With Father’s Day coming up this year, programming a Father’s Day card can be the ultimate homemade gift! Here, we provide instructions for students to code their own Father’s Day cards in Scratch or Python.

Scratch: ages 8+

What is Scratch? Check out our 101 guide to Scratch coding for kids ages 8-11!

Step 1: Set up your Scratch Account

Login or register for a Scratch account with your parent or guardian on scratch.mit.edu. Then, click the big Create button at the top of your screen to create a blank Scratch project!

Step 2: Learn Scratch Basics

First time using Scratch? Watch Instructor Maya's intro to using Scratch, if you need some help or review.

Step 3: Get inspiration

Use any of your past Scratch projects as inspiration for a new game with Father’s Day-themed sprites. Import custom images for your sprites if you’d like to include your family in the game!

Or, program a Father’s Day card with animated messages. You can design custom backdrops and use the next backdrop block to transition between backdrops.

Here are some examples created by one of our instructors at Juni:

Step 4: Share your project!

To share the project, make sure you’re logged into your Scratch account and click on the orange Share button at the top of the project to be able to send the URL to others. You may have to verify your Scratch email address if you haven’t already!

Python: ages 11+

If you’ve never programmed in Python before, coding a Father’s Day card can actually be the perfect way to get started!

Wondering what Python is and why it's great as a beginning coding language for kids? Check out our 101 guide to Python.

Step 1: Setup repl.it

First, sign up for an account on repl.it in order to easily save and share your code. Then, create a new project in repl.it with the programming language Python with Turtle.

Step 2: Learn Python with Turtle Basics

Follow along on these introductory videos:

Step 3: Create your Project

Using what you’ve learned, you can program a well-designed graphic and message into your project. To share the project, make sure you’re logged in and you can simply share the URL with others.

If you’re already enrolled in our Python Level 1 course, or you’ve completed it, then you can create a custom project in your Juni Learner Portal account and publish it to share with your family!

We'd love to see what kind of Father's Day gift you coded for your father or family! Share our project with us hello@learnwithjuni.com, and we might even feature your projects on our blog.

You can also find more coding tutorials on our blog!

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Learn More Coding

At Juni Learning, we teach coding for kids ages 8-18, with the help of highly vetted and experienced coding instructors. From solidifying coding basics, to building creative games and algorithms, these courses explore the many different applications of coding and teach students how to build their own coding projects.

Interested in learing more about Juni Learning's coding courses? Speak with a Juni Advisor by calling (650) 263-4306 or emailing advisors@learnwithjuni.com.