Computer Game Design by Dr. Ian Perera, Senior Research Scientist, IHMC

October 4, 2025

This month, we used the Scratch programming language to implement a simple computer game. Third and fourth graders learned simple programming, including variables, loops, and conditional statements. They customized their games by choosing their own sprites and backgrounds, and they experimented with ways to change the difficulty of the game. Fifth and sixth graders were able to make more advanced customizations, such as obstacles and projectiles. All of the students came away with the ability to tinker and explore in code — setting them up for success as programming skills become more ingrained in education and everyday life.