Hello! My name is Jordan, and I am part of the Lakota, Nez Perce, Hopi, and Mojave communities. I work at Pinterest, where I lead a team called Global Outsourcing.
Today, we’re going to explore something exciting called Play Lab. It’s a fun tool that lets you create your own stories and games by writing code! In Play Lab, you’ll meet different characters known as “actors.” These actors can move around, talk, and interact with each other. With your code, you can make them do all sorts of cool things like adding sounds, changing backgrounds, and even scoring points!
In Play Lab, you’ll use code blocks to build your programs. Think of these blocks like puzzle pieces that fit together to make your game work. There’s a special orange block called “when run.” Any code you attach to this block will start working as soon as you hit the run button.
To make your program even more interactive, you’ll use something called event blocks. These blocks tell the computer to wait for something specific to happen, like pressing a key or clicking on an actor. When that action occurs, the code connected to the event block will run instantly. You can place event blocks anywhere in your workspace, and they don’t need to be connected to the “when run” block. Feel free to keep them on the side until you need them!
As you work on your program, take your time to think about how you want everything to work together. Once you’re done, you’ll have a unique creation that you can share with your friends and family. So, what amazing story or game will you create today?
Start by exploring the different characters, or “actors,” available in Play Lab. Choose a few actors and think about how they can interact in a story or game. Write down your ideas and share them with your classmates. This will help you plan your program and understand how actors can move and interact.
Imagine code blocks as puzzle pieces. Your task is to arrange these blocks to create a simple game. Use the “when run” block to start your game and experiment with different blocks to see how they fit together. This activity will help you understand how code blocks work together to create a program.
Try using event blocks to make your program interactive. Set up a challenge where pressing a key or clicking on an actor triggers an action. For example, make an actor jump or change color. Share your event block creations with the class and see how others have used events in their programs.
Before coding, create a storyboard for your game or story. Draw a sequence of scenes and decide what actions your actors will take. This will help you organize your thoughts and make coding easier. Once your storyboard is ready, start coding your scenes in Play Lab.
After creating your program, present it to the class. Explain how you used code blocks and event blocks to bring your story or game to life. Discuss any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. This activity will help you reflect on your learning and gain confidence in your coding skills.
My name is Jordan, and I identify as Lakota, Nez Perce, Hopi, and Mojave. I lead a team called Global Outsourcing at Pinterest.
You’re about to get started with Play Lab, a tool that allows you to create your own stories and games by writing code! Play Lab features a variety of characters, referred to as “actors.” These actors can move, speak, and interact with one another. Your code will enable you to control the actors, add sounds and backgrounds, score points, and more!
You’ll drag code blocks into your workspace to build programs. Code connected to the orange “when run” block will execute as soon as you press the run button. To make your program respond to user interactions, you will use event blocks.
When we code with events, we instruct the computer to wait for a specific action to occur and then respond immediately. The code linked to an event block runs when the player presses a key, taps or clicks on an actor, or when one actor interacts with another. Event blocks can be placed anywhere in your workspace and do not need to connect to the “when run” block, so feel free to leave them off to the side.
Take your time and think carefully about how you want your program to function. When you’re finished, you’ll have something special that you can share with others. Now, what do you want to create?
Play Lab – A fun online platform where you can create your own games and animations using simple coding tools. – In Play Lab, I made a game where a cat chases a mouse around the screen.
Code – A set of instructions written in a language that computers can understand to perform specific tasks. – I wrote some code to make my character jump when I press the space bar.
Blocks – Colorful pieces that represent different commands or actions in a visual programming language. – I used blocks to make my character move forward and turn left.
Actors – Characters or objects in a game or animation that can perform actions or be controlled. – I added two actors to my game: a knight and a dragon.
Program – A complete set of coded instructions that tells a computer how to perform a task or solve a problem. – My program makes the robot dance when it hears music.
Sounds – Audio effects or music that can be added to a game or animation to make it more engaging. – I added sounds to my game so that the bell rings when you win.
Backgrounds – Images or colors that appear behind the main elements in a game or animation. – I chose a forest background for my adventure game.
Points – Scores or rewards given to players for completing tasks or achieving goals in a game. – You earn points every time you collect a coin in the game.
Event – An action or occurrence that can trigger a response in a program, like a mouse click or a key press. – When the “start” button is clicked, an event starts the game.
Create – To make or design something new using your imagination and skills. – I used the coding tools to create my own interactive story.
