Animation Studio · With Tek
How to make a stop motion animation
This course teaches your kid how stop motion works and how to make a short film starring their own toy. Tek hosts four short films: a steady camera on a stack of books, tiny moves, 12 photos for every second, and a five-second scene. Plan about 3 minutes of films and 45–60 minutes of making.
How to make a stop motion animation is part of Kubrio Learn: short courses that inspire kids to make things. Learn more
Watch all 4 lessons in the appWhat your kid makes
Your kid ends with a five-second stop-motion scene starring their own toy, shot on a grown-up's phone or tablet, and a plan for the next one. The same toy can star in an animated movie in Animation Studio later.
- Ages
- 6 to 13
- Time
- 4 films, about 3 minutes, then 45–60 minutes of making
- You need
- A toy or a modeling-clay figure, a stack of books and some tape, a grown-up's phone or tablet with a stop-motion app, a lamp
- Host
- Tek
The 4 lessons
Lesson 1. A steady camera
Lots of photos with tiny changes, played fast, look like moving. The camera has to stay perfectly still.
- Pick your star toy
- Ask a grown-up for a phone or tablet with a stop-motion app
- Set it on a stack of books and tape around the books
Where: At home
Lesson 2. Tiny moves
Move the toy about a finger-width, pull your hands out, then snap.
- Move your toy a finger-width
- Pull your hands out of the picture
- Snap, and take 10 photos
Where: At home
In the app
Lesson 3. Twelve photos, one second
Twelve photos make one second of movie. Bigger steps go faster, and still photos make a pause.
- Take 12 photos with tiny moves
- Snap a few photos without moving the toy for a pause
- Play them back
Where: At home
In the app
Lesson 4. A five-second scene
Five seconds is 60 photos. Plan three steps and keep the light the same.
- Plan your scene in three steps
- Close the curtains, turn on a lamp, and shoot 60 photos
- Play it for your family
Where: At home
In the app
Lesson 1 transcript: A steady camera
Hi, I'm Tek. Want to see your toys move all by themselves? Let's make a stop-motion movie!
Here's the trick. Move a toy a tiny bit. Snap a photo. Move it again. Snap again.
Then play the photos fast. Look! Your toy walks!
But the camera has to stay perfectly still. If it wiggles, the whole movie shakes.
So don't hold it. Make a stack of books, and set the phone or tablet on top. Point it at your toy.
Stick tape around the books. If they get bumped, slide them right back.
Your turn. Pick your star toy. Ask a grown-up for a phone or tablet with a stop-motion app. Set it on a stack of books. Then press Next.
Free guides to practise with
Questions parents ask
Do we need special equipment?
No. A toy, a stack of books, tape, and a grown-up's phone or tablet with a stop-motion app are enough. The phone lies on the books, so nobody has to hold it still.
How long does it take?
The four films take about 3 minutes. Shooting a five-second scene takes 45–60 minutes, and you can split it over two days.
Is this a screen-time activity?
Mostly not. Your kid moves the toy by hand, and the phone only takes the photos. Screens come in for the short films and for watching the finished scene together.