — 2023-11-28

Bug Fixes

### 1.5.10 — 2023-05-01

Bug Fixes

### 1.5.3 — 2023-01-09

Minor Bug Fixes.

### 1.4.14 — 2022-08-09

Minor bug fixes.

### 1.4.12 — 2022-07-20

Minor bug fixes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*