Stop-Motion Animation – sounds scary, doesn’t it? Sounds like something that kids {or their teachers!} could never do! Well, do I have good news for you! It is SO easy and you totally need to start using it in your classroom!

A few months ago, I traveled to the French Lick Teacher Retreat that Holly Ehle put together. It was not only fun to catch up with my friends from around the country, but also an eye-opening experience for a few new teacher tools! I totally admit that I’m a tech nerd and I love to add any new

I totally admit that I’m a tech nerd and I love to add any new gadgets and gizmos to my classroom that I can get my hands on! The amazing people from HUE Animation sent me their Animation Studio to try out with my kiddos.

When I saw the little box that it comes in, I’ll admit that I was a lil’ bit skeptical! How does something so tiny {and relatively inexpensive!} do the cool things it promises? Well, I promise you – the HUE Animation Studio does not disappoint! All you need is a computer with a USB drive and a whole log of imagination!

As soon as the box arrived, of course, I had to start playing! In about 3 minutes, I made this fun little video! I sent it to JB {who no doubt rolled his eyes at how I was spending a Friday night before he got home from work!}

The next test was to bring it into the classroom! Here’s what I did: I set up the document camera and told the kids the basic concept of stop-motion animation.  I then let them get into groups and decide what they would do.

During the creation of the first video, I snapped the pictures {simply pressed the button on the mouse!} Seeing how easy it was, students started begging me if they could do it! I stepped away from the computer and they got to work.

Now, I know this video is upside down, but I thought it was a fun idea! And at the time, we didn’t know how to switch the setting on the computer 🙂

Ideas on this first day of “playing” ranged from pulling out the pattern blocks and building monsters to using solid shapes and creating a town! Or to just simply draw a little scene, like the rainbow above!

A few weeks later, I pulled the camera out again and encouraged the kids to come up with ways to showcase our classroom learning. I left the camera and the computer on a table in my classroom where the students had access to the HUE Animation Studio.

During Daily 5 time, one boy created a stop-motion animation video for silly sentences he made using a tub of word tiles.

He was so excited about his first video…that he wanted to make a second stop-motion animation!

It makes my teacher heart happy that he even remembered to use a period!

But, I think my favorite stop-motion animation video came from a group of kiddos who wanted to share what they learned about the parts of a plant {and how it grows!} Isn’t this so cute?!

Stop-motion animation is totally do-able with your first graders…especially in the Springtime! Add the HUE Animation Studio to your back to school wishlist.

Leave a comment with an idea you have for usingstop-motion animation in your classroom!
I can’t wait to see what else my kiddos dream up!

Slainte!

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