People says I tested every one of these on a four-year-old. The four-year-old wants a sequel.
Short films for parents: bedtime stories, big siblings and tooth fairies
Children remember stories about themselves. Here is how parents, grandparents and the occasional tooth fairy use short animated films for bedtimes, big changes and big news.
A drawn film needs no photo of your child, which many parents like for privacy reasons. You write the words (or record them in your own voice) and the crew draws the rest.
Holidays
- Animated Christmas Card for Family: Short, Merry, and Actually WatchedAn animated Christmas card for family is a short drawn film, usually 10 to 20 seconds, with your family name, one warm line, music and a little movement. Write the line first, keep it tall for phones, and send it a few days before Christmas Eve.
- Father's Day Animated Card: Dad Jokes Welcome, Grill OptionalA Father's Day animated card is a short drawn film, about 10 to 30 seconds, with one real line for Dad, a small joke he will pretend not to like, and music. Pick one idea that is truly about him, write two sentences, and send it the morning of the day.
- Mother's Day Video from Kids: Easy Ideas, Real Words, Zero Tears (Mostly)The best Mother's Day video from kids is their own words: ask each child three questions about Mom, record the answers, and turn the funniest and sweetest bits into a short film. Keep it under a minute, and let the mistakes stay in.
Big moments
- Animated pregnancy announcement video: tell them in 20 secondsAn animated pregnancy announcement is a short drawn film, usually 10 to 20 seconds, that builds to one line: a baby is coming, and when. Pick one idea, keep the due date for the last frame, and send it to the people you would have called first.
- Funny pregnancy announcement video ideas that get a real laughThe funniest pregnancy announcement videos use one joke with a clear reveal: a fake job ad, a "promotion" for the grandparents, or a pet being told it has been demoted. Keep it 10 to 20 seconds, land the news in the last line, and make the joke on you, never on anyone else.
- Gender reveal video animation: all the suspense, none of the smokeA gender reveal animation is a short drawn video that builds suspense and then reveals boy or girl, usually in 15 to 30 seconds. Let a friend make it from the sealed result so you can be surprised too, and play it on a big screen or a video call with everyone watching.
- Graduation video message ideas: words worth a cap tossA great graduation video message is 20 to 60 seconds, names one thing the graduate did well, remembers one moment from the journey, and ends with a wish for what comes next. Parents can be proud and soppy, siblings can be cheeky, grandparents can be both.
- Pet memorial video: a gentle way to say goodbye to a best friendA pet memorial video is a short tribute, often one to three minutes, that remembers an animal through their routines, favorite spots and the love they gave. Choose a few simple moments, add a line or two of words, and make it together with the family, children too.
- A new person in the family: christenings, naming ceremonies, and the announcementA baby announcement is the one occasion film where the deadline is not a date. It is the moment the parents decide they are ready to tell everybody.
Parents & kids
- A bedtime story video with your child's name (and a very sleepy moon)A bedtime story video with your child's name works best as a short, slow, cozy film: the name early, a gentle little journey, and an ending where everything goes to sleep. Keep it under a minute so it closes the day instead of starting a new one.
- A first day of school video for kids: a pep talk with a backpack onA good first day of school video for kids is a 20 to 60 second pep talk: it shows what the day will look like, names one fun thing to look forward to, and ends with when you will see them again. Play it at breakfast, not at the school gate.
- Fun family video project ideas (that won't end in a sofa-cushion war)The best family video projects are short, give everyone a job, and finish in one afternoon: a family news show, a toy adventure, a grandparent interview, a cartoon from your kid's story. Pick one idea, set a timer, and hold a premiere the same evening.
- A grandparent video message for grandkids: be the favorite, from afarA great grandparent video message for grandkids is short, uses their name, and tells them one real thing: a memory, a joke, a question to answer back. Twenty seconds to a minute is plenty. Your voice matters more than how the video looks.
- How to make a cartoon with your kids (they direct, you type)To make a cartoon with your kids, start with one silly idea, write three short scenes together, then let the kids direct: each child gets a turn to change one thing ("make the dragon purple!") while a grown-up types. Keep it short and hold a premiere at the end.
- Make a cartoon starring your kid (no photo, all superhero cape)To make a cartoon starring your kid, describe them as a drawn character in words (name, one outfit detail, one superpower) and drop them into a short adventure. No photo is needed. Kids recognize themselves by their name and their details, not their nose.
- A moving house story video for kids: the teddy rides in the front seatA video story for kids about moving house explains the move in pictures: why you are moving, what comes along (all their toys, the cat, the family), what is new, and a goodbye to the old home. Keep it short and let a favorite toy be the hero.
- A new baby video for a big sibling: explain it before the crying startsA video to explain a new baby to a toddler should be short, simple and about the big sibling, not the baby: who is coming, what babies do (sleep, cry, poop), and what stays the same. End with their new job title: big sister or big brother.
- Record your voice reading a story for your child (then add pictures)To record your voice reading a story for your child, pick a short story, read it slowly in a quiet, soft room with your phone close, then add simple pictures so it becomes a video they can watch anytime. Your voice is the part they care about.
- A tooth fairy video message (with a very professional tooth inspection)A tooth fairy video message is a short, sparkly film "from" the tooth fairy: she thanks your child by name, says something specific about the tooth, and leaves a tiny bit of advice. Keep it under 30 seconds and have it waiting in the morning.
- Turn your child's story into a cartoon (the dragon gets a voice)To turn your child's story into a cartoon, write it down in their own words, keep the three best moments, and let each moment become one scene of a short drawn film. Keep their weird details. That is what makes it theirs.
Birthdays
Love & weddings
Questions people ask
Can I make a cartoon about my child without uploading their photo?
Yes. The films are drawn, so they need a name and a story, not a photograph.
Can I use my own voice?
Yes. Record yourself reading the story and the film runs as long as you talk, with your voice as its sound. Grandparents especially like this one.
Is it suitable for young children?
The films are short, calm if you ask for calm, and say only the words you give them. You decide who sees the film: Nine never posts or sends it anywhere.
Your idea, ready to go“A bedtime story film where my daughter Ella, age 5, finds a dragon who is scared of the dark.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.