🐢 A free workbook for young coders

From Scratch
to Python

You already know how to code. Every time you snap Scratch blocks together, you are writing a program. This book shows you how to type the same ideas as real Python, in Google Colab, one mission at a time.

📘 Download the book (PDF) ▶ Open the notebook in Colab
258 pages35 missions147 Scratch blocks translatedNothing to install

What a mission looks like

when 🏁 clicked repeat 4 move 100 steps turn ↻ 90 degrees 
from ColabTurtlePlus.Turtle import *
clearscreen()
initializeTurtle((480, 360))

for i in range(4):
    forward(100)
    right(90)

Every mission has five steps: build it in Scratch, type it in Colab, read it line by line, run it, and make it yours.

What's inside

Part 1: Motion and Pen

Move the turtle, turn, draw with colours.

Part 2: Loops

repeat becomes for. Stars, spirals, flowers.

Part 3: Variables and Lists

Labelled boxes and a backpack of things.

Part 4: Operators

Maths, random numbers, joining words.

Part 5: Sensing and Decisions

Ask questions, make choices, time things.

Part 6: My Blocks

Make your own blocks with def.

Part 7: Looks, Sound and Events

Costumes, music and a turtle race.

Big Projects

Eight games, from a story to a chase game.

The Bug Zoo

Read error messages like a detective.

Block Dictionary

The Python for every Scratch block.

Quick start for grown-ups

  1. Open or print the book. Read For grown-ups near the back first.
  2. Open the notebook in Colab with the button above, then choose File → Save a copy in Drive so the work is saved.
  3. Run the “In the beginning” cell, !pip install ColabTurtlePlus, each time you open the notebook.
  4. Do one mission per session, about 20 to 30 minutes, with your child at the keyboard.
Install ColabTurtlePlus (with Plus). The similarly named ColabTurtle is a different library and won't work with this book. Everything was tested in Colab in November 2026.