Eduperience is a partner organization of the Hong Kong Red Cross 'Little Red Star Award Scheme'.

As a partner of the Hong Kong Red Cross"Little Red Star Award Scheme,"Eduperience held two consecutive STEM animation workshops last Saturday (February 18) at the Red Cross Headquarters for approximately 300 Little Red Star participants. Accompanied by their parents, the children used ScratchJr to create animations, conveying humanitarian values such as kindness and helping others through storytelling. This hands-on activity successfully integrated STEAM into daily life. We hope that, beyond enjoying the fun of STEAM, the children will also develop greater empathy and care for those in need in their everyday lives.

Introduction of Workshop

 During the workshop, we observed that in addition to the children’s focused engagement in learning programming, many parents were also actively involved—exploring ideas together and co-creating animations with their children. We would therefore like to introduce the free programming tool we used on the day: ScratchJr. This beginner-friendly platform is designed for young children, and we hope it can inspire more families to enjoy programming at home. By learning and creating together, parents and children can not only have fun, but also foster a culture of innovation and technology within the household.

Scratch Jr Introduction

 ScratchJr is an introductory programming tool developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), designed specifically for young children aged 5 and above. With its intuitive, block-based interface, children can create simple programs by dragging, dropping, and snapping together coding blocks. This allows them to animate characters—making them move, jump, dance, and sing—while having fun. Through this playful approach to learning, ScratchJr helps cultivate children's interest in innovation and technology, while also enhancing their motivation to learn.

  ScratchJr is available as a free download on tablet devices, making it easy to start programming without the need to purchase expensive coding robots. There is also a wealth of freely accessible online resources that parents can use to explore coding with their children in a fun and engaging way. For parents who may feel unsure about guiding their children, we offer an "online introductory ScratchJr programming class".Parents are welcome to observe and learn alongside their children. However, as we encourage a child-led learning approach, we kindly ask parents to refrain from giving instructions or completing tasks on behalf of their child.

Understanding more about Scratch jr :  https://eduperienceorg.wpcomstaging.com/scratch-jr-course/

Childhood is a time of boundless imagination. Programming can help children enhance their creativity, think beyond conventional boundaries, and develop logical thinking skills—turning imaginative ideas into reality. We encourage all parents to start exploring the joys of programming with their children today using ScratchJr. It’s a wonderful way to learn, create, and grow together!

If you share the same vision, you are warmly welcome to join us at Eduperience's Facebook Group, to exchange ideas about STEAM education or share the joys and challenges your children experience while learning STEAM.

You may also follow ourFacebook Pageor Instagram, learn more about the myths and practices of STEAM education, as well as information on how we teach STEAM courses in schools. Let’s work together to promote STEAM education in Hong Kong!

Extended Resources:
online introductory ScratchJr programming class".

Introduction to Scratch Jr