A small group of kids sit down at their computers in the Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre’s activity room for an introduction to computer animation.
They learn how to sketch an image, how to retrace the image so that slight variations will translate into motion when the frames are run together, and how to fill in colour.
By the end of the three-hour session, they have created their own animated features, which they get copies of through email.
The Computer Animation Workshop for Beginners, for ages six to 10, was just one in a series of workshops offered in Bradford West Gwillimbury by Kids Great Minds, a Richmond Hill-based tech education company.
“We do all the computer courses in the town, and 19 other cities,” said its Director Sonia Karabin, noting computer learning is not only the future of creativity and education, “it’s fun!”
Kids especially take to the digital sessions.
“It’s amazing that they can learn programming by having fun,” said Karabin, who started teaching digital programs in Argentina 25 years ago, largely to corporate clients.
Teaching kids about technology is much more satisfying, and the kids are better students, she said.
Adults tend to say “coding is difficult,” Karabin noted, even though “we are using programming every single day” to make day-to-day choices and decisions.
Kids, on the other hand, understand the connections much more easily.
In the recent workshop, young students created animated faces that smiled and frowned, dancing flowers in rainbow colors, and more and more complex animation, while sharing their creations and plenty of laughter.
Other workshops in the Intelligent Screen Time Series planned at the leisure centre will take place Tuesdays, from 5-8 p.m. in the activity room:
3D Modelling and Printing Workshop, for ages eight to 12. Kids will create a 3D design, which will be produced on a 3D printer to take home. Jan. 22 (Barcode 8917) or Feb. 26 (Barcode 8922).
Video Game Creation Workshop, for ages eight to 12. Introducing the basics of computer programming and video game creation. Kids will create a video game by the end of the workshop. Jan. 29 (Barcode 8918).
Games and Animations Programming Workshop, a collaborative workshop for ages eight to 12. Feb. 5 (Barcode 8919).
iPad Game Creation Workshop, for ages eight to 12. Kids will learn video game programming and creation on the iPad. An Apple Tablet is required for this workshop. Feb. 12 (Barcode 8920).
CreationLab Adventures in Interactive Programming Workshop, for ages eight to 12. Blending arts, electronics and coding, kids will explore interactive games, coding and more. Feb. 19 (Barcode 8921).
Computer Animation Workshop for ages 11 to 14. More advanced computer animation, as kids bring their drawings to life, in a fun environment. March 5 (Barcode 8923).
Each workshop is $45. For more information or to register, see kidsgreatminds.org and use the barcode, or select a KGM Workshop on the leisure centre website.
