Animation Lab for Kids: Fun Projects for Visual Storytelling and Making Art Move - From Cartooning and Flip Books to Claymation and Stop-Motio

In Animation Lab for Kids, arts educators Laura Bellmont of The Little Animation Studio and Emily Brink of The Good School present exciting art projects that teach kids how to create engaging visuals and tell stories using a variety of animation techniques.

You'll have fun with:

• A concise overview of the animation process, from conceptualizing, designing, and scripting a film to basic tools, supplies, and adding sound
• Traditional animation: zoetropes, flip books, and cel animation
• Downshoot animation: 2D art surfaces and characters come to life
• Straight-ahead animation: projects for hand-sewn and claymation puppets, sets, and rigging
• Pixilation: the ins and outs of becoming your own stop-motion puppet
• Inspiring examples from innovative and influential animators, such as Kirsten Lepore, Hayley Morris, PES, and Emily Collins

The lessons require no previous experience for either child or adult. Animation Lab for Kids is a perfect way for parents, art teachers, home schoolers, after-school care providers, and community group leaders to guide and inspire creative kids to take their art projects to the next level with stop-motion movie making.

The popular Lab for Kids series features a growing list of books that share hands-on activities and projects on a wide host of topics, including art, astronomy, clay, geology, math, and even how to create your own circus—all authored by established experts in their fields. Each lab contains a complete materials list, clear step-by-step photographs of the process, as well as finished samples. The labs can be used as singular projects or as part of a yearlong curriculum of experiential learning. The activities are open-ended, designed to be explored over and over, often with different results. Geared toward being taught or guided by adults, they are enriching for a range of ages and skill levels. Gain firsthand knowledge on your favorite topic with Lab for Kids.

Laura Bellmont and Emily Brink met while earning their masters degrees in Art and Design Education from the Pratt Institute where they both graduated with honors.

Laura Bellmont is an illustrator and NYC DOE certified educator who has been teaching in the NYC Metro area for over fifteen years. She is the founder and lead teacher of "The Little Animation Studio" (formerly The Good School). 
Laura and her team design stop motion animation workshops that cultivate commercial and traditional art making skills, communication and collaboration, problem solving and the mindful use of technology. Each curriculum is shaped to accommodate the needs of partners by creating original lesson plans for every engagement.

Emily Brink is a professional graphic designer and art educator who has been working in New York City since 2010. She co-founded The Good School in 2013. She believes that by inviting today's youth into the rich world of art making through the process of animation, she can help create a new generation of problem solvers, culture makers, and intelligent consumers that could have the potential to bring creative change to all their spheres of influence. Emily received her BFA in Visual Communications from the University of Oklahoma and her MS in Art + Design Education from Pratt Institute.