With blockbuster hits like Frozen and Inside Out, there are few movie genres that enchant and inspire kids more than animated films. Using a steady hand, a bit of patience, and plenty of imagination, junior animaniacs can create stunning moving pictures of their own, thanks to a crop of kid-friendly stop-motion animation apps and studio kits. Click through our animated album to zoom in on some of the coolest products to help your mini-movie moguls shoot their own stop-motion masterpieces!

Ani-Mate Animation Kit

Fans of claymation movies like Wallace and Gromit will love this delightful and creative DIY clay animation kit, which includes creature-creating clay, googly eyes, a miniature stage with interchangeable backdrops, and various cardboard-cutout props. A detailed guidebook explains basic principles of stop-motion animation and movie making. Younger animation auteurs may need assistance from their parents as well as a camera-ready smartphone or tablet loaded with any available stop-motion app before they can call “action!” The kit comes with a somewhat flimsy stand to stabilize smartphones while filming, so you might want to use your own mini-tripod instead.

For ages 8 & up.

Available at uncommongoods.com, $20.

What are your favorite movie-maker and animation apps? Tell us in the comments below!

—Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

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