How much joy did the first Disney movies you saw bring into your life? Do you remember the first time you ever saw an animated cartoon? What about those legendary breakfasts on a Saturday, in which you sat next to your siblings to watch the morning cartoons while still in your pajamas? We all love cartoons. Or at least, at some point in our lives we enjoyed them very, very much.
But, do you know the science behind the cartoons? Animation is a way in which stable drawings are manipulated to appear as moving images. It has been around since the beginning of the 1900s and it enables us to enjoy multiple stories that marked our childhoods.
In traditional animation, before computers appeared, images were painted by hand on transparent plastic sheets to then be photographed and exhibited on film. All of that happened in every single animated film you ever saw, until 1995, the year in which Toy Story was launched, becoming the first animated film done entirely with computers.
Nowadays, your kids can learn how to animate their ideas in order to create short films of their own. Animation has progressed so much that your children can draw the characters they are imagining and maybe turn them into the next Superman, Buzz Lightyear, or Velma Dinkley.
But, how are animation and coding related? In this article, we are going to show you all the skills your children can strengthen while learning how to animate, and how these abilities are similar to the ones they can use while building their own app, or coding new software. Ready? Here we go!
21st-century skills your children can learn through animation
Indeed, there are numerous skills your kids can incorporate into their set of abilities while learning how to animate, and of course, while learning how to code. Now, we are going to mention only 3 of the several benefits animation can have in your kids’ way of thinking, in the way they’ll face future challenges, and in the path they are going to walk to land their dream job.
These abilities are extremely important, and they can be learned in an easy, fun, engaging way. The key is to find an inspiring and friendly learning environment in which your kids feel comfortable enough to express themselves, learn from their mistakes, and freely interact with both their classmates, and their instructors.
But, what are the skills your kids can strengthen while learning animation? Let’s go over them…
Creative thinking
This is one of the most transcendental skills your kid needs to have to succeed in the near future. The only way we will fit and succeed in a technologically advanced future we don’t know much about, is by thinking creatively. This ability will also lead your children to fully comprehend how to easily solve problems, and how to understand that there are always an infinite number of ways to solve one issue.
When your children learn to animate, creativity will be running very high, and they will be experiencing a creative level they have hardly ever seen before. Why? Imagine how it feels to see an actual animation of a character that before anything, was only part of your own imagination! This can actually empower your children!
Same thing when learning how to code. Your children have to think creatively to solve problems, to come up with unique solutions, and even to understand what the users of the app they might be creating really want.
Sequence thinking
In life, we should all understand that each thing that happens, occurs because of a series of events that happened before. Comprehending the natural progress of life processes is so important, that understanding it at a very early age can offer your kids a way of thinking they’ll use for the rest of their lives.
Sequential thinking is something that is being taught to engineers at university! Strengthening this skill while your kids create their very own animations, adds a fun factor that will make the learning process of this skill smoother, more fun, and more enjoyable.
As you know, sequencing and animation walk hand in hand. Nothing can happen if the “step before” isn’t done or isn’t ready for whatever comes next.
In other words, and according to a recent publication, sequential thinking is the skill to process information in an orderly prescribed manner. It naturally involves a step-by-step progression. A step must be done before another step is taken. Just like in coding and animation.
Self-esteem and self-expression
Hands-on learning is one of the best available ways of learning for kids to develop, strengthen and improve their self-esteem and self-expression. When your children learn how to do something by truly experiencing the entire process with their own hands, their approach to whatever is being taught to them will be friendlier, happier and much more enjoyable.
On the other hand, when you give your child the actual possibility of turning the things they are only imagining into concrete, real animations, they will experience levels of joy, fulfillment, and gratification they have never experienced before.
Seeing their dreams being turned into existing, praiseworthy creations will increase their levels of self-esteem and will show them how positive it is to express themselves while walking the right route.
This can happen while your children animate their ideas, and even while they create a breathtaking app for their friends or siblings to play with. Give it a try! You won’t regret it.
The right tools for your kids’ future!
Start by nurturing your children with all the tools they need to reach happiness and personal realization. Even if they are not going to dedicate their life to animation in the future, gaining and vitalizing skills like creative thinking, self-esteem, sequential thinking, and self-expression can open a huge door for them to discover their deep, genuine potential.
All of this can be done by being part of a learning environment that constantly empowers them in a friendly and encouraging manner. Let your children experience what it is like to learn animation or coding in a virtual classroom they’ll truly love.
The tools are available, giving them to your children is now up to you.
