Level 1: Surprise Animation

Official Raspberry Pi Project

This lesson is based on the official Raspberry Pi Foundation project. Open it alongside this guide to access the starter project, step-by-step instructions and community remixes.

How to use it: Click the link above, then click See Inside on the Scratch project to explore the finished version. Use Remix to get your own copy to edit.

What You Will Build

Develop a delightful animation using movement, sound and visual effects.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this project you will be able to:

• Use Events blocks to start scripts and respond to clicks
• Combine Motion, Looks and Sound blocks to create behaviours
• Use variables to track game state and scores
• Apply the specific Scratch concepts introduced in Level 1

You Will Need

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Plan your animation: choose a theme (e.g. birthday, magic show, space launch).
2. Add a backdrop that fits your theme.
3. Add 2–3 sprites and costumes for each.
4. Use glide, move steps, and turn to animate sprite movement.
5. Add sound effects at key moments using play sound [ ] until done.
6. Use change [color] effect by [25] to create visual surprises.
7. Use show and hide blocks to make sprites appear and disappear.
8. Add a dramatic pause with a wait [1] secs before the big reveal.
9. Chain all animations together under one when 🏳️ clicked event.
10. Share your project and watch a friend’s reaction!

Extension Challenges

Try these after completing the main project:

• Add a repeat [10] loop to make something spin or bounce repeatedly.
• Use broadcast to trigger different parts of the animation in sequence.
• Add a credits screen at the end using a backdrop switch.

Reflection Questions

1. Which Scratch blocks did you use most in this project?
2. What would you add or change if you had more time?
3. How could you reuse the ideas from this project in a different context?

Share Your Work

When your project is complete, click Share in Scratch and post the link to your class or the Techbase community.