Pick 1 person to keep in mind as you create your animation
Pick one person to inspire your animation, then design and create a ten frame stop motion or flipbook that tells them a simple story.
Step-by-step guide to create a ten-frame stop-motion or flipbook inspired by one person
Step 1
Pick one person who will inspire your animation and say their name out loud.
Step 2
Think of a very simple story about that person and write it in one short sentence.
Step 3
Choose whether you will make a ten frame flipbook or a ten frame stop-motion scene.
Step 4
Draw ten equal boxes on a sheet of paper or prepare ten sticky notes and number them 1 to 10.
Step 5
Under each numbered box write a one or two word idea for what happens in that frame.
Step 6
Lightly sketch the pictures for each frame in order using your pencil.
Step 7
Darken the important lines and add color to each frame with your coloring materials.
Step 8
Assemble your frames in order by stacking and clipping them for a flipbook or laying them out in sequence on a flat surface for stop-motion.
Step 9
If you chose flipbook then press the stacked edge with tape or a clip and flip the pages quickly to watch your animation.
Step 10
If you chose stop-motion then ask an adult to take a clear photo of each frame in order and play the photos quickly to watch your animation.
Step 11
Share your finished flipbook or stop-motion 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 a camera or smartphone for the stop-motion step?
If you don't have a camera or smartphone for the stop-motion step, choose the flipbook option instead by drawing ten numbered frames on paper, stacking and clipping them, and flipping the pages to watch your animation or borrow a device later to record it.
My flipbook won't flip smoothly or the stop-motion photos keep coming out of order — what should I try?
If pages won't flip smoothly, press and secure the stacked edge with tape or a sturdy binder clip and re-align the ten equal boxes, and if photos are out of order double-check each frame's number before assembling and retake any missing shots.
How can I adapt the activity for younger kids or for older kids who want more challenge?
For younger children use ten sticky notes with one-word prompts and help them lightly sketch and color each frame, while older kids can write a more detailed one-sentence story, add refined drawings and color, or use a stop-motion app to photograph the ten frames.
How can we make our animation more creative or personal before sharing it on DIY.org?
Personalize your animation by adding backgrounds and captions under each numbered frame, creating cut-out paper characters for layered stop-motion movement, and recording a short narration of the one-sentence story to pair with the photos.
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Facts about stop-motion animation for kids
✍️ Animators often start with a storyboard or key poses — your ten frames can be ten key beats of your story.
🎬 Most films play at about 24 frames per second — but a 10-frame flipbook can still tell a tiny, punchy story!
👀 Persistence of vision is why your brain blends still images into motion — that's how flipbooks and stop-motion appear animated.
🐵 Stop-motion animation brought models to life in early movies like King Kong (1933) by animating objects frame-by-frame.
📚 The flipbook was patented as the "kineograph" by John Barnes Linnett in 1868.
How do I create a ten-frame stop motion or flipbook inspired by one person?
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