Letter Matching Game | Coding for Kids

Introduction

Code an exciting game where players drag lowercase letters to match their uppercase counterparts. Students will design their game, record their voices, add sound effects and background music, and learn to integrate these elements with code. Encourage students to share their creations with peers and younger friends, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment.

Subjects:

Grades: K-5

Estimated Time For Completion: 70 mins

Hardware required: Computer or Tablet Speaker Microphone

Objectives

Students will:

Design a letter-matching game with corresponding cover page.
Code drag-and-drop functionality for matching letters.
Record voice overs to guide players and enhance interaction.
Publish and share their matching games with classmates and younger students.

Code Stories and Games with Elementari

In this lesson, students will use Elementari to create and code an interactive letter-matching game. They will design the game, record voice overs to guide players, add sound effects and background music, and code the drag-and-drop matching game. Elementari’s creative coding platform makes coding accessible and fun, integrating arts and literacy to engage all learners. This lesson helps students develop foundational coding skills.

New to Elementari? Click on the orange Start button to jump right into the lesson for free. Check out our Getting Started Guide for an overview of how Elementari works with your class. Get started for free for up to 35 student accounts.

Lesson Resources

Worksheet

Coding Concepts Covered

Background Music Voice Recording

Student Instructions

Elementari lessons combine creativity and structured learning using auto-validating steps. This approach supports students learning at their own pace and engaging all skill levels. Below are the milestone instructions students will follow to complete the lesson. Each milestone can be further broken down into detailed step by step tasks (not shown).

1. Get Ready to Make Your Game 📝 (10 mins)

See an example game in action!

Use the worksheet (PDF or google doc) to plan the matching game.

You will choose a letter, create a sentence, select 2 additional lower case letters, and draw the game.

2. Make Your Game's Cover Page! 👋 (5 mins)

Create a pretty cover page for your game and add some background music!

3. Design Your Game Page ✍️ (1/2) (5 mins)

Add your chosen upper case letter to the page and the rectangle where the player will try to drag the letter inside.

4. Design Your Game Page ✍️ (2/2) (10 mins)

Add the three lower case letters to the page.

5. Code the Drag-and-Drop Sound 🎵 (10 mins)

Use the On Drag Over event block to code the matching game. Play a sound effect when you have successfully dragged the small letter in the box.

6. Make Your Letters Move 🖱️ (5 mins)

Make your other letters movable by using the Set Draggable function. Once the correct small letter is inside the big box, it shouldn't move anymore!

7. Give Your Game a Voice 🗣️ (10 mins)

Record your voice to help players know how to play your game and to read out the sentence you've written.

8. Finish and Share Your Game 🤗 (15 mins)

Add the final touches to your game. Here are some ideas:

Change the font - try using Lexend!
Add an image
Duplicate the page and create another matching game!

Project Example for Students

Play through this lesson's example project created on Elementari. Use this example to guide and motivate your students.

Standards

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017)

Algorithms & Programming

1B-AP-10 - Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.
1B-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) problems into smaller, manageable subproblems to facilitate the program development process.
1B-AP-12 - Modify, remix, or incorporate portions of an existing program into one's own work, to develop something new or add more advanced features.
1B-AP-15 - Test and debug (identify and fix errors) a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.
1A-AP-08 - Model daily processes by creating and following algorithms (sets of step-by-step instructions) to complete tasks.
1A-AP-14 - Debug (identify and fix) errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops.
1A-AP-10 - Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
1A-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.
1A-AP-12 - Develop plans that describe a program’s sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.

ISTE Student Standards

Creative Communicator

6b - Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6d - Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
6c - Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

Computational Thinker

5a - Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.

Innovative Designer

4a - Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
4d - Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
4c - Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
4b - Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.

Letter Matching Game 📚