In Animation Lab for Kids, arts educators Laura Bellmont 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 are the co-founders and lead teachers of The Good School,an arts-education school that cultivates and combines traditional art-making skills and the technologies involved in stop-motion animation filmmaking. They teach animation techniques at camps, schools, and events, including the New York International Children's Film Festival. They also offer professional development for teachers; among their clients are The Spring School, Spence School, and Pratt Institute.

Laura is a trained illustrator and arts educator who has served children and adults in the New York area for over ten years. She is passionate about progressive arts education and has found a perfect mobile venue for her love of teaching in the formation of The Good School. Laura received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration as well as her MS in Art + Design Education from Pratt Institute, graduating from both programs with honors.

Emily is a professional graphic designer and art educator who has been working in New York City since 2010. 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, where she graduated with honors.

Laura Bellmont and Emily Brink are the co-founders and lead teachers of The Good School, an arts-education school that cultivates and combines traditional art-making skills and the technologies involved in stop-motion animation filmmaking. They teach animation techniques at camps, schools, and events, including the New York International Children's Film Festival. They also offer professional development for teachers; among their clients are The Spring School, Spence School, and Pratt Institute.

Laura is a trained illustrator and arts educator who has served children and adults in the New York area for over ten years. She is passionate about progressive arts education and has found a perfect mobile venue for her love of teaching in the formation of The Good School. Laura received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration as well as her MS in Art + Design Education from Pratt Institute, graduating from both programs with honors.

Emily is a professional graphic designer and art educator who has been working in New York City since 2010. 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, where she graduated with honors.