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What is a Variable?
Imagine a variable as a labelled storage box. You give the box a name (like Score), and you can put any value inside it — a number, some text, or even the result of a calculation. Your Scratch project can peek inside the box at any time, change what's stored, or display the value on the stage.
Real-world analogy
Think of a scoreboard at a cricket match. The scoreboard has a section labelled "Score". Every time a run is made, someone updates the number on the board. The label never changes — but the value inside it does. That is exactly what a variable does in a program!
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Name
Every variable has a unique name so you can refer to it later (e.g. Score, Lives, PlayerName).
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Value
The data stored inside — a number like 0, 100, or -5, or text like 'Alice'.
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Changes over time
Unlike a fixed number, a variable's value can be updated as many times as needed while the program runs.
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Visible on stage
Scratch can display the variable's current value in a monitor box on the stage so players can see it.
Key vocabulary
- Declare — to create (or "make") a variable for the first time.
- Assign — to put a value into a variable using "Set".
- Increment — to increase a value (usually by 1) using "Change by".
- Read — to use the current value stored in a variable.