Stop, Click & Roll! Amazing Animation Kits for Kids

Help your mini-movie mogul get animated with seven simple stop-motion kits. All that's left to do is call "Action!"

By Kipp Jarecke-Cheng April 18, 2016

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!

Disney Imagicademy Storymation Studio Movie Kit

It’s no surprise Disney’s Storymation Stop-Motion Movie Kit also happens to be the easiest to use among the bunch we reviewed. This set comes with a bevy of cool and fun accessories, including a variety of backgrounds, moderately posable Mickey and Minnie character figures, and plenty of cardboard-cutout characters. Disney fans will be thrilled by the collection of extras from many of the studio’s most popular animated movies: Big Hero 6, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Monsters, Inc., and Toy Story. The Storymation app (currently only available on iTunes) features a useful “clap-activated” photo function so young movie makers don’t need to worry about stabilizing the smartphone or tablet they’re using to film. The app also includes a variety of cool special effects and filters as well as sharing functions via YouTube or e-mail.

For ages 6 & up.

Available at target.com, $29.99.

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

—Kipp Jarecke-Cheng