If you want to show your kids how to create animations, check out the list of the best animation maker for kids, so you can easily mask, edit, create animations and work on their details. You can use animation software for anime as well as programs to create projects from scratch or apply different files, including ready-to-use templates, audio libraries, videos and images.
Top 11 Animation Makers for Kids
- Synfig - Interesting way of tweening
- Opentoonz - Traditional 2D animation
- TupiTube - Wide library panel
- Pencil2D - For tech-savvy computer users
- Animatron - Simple drag-and-drop interface
- Toon Boom Harmony - Freehand drawing and tracing
- Anime Studio Debut - Great software for novices
- Stop Motion Studio - Animation from photos
- DigiCel FlipBook - Time-honored cel animation
- The TAB Kids - Animation for the little ones
- Videoscribe - Cloud compatible
Here, you will find the best animation software for children of different ages. Free programs offer basic features, while paid ones provide extended toolkits for creating complex animations. You can run them under Windows, macOS or access them online from any device.
1. Synfig – Our Choice
- Several content layers
- Creates animations from bitmaps
- Allows working with sound
- Free
- Doesn’t have instructions
Verdict: This is open-source free animation software that will let you easily draw a cartoon in no time. It has a plain UI and bright design to make children interested. Besides, it offers an in-built library of resources and can export animations in different formats.
The main advantage of this children animation software is that it has eliminated the need for frame-by-frame drawing and sketching that teenagers find easier to understand. You can create 2D animation with a convenient skeletal character animation feature just like in your favorite cartoons. You can use it on Windows, macOS X and Linux.
2. Opentoonz
- Scanning options
- Free
- Open-source
- You can change the styles of images
- Convoluted terminology
Verdict: This is an open-source child animation software, using which you can make 2D animations. The best part about it is that you can use this free drawing software to create digital animation. It has an intuitive UI and detailed tips to help kids master it faster.
Due to the Effect SDK plug-in, you can easily apply effects without pressing many buttons so kids won’t get bored when searching for the necessary option. Moreover, you can install in on a tablet with stylus for streamlined creative process. Teenagers can also use it and make animations using filters, shading and morphing effects. This software supports skeletal animation. Also, you can render your projects later or using another PC.
Verdict: This is a 2D animation software for children that lets you turn shapes into colorful moving characters. It will help kids not only master the basics of animation but also learn how to create characters. It’s aimed at children and inexperienced users. This software has basic tools for vector illustration, such as rectangles, ellipses, lines and polygons.
Besides, you can create paths with the Pen or Pencil tools. With the Paint bucket tool, you can fill the selected areas of vector objects. You can also use raster images (or bitmaps), import them as backgrounds or animated assets. It’s suitable for Windows, macOS and Linux. This software supports OGV, AVI, MPEG, SWF and PNG formats.
4. Pencil 2D
- Plain design
- Switch between raster and vector workflows
- Cross-platform
- Free
- It’s difficult to get realistic color blending
Verdict: This is a free and open-source children animation software suitable for Windows, macOS and other operating systems similar to Unix. It allows you to make cartoons using tracing drawings and lets kids master the onion-skinning technique by creating fun animations. Also, you can upload an image of an anime or cartoon character and animate it. In this way, children can focus on the process and not what buttons to press. It’s quite easy to create short cartoons using libraries of characters with vivid colors.
You can save the result in the native format or export it in PNG, JPEG, BMP and TIFF formats. It’s also possible to save files in AVI, MP4, WebM, GIF and APNG video formats.
5. Animatron
- Bulk upload
- Can be used on mobile phones
- 24/7 customer support
- Video looping
- Only for Web use
Verdict: This is the best animation maker for kids as it lets them easily create cartoons. You can install this program on a drawing tablet for kids and help them animate, narrate and draw various content in a simple way. It can also be used by parents to create presentations and animations.
There is also a Lite mode created for kids above 8 years, which lets them use a drag-and-drop interface to make creative animations. This software has both free and paid versions.
6. Toon Boom Harmony
- Brush Engine
- Professional color palettes
- 2D and 3D animation
- Cut-out animation options
- Doesn’t support video recording and editing
Verdict: This is the best animation maker for kids as it lets them create 2D projects easily. To follow modern trends, it provides bitmap and vector tools, 3D imported models and multiplane scenes with Z-depth. There are a lot of features, ready-to-use backgrounds, characters and audios, which will help children create their first short cartoons. Kids can use it for studying or just for fun.
There are different brushes, palettes and special effects. You can use it for free for 21 days, and then you’ll need to pay $109 per month.
7. Anime Studio Debut
- Advanced freehand drawing tools
- Offers custom meshes
- Realistic motion blur effect
- Animates several layers simultaneously
- Manual lip sync
Verdict: This child animation software has a colorful interface and lets creating Flash-style animations on a drawing tablet, so kids will never get bored. It’s easy-to-use and focuses on plain 2D stickman clips. With it, you can draw characters, use sprites, change the background and apply motion effects in one click. In this way, children won’t get confused with multiple buttons and commands. Create nice cartoons in a few minutes.
Kids can draw on a graphics tablet to develop fine motor skills and imagination. This software also lets them make storyboards and perform layer-by-layer object editing. If you are looking for the best free 2D animation software, this is definitely what you need.
8. Stop Motion Studio
- Chroma key
- Records audio
- Adds voice effects
- Supports DSLR cameras
- No bone rigging feature
Verdict:This is one of the best stop motion software, using which your children can make 2D animated videos. While providing multifaceted learning and gaming experience, it offers a combination of handicraft and technology. It allows you to create films using images, drawings, clay dolls and toys. This software supports DSLR cameras, too.
Thanks to the frame-by-frame editor, you can achieve the best results. Onionskin lets you view previous frames through a transparent layer, which helps make the next frame. You can use a free trial version or buy a full one for $59.99.
9. DigiCel FlipBook
- Plain interface
- Imports images straight from a scanner
- Top-quality animation
- Customizable tools
- No puppeteering
Verdict: This is the best animation maker for kids as it’s very easy to use and even toddlers can understand how to create a cartoon there. It can be used for working on different animations. You don’t need to remember complex steps as it provides step-by-step tutorials. Kids who enjoy making movies or telling stories will definitely like it.
It helps focus on animation and achieve results faster. This software develops children’s creativity and imagination by allowing them to create shapes step-by-step (like circles and rectangles) and make these shapes move. Kids can create animations easily in a few clicks.
10. The TAB Kids
- Many drawing tools
- Patterns, textures and a lot of styles
- Imports soundtracks
- Flash format export
- The library is limited
Verdict: This 3D animation software for children has a convenient interface with graphical elements instead of menus and commands. It allows kids to master animation in a simple way as there are just icons and buttons.
This software lets you add images and soundtracks, customize the speed of the exported animation, duplicate drawings to create a copy that you can edit without damaging the original. Another great feature is that it allows you to customize animations by adjusting the key position, size and rotating drawings.
Once done creating, children can export their finished animations in popular video formats and share them with friends and family.
11. Videoscribe
- Drag-and-drop UI
- Plenty of adjustable images and music
- Excellent support
- Fast and simple to use
- Requires a stable Internet connection
Verdict: This is a great animation maker for kids, using which it’s possible to create videos of whiteboard “scribes” like in children’s favorite games without complex images. It provides a simple learning process with special packs for educational purposes. Children learn by watching fun and interesting short animation videos, instead of reading instructions. You can add images, text, voice and music to your videos. This software is very famous and respected in the world of animation makers.
There is also the TAWE feature, which will be useful for making presentations. Children can rotate, zoom, animate images and add audio. After mastering such basic tools, it will be easier for kids to make other creative tasks, e.g., apply a comic book Photoshop action, in the future if they want to.
