Stop motion is an easy and fun way to get kids using their tablets to learn and create. These 5 activities and 6 tools are perfect for getting you started.
Stop motion is an easy and fun way to get kids using their tablets to learn and create. These 5 activities and 6 tools are perfect for getting you started.
THERABAND Non-Latex Resistance Bands are a great tool for strengthening muscles, increasing range of motion in joints and helping to elongate muscles and tendons. This product is multifaceted and can be used for a variety of body maintenance activities including glute strengthening, hip flexibility, foot mobility and more. And because it is not made with natural rubber latex it’s an ideal option for users with latex sensitivities.
Digital Stop Motion Animation Hands-on stop motion animation is one of my favorite STEM activities to do with kids, because it can be tied into almost any subject area, offers high engagement, and develops patience, perseverance, and persistence. It's not always an option, though, such as when: Technology or materials are limited You don't have space to set up and keep sets available for multiple sessions (such as if you are teaching froma cart) Or in the case of no-sharing materials, hybrid or remote learning, you may not be able to do hands-on projects. Your kids are working on stop motion activities as a bonus or choice activity when they may only have 10-15 minutes at a time to devote to it. This is the perfect time to use digital stop motion animation instead! Simple Digital Stop Motion Animation A simple way to get started animating quickly is to use ABCYa Animate - backgrounds, characters (called stickers), and drawing tools are all built in. You can simply just jump right in and start animating! Some of the kids on my robotics team made a stop motion animation video with ABCYa (and then did some extra edits in OpenShot). You can see the video here: Animating with Google Slides Almost as easy as ABCYa is to just use Google Slides. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel with a tutorial video because there are dozens of them on YouTube already (I linked some below), but here are the basics: Start with a background Add in your animated component(s) as needed Duplicate the slide Move your animated component(s) ONE ARROW keystroke in any direction (if animating text add one letter per slide) Repeat steps 3 and 4 until your animation is complete. Watch your stop motion animation video as directed in the tutorial videos and/or screen capture the video and add some cool post-edits, like music, sound, credits, etc. I like to use Shotcut or OpenShot for this. Stop Motion with Google Slides Tutorials How to create stop motion animations with Google Slides Using Google Slides for Stop Motion Animation Stop Motion Animation Tutorial using Google Slides Balloons Over Broadway or Thanksgiving Day Parade Stop Motion Animation This idea came to me as a way to tie in a digital STEM activity to the read aloud Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet. Students can create their very own Thanksgiving Day Parade with floats they find on Google image search, or they can draw their own with the drawing tool. Here is a video sample of a completed project: Why I love this project: Students can work in pairs, but they could also work alone to create a single animation or a complete parade of floats! Kids who struggle with drawing can use a float already found and instead apply their creativity to the animation aspect (changing size, aspect ratio, rotation) or having something exciting or unusual happen during the parade. Perhaps a bird flies by or a person photobombs the video! It can easily be shared to the whole class when complete, as well as family members, and then saved as part of a digital STEM portfolio. It seriously pushes the limits of persistence and patience. Stop motion animation is something that takes time and persistence to complete! Students are always so proud of their creations because they know just how much time they put into them. Get the Resource While you don't need this Digital Stop Motion Animation resource to complete the activity, I have included a background, various parade floats and vehicles, and step by step instructions so that students can do this project independently. Just download and get started right away! Christmas Stop Motion Animation If you celebrate Christmas in the classroom, this stop motion animation movie (or others) is so cute to create! I found just the perfect clip art elements to animate Santa Claus flying across the winter night sky. Here is a video sample: Snowman Stop Motion Animation If you want to create a winter-themed stop motion animation without Christmas theme, building a snowman is the perfect idea. I just love how this one came out: Get the Resources Pin these ideas for later:
Inject the 'A' into your STEM challenge projects with cut paper and the free app Stop Motion on the iPad. The 'A' being Art of course! Full STEAM ahead... We used Stop Motion and cut paper to make moving models of the Lunar Cycle and the phases of the moon in science. The challenge was that students were only allowed to use cut paper (you could also use Oreos for this to mimic the moon as shown in this free download) and the app Stop Motion to show all 8 lunar phases. As with any STEM/STEAM challenge, I introduced
9 magical magnet activities for kids, explaining the science of magnetism. Simple STEM activities to intrigue curiosity in science and engineering.
A Jar Full of Feelings is a visual sensory regulation activity to help children recognize and respond appropriately to their feelings.
Check out this fun force and motion activity with a freebie for Halloween, where students learn the relationship between force, speed, and distance!
What kid doesn't love parachutes? My boys have gotten so many of those parachuting army men as party favors, I've lost count. And forget ...
If your district has adopted Google for Education then you might be looking for new and innovative ways to use these tools. I was at a Google Summit this weekend and learned this neat trick for creating stop motion animation. I know my students will love this! You need access to Google Keep and Google […]
This project will use Pic Collage Kids App and Slideshow Studio to make a simple stop motion project. Since it is so close to Easter this project has an
Have fun learning in this Inclined Planes Simple Machines Lesson filled with free worksheets and science experiments for elementary age kids.
So many fun bosu exercises you and your kids can do. We love this thing!
Here are nifty apps for making the stop motion lego movies. If your child loves watching brick flicks they might like to make their own stop motion Lego movie. Who knows, you may have the next summer blockbuster in your hands…literally!
Help your child measure breezy weather in her environment by making a wind vane for kids, a simple version of the classic scientific measurement tool.
This Stop Motion Animation project is easy to set up in minutes, and a great way to encourage STEAM concepts with children.