Create a fully animated scene

What can we use if we don't have a shoebox, tripod, or desk lamp?

Use a cereal box or drawer as your stage instead of a shoebox, secure your phone with a stable stack of books in place of a tripod, and angle a desk lamp or sunlight through a window so it lights the stage without making strong shadows as described in the 'place the shoebox' and 'arrange the lamp' steps.

My photos look jumpy or the camera moves during shooting — how do we fix that?

If frames are jumpy because the phone moves, tape the phone to the tripod or stack of books, retake the 'one test photo' from the camera app step to check composition, and use a timer or remote shutter so you don't touch the device during each 'move-and-photo' step.

How can we make this activity easier for a 4-year-old or more challenging for a 12-year-old?

For younger kids simplify to two toys and plan about 6 big moves with a parent helping to 'cut and color a simple background' and position characters, while older kids can plan 20+ tiny movements, build layered paper backgrounds, and edit speed or add sound effects in the 'play the photos back' step.

What are simple ways to make our stop-motion scene more impressive or personal?

Try adding movable background layers on strips of paper for parallax, place colored paper over the lamp to change mood, and use the app's options to add a title or sound effects before you export and share your finished creation on DIY.org.