Recommend animation software for kids?

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Mon May 04, 2009 4:56 am

I got a message from an old friend who wants some advice on animation software for her kid. Not sure what age, I met them and we're looking at mid-primary school age I think. Let's say 10, or a bit younger.

Can anyone recommend any apps?
(What's that free 3d one again?)

(I need to think carefully before I reply, I don't want to recommend something and then spend the next 5 years giving training, tech support and so on.)

chucky · Post by **chucky** » Mon May 04, 2009 11:00 am

I think that was called zencub3d.
Why don't you suggest an etcha sketch?

mkelley · Post by **mkelley** » Mon May 04, 2009 11:31 am

Um, hate to state the obvious, but what's wrong with AS?

If I remember properly, DK had a lot of success teaching animation to kids using AS and some files he had developed -- I think that's actually the first I ever heard about AS (doing a web search).

AS ain't rocket science -- and ten year old kids are wicked smart (scary smart nowadays). I think the sale price for regular AS is still good, which is the best $30 you can spend on anything.

Your support would then be pretty simple -- direct the kid here (heck, I remember we've helped several kids around that age).

About the only drawback I can see is that this approach is not a frame by frame software package -- but if the kid is really interested in that then just a simple drawing program (even Paint) would be more than adequate.

psaldari · Post by **psaldari** » Mon May 04, 2009 12:59 pm

Test this:
http://www.icartoon.org/iCartoonEN/Home.html

Paolo

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Mon May 04, 2009 1:51 pm

http://www.pencil-animation.org/

Interface is easy, not difficult concepts and it is free.
-G

Nolan Scott · Post by **Nolan Scott** » Tue May 05, 2009 6:24 am

Check out those:
http://www.toonboom.com/products/select ... ctSelector

Acochran_89 · Post by **Acochran_89** » Wed May 06, 2009 4:46 am

i would look at a program called pencil...it's free and really easy to use. Also there is a free 3d app called Anim8tor...it's not TOO terribly difficult and can be a lot of fun...but....not sure i'd recommend it to a 10 yr old.....
you could always suggest a paper and pencil lol

madrobot · Post by **madrobot** » Wed May 06, 2009 5:13 am

I'm thinking of telling them to shoot stop motion with a webcam.

DK · Post by DK » Wed May 06, 2009 6:12 am

mad....if you are interested I could send you a free educational (lite) version of the Wienertoonz files I developed for use with AS? The only thing is, the characters are already built and pre animated in cycles. All the kids have to do is use the translate tool in AS to drag them around.

I paid a programmer to create a Wienertoonz software app for kids 7-12 and was going to market it to schools but the programmer took my money and left me with a bunch of uncompiled stacks, not even an exe

D.K

zorg · Post by **zorg** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:33 pm

I got my kids in to animating by teaching them stop motion animation with clay ( claymation ) and with their legos. I found a program designed specifically for 8 to 15 years olds called iKITMovie . They love it. It has sound effects and music included in it. And they can add their voiceovers etc. It might be worth a try.
Good luck with it.

patricia3d · Post by **patricia3d** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 2:52 am

Use Blender, Its Free GPL software available for all OS.
http://www.blender.org
Click this link to see the Character I have created in Blender
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff22 ... frogsu.png
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff22 ... l/hugg.jpg

Recommend animation software for kids?

Recommend animation software for kids?

Better late than never