Learning Goals 3 min
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Open the pink Sound category and find the play sound [Meow v] until done block.
- Snap a Sound block under a hat block and click the green flag to hear the cat meow.
- Explain the difference between play sound [Meow v] until done and start sound [Meow v].
Warm-Up 7 min
Last lesson you made a Day-to-Night scene with two backdrops. Now we give it ears. Today: sound.
Quick-fire puzzle
Imagine you are at Pasar Pagi and you click the cat at the gerai. Wei Jie built this stack — what did he hear and see?
when flag clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
say [Hello!] for (2) seconds
Reveal the answer
First Wei Jie heard a meow. Then — and only then — the cat said "Hello!" for two seconds. The pink block waits for the meow to finish before the next block runs. That's what until done means.
Without speakers? You'd see a tiny green meter wiggle next to the sprite's card — Scratch shows the sound visually too.
New Concept — the Sound category 15 min
Think of a Sound block like a doorbell. Play sound until done presses the bell and waits politely on the doorstep until it stops ringing. Start sound presses the bell and walks away — the bell keeps ringing, but you carry on with your next job.
Two ways to play a sound
| Block | Category | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| play sound [Meow v] until done | Sound | Plays the meow. The script pauses here until the sound finishes. Then the next block runs. |
| start sound [Meow v] | Sound | Starts the meow. The script does not pause — the next block runs straight away, while the meow keeps playing. |
| when this sprite clicked | Events | A hat block. Starts the script when the user clicks this sprite on the Stage. |
Where to find the blocks
In the Blocks Panel, scroll down past the purple Looks dot. The next dot is pink — that's the Sound category. Click it and the panel turns pink.
Every new Scratch project starts with one sound already loaded — the Meow. That's why the dropdown shows Meow by default. You'll learn how to add more sounds next lesson.
A worked stack to study
when this sprite clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
say [Hello!] for (2) seconds
Why it matters
Sounds bring projects to life. A silent cat is a quiet cartoon. A cat that meows when you click it feels real. Sound is also feedback — a quick blip when the player scores a point, a sad note when they lose a life. From this one block, every game's audio is built.
Worked Example — "click the cat to make it talk" 15 min
Open a fresh Scratch project. The cat is on the Stage, the Meow sound is already loaded. We'll wire the cat up so that clicking it triggers a meow followed by a greeting.
Step 1 — Pick the cat in the Sprite list
Click the cat's card below the Stage. The blue border tells you it is selected. All blocks we drag now belong to this sprite.
Step 2 — Drag the hat block
Click the yellow Events category. Drag when this sprite clicked into the Script Area. (Not the green-flag hat — we want clicking the cat itself.)
when this sprite clicked
Step 3 — Open the Sound category
Scroll down in the Blocks Panel until you find the pink dot. Click it. The blocks panel turns pink and shows every Sound block.
Step 4 — Drag the play-sound block
Grab play sound [Meow v] until done. Drag it under the hat. The little white highlight tells you it's about to snap. Let go.
when this sprite clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
Step 5 — Add a "Hello!" after the meow
Click the purple Looks category. Drag say [Hello!] for (2) seconds below the Sound block. Click the cat on the Stage again.
Step 6 — Hear the order
Meow first. Hello! second. The script paused at the Sound block because the dropdown reads until done. Try swapping that one block for start sound [Meow v] and click the cat again — now the meow and the "Hello!" happen at the same time.
What changed: compared to the silent backdrop scene of L01-34, your project now has audio feedback. One pink block is all it took.
The full assembled stack (your reference)
when this sprite clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
say [Hello!] for (2) seconds
Try It Yourself — three small builds 12 min
Goal: Make the cat meow on flag click. Swap the hat from when this sprite clicked to when flag clicked.
when flag clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
Think: Now you don't need to click the cat at all. The flag triggers the meow. Two ways to start the same sound.
Goal: Meow three times in a row. Drag three play-sound blocks one under the other. Use until done so they queue up neatly.
when flag clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
play sound [Meow v] until done
play sound [Meow v] until done
Think: Now swap one of the three to start sound [Meow v]. The meows now overlap — they tumble on top of each other instead of waiting their turn.
Goal: Make the cat meow, walk, and greet — in that order. Combine today's Sound block with last cluster's Motion and Looks blocks. The cat should meow first, then take ten steps, then say Selamat datang!
when flag clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
move (50) steps
say [Selamat datang!] for (2) seconds
Think: Three different colours — pink, blue, purple — running one after the other. That's a script telling a tiny story.
Mini-Challenge — the polite cat 5 min
"Two clicks, two messages"
Build a project where clicking the cat causes it to meow then say "Hi!", but pressing the green flag causes it to greet first, then meow. Two scripts, one sprite.
It works if:
- Clicking the cat: meow first, then "Hi!".
- Clicking the green flag: "Hi!" first, then meow.
- Both scripts run on the same cat sprite.
- You only use blocks from today's lesson plus blocks from any earlier lesson.
Reveal one valid solution
Two separate stacks. Two different hat blocks. Same sprite.
when this sprite clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
say [Hi!] for (2) seconds
when flag clicked
say [Hi!] for (2) seconds
play sound [Meow v] until done
One sprite can have many scripts. Each starts with a different hat block. Each runs independently. That is the secret to building bigger projects.
Recap 2 min
Today you opened the pink Sound category and used two new blocks: play sound until done (waits for the sound to finish) and start sound (fires and forgets). Pair either one with a hat block and your project has audio.
- Sound (category)
- The pink category in the Blocks Panel. Holds every block that makes noise.
- play sound until done (block)
- Plays the chosen sound and pauses the script until the sound finishes. Then the next block runs.
- start sound (block)
- Plays the chosen sound and lets the script carry on immediately. The sound keeps playing in the background.
- when this sprite clicked
- A yellow Events hat block. Starts a script when the user clicks this sprite on the Stage.
Homework 1 min
Talking cat. Build a project where clicking the cat once makes it meow and say its own name.
- Open Scratch. Keep the default cat.
- Rename the cat to your own first name (Sprite Properties → Name).
- Build this script on the cat:
when this sprite clicked
play sound [Meow v] until done
say [I am Aisyah!] for (2) seconds
Bring back next class:
- A screenshot of your Script Area.
- Your written answer to: "What would happen if you used start sound instead of play sound until done?"
Heads up for next class: SCR-L01-36 opens the Sounds tab. You'll add new sounds from the library — kettles, drums, market chatter — and (optionally) record your own.