How to download Scratch projects?
What the .sb3 file contains
Everything: all the sprites, costumes, sounds, backdrops, and code blocks in the project. It's a complete snapshot. The file is only readable in Scratch (the online editor or Scratch Desktop) — it won't open in other software.
Downloading someone else's project
If your kid wants to download a shared community project to remix offline, open it, click See inside, then File → Save to your computer. Not all projects allow this — creators can turn off remixing — but most public projects are open by default.
Backing up regularly
Scratch doesn't auto-save to your computer — it autosaves to the cloud (if your kid is logged in), but that's tied to their account. If you want a local backup, File → Save to your computer is the only way to get a copy that doesn't depend on Scratch's servers. Worth building into a habit, especially for projects your kid has spent significant time on.
