Create one act of an animated short
Create one act of an animated short by planning a storyboard, designing characters, and making a flipbook or stop-motion scene using simple materials.
Step-by-step guide to create one act of an animated short
Easy Pencil Drawings For Kids/ Cartoon Drawing Step by Step/ How to Draw Cartoon Characters
Step 1
Write a one-sentence idea for your one-act story on a sheet of paper.
Step 2
Draw a 3-panel storyboard and label the boxes Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3.
Step 3
Sketch the main action in each panel using simple shapes or stick figures.
Step 4
Write one short line of dialogue or a sound effect under each panel.
Step 5
Draw your main character large on a new sheet of paper.
Step 6
Draw any prop or a second character you need on the same sheet.
Step 7
Color your characters and props using your coloring materials.
Step 8
Decide whether you will make a flipbook or a stop-motion scene and write your choice on the storyboard.
Step 9
If you chose flipbook stack index cards and secure them along one short edge with tape or a clip.
Step 10
If you chose flipbook draw the first frame on the top card.
Step 11
If you chose flipbook flip to the next card and draw the next frame with a small change and repeat drawing one new frame per card until the scene is finished.
Step 12
If you chose stop-motion set up your shoebox background and place your characters in the starting pose.
Step 13
If you chose stop-motion move the characters a tiny bit to make the next pose.
Step 14
If you chose stop-motion take a photo of the new pose and repeat Step 13 and this step until the scene plays from start to finish.
Step 15
Share a photo or video of your finished one-act animation on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have index cards, a shoebox, or special coloring materials?
Use cut-up printer paper or sticky notes stacked and clipped with a binder clip or rubber band instead of index cards, turn a cereal box on its side for the shoebox background, and swap in markers, crayons, or colored pencils for any specialty coloring materials.
My flipbook pages keep shifting and the animation looks jumpy—what should I check or change?
For flipbook Steps 9–12 secure the short edge with extra tape or a strong binder clip and make each drawing change very small, and for stop-motion Steps 15–17 keep the camera steady with a tripod or stacked books and use consistent lighting to avoid blurry, jumpy frames.
How can I change the activity for younger kids or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger children simplify Steps 1–4 to one-sentence ideas and single-panel sketches with fewer flipbook cards, while older kids can expand the 3-panel storyboard into more panels, add more frames per second for smoother motion, or create joint character backgrounds and props for stop-motion.
What are some ways to extend or personalize the one-act animation after finishing the basic steps?
After completing Steps 1–17 personalize your short by recording the dialogue or sound effects written under each panel, painting a detailed shoebox background, adding extra acts or a title and credits, or decorating characters and props before sharing on DIY.org.
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Facts about animation for kids
✏️ Modern storyboards were popularized by Walt Disney's studio — they let creators plan every shot like a picture book before filming.
👀 Memorable characters often have just one or two bold features (a big smile, a quirky hat, or giant eyes) that kids instantly recognize.
🎬 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was the first full-length hand-drawn animated feature and showed how powerful animation could be.
🎞️ Stop-motion animators move models just a little between photos — many films use 12–24 frames per second to make motion look smooth.
📖 The flip book (patented as the "kineograph" in 1868) is basically a pocket-sized movie you make by drawing lots of tiny changes.
How do I help my child create one act of an animated short?
What materials do we need to make an animated short act (storyboard, characters, flipbook/stop‑motion)?
What ages is this animated short activity suitable for?
What are the benefits and safety tips for children making an animated short?
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