Make a time lapse movie

I don’t have a tripod or an interval timer—what can we use instead?

Use the instructions’ suggested steady mount of stacked books or a box to secure your smartphone or camera and replace an interval timer by using a time-lapse app or a Bluetooth remote that triggers photos at set intervals.

My photos came out blurry or the camera moved—how do we fix it?

Make the mount steadier by adding tape or a heavy book, lock focus and exposure on your camera or smartphone before starting the full time-lapse, and run the ten-photo test sequence again to confirm sharp, steady results.

How can we change the project for different ages?

For preschoolers have an adult set up the mount and interval while the child chooses a brightly lit subject and watches a short test sequence, and for older kids let them set manual focus/exposure, choose longer intervals, and edit the final clip at around 12 fps themselves.

How can we make the time-lapse more creative or personal?

After importing and setting the playback to about 12 frames per second, personalize the clip by adding music, titles, or captions in the editor, try a hyperlapse by moving the mount slightly between shots, or film different subjects (plants, clouds, artwork) and compile them into one montage to share on DIY.org.