A ready-to-run media skills system - so busy staff can press play, print, and run.

Exclusive Rights To The Animation Chefs System

Animation Chefs’ host the step-by-step secret recipes of media making

A framework for human-centered media cognition

  1. A project-based ready to run system

  2. A collaborative team based system for kids

  3. A lab community that shares best practices

  4. AI-Slop inoculation actively cultivated

  5. A handmade custom content engine

  6. A multi-semester, multi-year studio in a box

The goal is to develop judgment, discernment, and agency. If we’re serious about helping the next generation thrive, we should treat media literacy as foundational—like reading and writing.
— Joe Summerhays

Sample These Two Videos For A Taste of Animating Kids

The Simple Recipes

The Storytelling Recipes

When I found Animating Kids it changed everything. Small and not so small humans became masters of visual storytelling on any subject via small group PBL dynamics
— Rachel - Tech Coach - Quebec
“I absolutely love Animating Kids...you have no idea how amazing in a span of 4-12 year olds. I’ve got mommy and me and 3 levels of digital storytelling tracks. Best of all my planning was done for me. The kids love the Animation Chef’s step-by-step demos. Win, win!!”

J. Tuttle - Media Specialist

Animating Kids has changed everything! Fun, relevant media-making lessons for kids, and total P.D. for my non-film making teachers. A complete solution!!” Principal - Bronx NY

"Animating Kids really helps focus kids during remote sessions…it keeps them so engaged. Your secret recipes are a life saver." Marisol - Sacramento Ca

"The kids love the demonstrations and it is P.D. for me as I tee it all up. Animating Kids makes me the coolest media mentor in their lives! Win-win-win!"  Charlotte - London UK

"The Animating Kids system is so… I just don't think parents get how impactful this approach can be until they experience it. This is not only fun, but in the age of AI, it’s a basic media inoculation for today’s kids. Monique - White Plains N

Video Testimonials

We Use These Apps

iStopmotion - OS/iOS

Stop Motion Studio Pro - Android/Apple

Stop Motion Animator - Chromebooks

Cloud Stop Motion -

Browser-based

Benefits Of A Site-Wide Access

Step-by-step, Increasingly difficult Colored-Chef-Hat Sequence of Mastery, aka Karate-like Media Skill Levels!

Students will be fluent in communicating with sound and motion using the language of film making and video production.

• The Entire Film Making Process Baked Into Easy Lessons

• 24/7 Access

• Unlimited Remote Logins

• 140+ Pre-Planned Secret Recipe Lessons

• Streaming Ad-Free

• Instructor's Guide With Printable Worksheets

• Coaching and Support

• P.D. Webinars

“Amazing! My wife has volunteered for Joe for years. He has turned the art of filmmaking for kids into a science.”
— Jonathan Demme - Academy Award-Winning Director
“This is the best introduction to hands on digital storytelling available. It is relevant to everybody right now, from a distance or in class. This is THE turn-key solution!”
— Nicholas G. - Librarian South Carolina
It’s like sending our 9-12 year olds to film-school. We started from scratch and ended up as independent content creator ready to tackle any subject. It changed our kid’s DNA!
— Monique S. Media Specialist - Greenwich, CT
Kids sign-up for robotics, coding, and stop motion sessions.
After taking all three, they rate the Animation Chefs as their favorite track BY FAR. It’s is key to our success.
— After School Specialist - Shane V.
With a staff of non-film making temp help, we were able to get up and running day one. All it took was some printing, getting some basic clay, scissors, paper, and crayons and the kids were off and running. Media made on day one.
— Joy H. Program Director - Boys and Girls Club
“Animation Chefs have created a really inspired program! My test group of high schoolers (hardened gang members) like to laugh at the videos, and they love the simple clear explanations. They just have a blast...”
— G. Zucker Austin TX
“Upon completion of an Animating Kids workshop, my head was spinning. It involved: math, writing, science, team building, art, language arts, engineering, improvisation, innovation, acting, etc. Along with another dozen areas I can’t recall.”
— Marcia - 4th Grade After School facilitator
“We went through the entire process of learning animated filmmaking with our tablets and smartphones. We could barely keep up. In the end we came away exhilarated rather than exhausted.”
— Cathy S. - Librarian
When youngsters are introduced to Animating Kids they begin de-coding the media saturated culture around them. They are no longer passive participants. They are engaged creators who have been tipped off to the machinations of media creation. They now know that all media is constructed to persuade and influence. In the age of AI they know, first hand, how to do it themselves in a way AI can’t touch!
— Joe Summerhays Founder and CEO at Animating Kids
This is the resource we wish we’d had when we started teaching kids how to make their own movies. We are confident we will put major topspin on any educator’s efforts to help kids step into the world of media production at the youngest ages.
— The Animation Chefs