Flipbook animation ideas for kids
Kids love flipbooks because the magic is instant: draw a few pictures, flick through them and the drawing moves. You can do the same on a tablet. Here are twelve ideas that need only a handful of frames, and some tips for helping young animators get started.
Twelve ideas that work in 6 to 12 frames
- A bouncing ball. The classic first animation.
- A growing flower. A seed, a stem, a bloom.
- A blinking eye. Open, half, closed, half, open.
- A walking stick figure. Four poses are enough for a loop.
- A balloon floating up. Move it a little higher each frame.
- A setting sun. Slowly lower it behind a hill.
- A waving hand. Rock it left and right.
- A rolling wheel. Draw a mark on it so the spin is visible.
- A raindrop splash. Falling, hitting, spreading rings.
- A character changing expression. Happy to surprised to happy.
- A fish swimming across the screen. Add bubbles.
- A name that draws itself. Add a few more strokes each frame.
Tips for helping kids get started
- Start tiny. Six frames finished is better than sixty abandoned.
- Use onion skin. Seeing the previous drawing shows kids exactly how far to move things.
- Play it back early and often. Seeing a drawing move is the reward.
- Use big, bold lines. They are easier to draw and easier to see.
- Duplicate frames. Copy a frame, then change just the part that moves.
- Make mistakes easy to fix. Fliplo has a friendly "Oops" undo button right on the canvas.
Sharing the result
When the animation is ready, export it as a GIF and share it with family. Or save it to Photos and play it on a bigger screen.
Privacy
Fliplo collects no personal data, has no accounts and no ads. Drawings stay on the device unless you choose to share them.
Questions
What age is Fliplo for?
It is rated 4+ and designed to be easy for beginners and kids, with large tap targets and a one tap undo.
Does Fliplo have ads?
No. Fliplo has no ads and collects no personal data.