Events in Scratch

Events in Scratch are the blocks that decide when something happens. They are the starting blocks that kick a stack of code into action, such as "when green flag clicked," "when this sprite clicked," or "when the space key is pressed." Without an event, code just sits there. With one, a project comes alive and starts responding to your child. This guide explains events in the gentlest way and shows the most useful ones.

What is an Event?

Think of an event as a "go" signal. Your child builds a stack of instructions, but those instructions need to know when to begin. An event block sits on top of the stack and waits for something to happen, then sets the whole stack running.

Event blocks live in the Events group, which is coloured yellow. They have a distinctive shape: a rounded top, like a hat, because they always go at the very top of a stack and nothing connects above them.

The Most Important Event: The Green Flag

The block "when green flag clicked" is the one your child will use most. The green flag sits above the stage, and clicking it is how almost every project starts. Whenever your child places this block at the top of a stack, that stack runs the moment the flag is clicked.

A lovely habit to build early: "Click the green flag to start, click the red button to stop." It gives children a clear, reliable way to run and reset their creations.

Reacting to the Keyboard

Games become exciting when a child can control them. The block "when [space] key pressed" makes a stack of code run whenever a chosen key is tapped. The key can be changed using a little drop-down menu, so your child can choose the space bar, the arrow keys, or a letter.

For example:

• "when up arrow pressed" with a "change y by 10" block makes a sprite jump upward.
• "when right arrow pressed" with a "move 10 steps" block makes a sprite walk right.

Suddenly your child is steering a character around the screen, which feels wonderfully like a real video game.

Reacting to Clicks

Another friendly event is "when this sprite clicked." It runs a stack whenever your child clicks on that particular character. This is perfect for:

• A button that makes a sound when tapped.
• A character that tells a joke when you click it.
• A simple "whack" game where clicking a sprite scores a point.

Sending Messages Between Sprites

As projects grow, sprites sometimes need to talk to each other. Scratch handles this with "broadcast" events. One sprite can broadcast a message, like shouting "start the race," and other sprites can have a "when I receive [start the race]" block that springs into action when they hear it.

This is a slightly more advanced idea, so there is no rush. But it is worth knowing it exists, because it is how children make several characters work together in harmony, such as starting an animation at exactly the same moment.

Tips for Parents

• Always start with the green flag. Building the habit of putting "when green flag clicked" on top of every stack saves a lot of "why isn't it working?" moments.
• Let them invent the controls. Ask, "Which key should make the cat jump?" Giving your child that choice builds ownership and fun.
• One event, one job. Encourage your child to think, "What should happen, and when?" That single question maps perfectly onto how events work.

Common Mistakes

• No event block at all. If a stack of code "does nothing," it usually has no event on top. Code needs a trigger.
• Wrong key selected. If pressing a key does nothing, check the drop-down inside the "when key pressed" block to make sure it matches the key being pressed.
• Event on the wrong sprite. A "when this sprite clicked" block only works for the sprite it is attached to. Make sure the right character is selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to click the green flag every time? Yes, to start a project from the beginning. It runs all the green-flag stacks at once. Key-press and click events then respond as your child plays.

Can two things happen from one event? Absolutely. You can have several separate stacks that all begin with "when green flag clicked," and they all run together. This is how a project does many things at once.

What's Next?

Events pair beautifully with decisions and repetition. Read Conditionals (If-Then) in Scratch to make events lead to smart choices, and Loops in Scratch to repeat actions after an event fires. Explore everything on the kids' Scratch hub.

To have a caring teacher guide your child through making interactive projects, look at our Scratch & Coding for Kids program in Jalgaon. Join the waitlist and we will tell you when the next batch opens.