Coding & Creativity · Ages 5–7

ScratchJr

Visual block-based programming for young children — stories, games, and animations

Owned by: Scratch Foundation (nonprofit)  ·  Nonprofit — no ads, no data sale

Free
No licensing cost
5–7
Target age range
Nonprofit
Scratch Foundation owner
No ads
No advertising or data sale

ScratchJr was developed collaboratively by MIT Media Lab, Tufts University, and the Playful Invention Company, and is now maintained by the Scratch Foundation, a nonprofit. Children use drag-and-drop programming blocks — no reading required — to create interactive stories and animations. It is free, contains no advertising, and has a genuinely minimal data footprint. Among all the apps in this review, ScratchJr has the strongest privacy profile. The core question for LMSD is not whether it's safe — it is — but whether screen-based coding at ages 5–7 is the best use of developmental time for children who need physical play, movement, and hands-on building.

The Full Picture

The Good

  • Designed by child development researchers at MIT and Tufts — grounded in Piaget's constructionist learning theory, not commercial product design
  • Free with no advertising and no in-app purchases — the Scratch Foundation's mission is genuinely educational
  • Multiple peer-reviewed studies confirm improvements in computational thinking and sequencing skills for children ages 5–8
  • Icon-based interface requires no reading — accessible to pre-literate learners
  • Encourages open-ended creative storytelling rather than drill-and-practice — children make their own projects
  • Best privacy profile of any app in this review: no persistent student accounts required, no behavioral data collected in the basic offline version

The Bad

  • Still a screen-based activity for very young children — children ages 5–7 are in a critical developmental window for physical play, gross motor development, and social skill formation that screens cannot replicate
  • Physical manipulatives (Lego, building blocks, clay) teach the same spatial reasoning and sequencing concepts with proven developmental benefit — and without a screen
  • Limited evidence that ScratchJr benefits transfer to broader academic outcomes beyond computational thinking itself
  • Teacher facilitation is critical — without it, children often produce repetitive low-complexity projects and miss the conceptual learning entirely
  • The "workforce pipeline" framing of coding for 5-year-olds may prioritize future economic utility over present developmental needs

The Worse

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting recreational screen time and ensuring quality and co-use for children ages 2–5; adding structured coding screen time extends total daily screen exposure
  • Even high-quality screen time at ages 5–7 competes with unstructured creative play, which is where children develop executive function, self-regulation, and social skills most effectively
  • The broader Scratch platform (for older students, ages 8+) collects usernames, project data, comments, and usage data — introducing children to data collection norms early
  • Schools rarely allocate ScratchJr time from existing computer class slots; it often replaces recess, art, or free play time instead

Privacy & Data

Owner

Scratch Foundation (nonprofit, Cambridge, MA) — not firm

Data collected

Minimal: the basic offline app requires no accounts and collects no personal data from children

Certifications

Privacy policy updated May 2023; COPPA compliant

Regulatory actions

No FTC fines or regulatory actions on record. Best privacy profile of any app in this review.

ScratchJr's privacy profile is the strongest in this review. The Scratch Foundation does not sell data, display ads, or require student accounts. The primary concern is developmental — not privacy.

What ScratchJr Replaces

Screen-based block coding
replaces ↓
Physical building with Lego, blocks, and construction toys that build the same spatial reasoning — tactilely
Digital storytelling in ScratchJr
replaces ↓
Drawing, puppet play, and dramatic play that develop narrative skills and social cognition
Structured coding time
replaces ↓
Unstructured free play — where executive function and self-regulation develop most effectively at ages 5–7
Tablet-based sequencing
replaces ↓
Physical sequencing activities (card sorting, pattern blocks) that don't add screen time

Questions for LMSD

When ScratchJr is scheduled in elementary classrooms, what activity does it replace — and has that displacement been evaluated for developmental impact on LMSD students?
Has LMSD reviewed the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on screen time for ages 5–7, and how do current ScratchJr usage patterns align with those guidelines?
Are there evidence-based, screen-free alternatives (physical robotics kits, pattern blocks, coding board games) that could achieve the same computational thinking outcomes for the youngest learners?

Sources & Further Reading

  • Papadakis, S. (2022). "Can Preschoolers Learn Computational Thinking and Coding Skills with ScratchJr?" Computers in the Schools. sagepub.com
  • American Academy of Pediatrics. "Screen Time and Children." healthychildren.org
  • Lillard, A.S. et al. (2013). "The impact of pretend play on children's development." Psychological Bulletin.
  • ScratchJr Privacy Policy. scratchjr.org/privacy

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