People says I study audiences for a living. The toughest one? A six-year-old who has noticed the cartoon version of her has the wrong socks.
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.
Your idea, ready to go“A 20-second superhero cartoon starring my son Theo, in his red rain boots, who can talk to birds and saves the park picnic.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
Every kid secretly suspects they are the main character. A cartoon starring your kid simply confirms it, with a cape. The good news: you do not need a photo, a drawing tablet, or any art skills. A drawn character built from a few well-chosen details feels more like your child than a photo ever could, because it shows how they see themselves.
This page covers how to build the character, which adventures work, a script to copy, and why leaving the photo out is both easier and smarter.
Can you make a cartoon of your kid without a photo?
Yes, and it is often the better choice. Kids recognize themselves in a cartoon by their name, their favorite outfit and the thing they love, like a dinosaur backpack or a missing front tooth. A drawn character built from those details feels like them. Skipping the photo also keeps their face off the internet.
Think of how kids draw themselves: a big smile, the red boots, a dog twice the size of the house. That is the logic of a good cartoon. Accuracy is boring. The right three details are magic.
How do you turn your kid into a cartoon character?
Write a tiny character sheet. Ask your child the questions, and write down their answers, not yours. Five lines is enough to make a hero they will instantly claim as their own.
| Question to ask | Example answer | What it gives the film |
|---|---|---|
| What do you always wear? | My yellow raincoat | The look, in one detail |
| What is your superpower? | I can talk to snails | The plot |
| Who is your sidekick? | Pickles, the cat | A second character |
| What is your battle cry? | "Snails, assemble!" | The best line |
| What scares you a tiny bit? | Loud vacuums | A villain that is funny, not frightening |
What adventures work best for a cartoon starring a child?
Short missions with a clear win. Your kid should solve the problem themselves, ideally using the thing they are good at in real life (running fast, sharing snacks, being very loud). Keep the danger silly. A vacuum monster is fun. A realistic villain is a sleepless night.
- Captain Bedtime Your kid saves the world from a gang of socks that refuse to match. Victory: every sock paired, everyone asleep.
- The space snack mission An astronaut kid flies to planet Pancake to bring back breakfast for the whole family.
- The birthday hero On their birthday, the cake runs away, and only the birthday kid can catch it. Great as a party opener.
- Deep-sea detective A kid in a yellow submarine finds out who stole the octopus's hat. Spoiler: it was a very embarrassed crab.
- Coach of the dinosaurs Your soccer-mad kid trains a T. rex to play. Tiny arms, big problem.
- The kind-deed superhero Their superpower is helping. They fix a sad bird's wing and the whole park cheers.
A short cartoon script starring your kid
This one is about 45 words, which fits a 20 second film. Swap in your child's name, outfit, power and sidekick.
This is Zara. Yellow raincoat. Talks to snails. One morning, a giant vacuum rolls into town, slurping up every snail it sees. Zara shouts "Snails, assemble!" A thousand snails hold hands. The vacuum trips. Pickles the cat takes a bow. The town is saved. Slowly.
Notice what is doing the work: the name in the first line, one outfit detail, their own battle cry, and a joke at the end. That is the whole recipe.
Want a second episode? Keep the character sheet on the fridge. Next time, same hero, new problem: the snails go on holiday, or the vacuum comes back to apologize. Kids adore a recurring hero, and you only have to invent the character once. By episode four, your child will be pitching plots at breakfast, and you will be the proud, slightly tired head of a cartoon studio.
How do you make a cartoon of your kid, step by step?
- Step 1
Interview your star. Use the five questions above. Write their answers word for word.
- Step 2
Pick one adventure. One problem, one win. Resist the urge to add a second villain.
- Step 3
Write four short sentences. Who they are, what goes wrong, how they fix it, a funny ending.
- Step 4
Make the film. Draw it yourself and film the pages, or have a drawn film made from the words.
- Step 5
Hold the premiere. Dim the lights. Announce the star. Stand back for the screaming.
Why is a drawn cartoon safer than a photo cartoon?
Because there is no real face in it. Films get forwarded: to grandparents, to cousins, to someone's work group chat. A drawn character with a first name gives away nothing that could identify your child to a stranger. It also ages well. The raincoat hero still makes sense when your kid is twelve and deeply embarrassed by everything.
The quick way: a cartoon starring your kid in Nine
Nine makes short drawn films with a voice, music and sound effects, and a drawn film needs no photograph. Paste your four sentences as A script, and each paragraph becomes a scene. Or start from Just an idea: "Zara, a girl in a yellow raincoat who talks to snails, saves the town from a vacuum." If your kid drew their own hero, you can upload that picture on any paid plan.
The film is made while you watch, which means your star can direct. They shout "more snails!" or "make my raincoat purple!", you type exactly that, and a new version arrives. Or pass them the chamber on your phone to move things and change colors and pace. Each change makes a new version, and most kids will happily go five rounds. You get a video file in wide, tall and square, and Nine never shares it with anyone. Plans start at $29 a month, films up to 20 seconds on Film. See pricing.
Keep going: turn your child's own story into a cartoon, a kids birthday party video invitation starring the birthday kid, fun family video project ideas, how to make a cartoon with your kids, and how to make a short animated film without drawing.
Questions people ask
Will the cartoon look exactly like my child?
No, and that is the point. A drawn cartoon is a character, not a portrait. It carries your child's name, outfit and personality, which is what kids actually recognize. Most children are delighted to be a cartoon hero in their favorite boots, whether or not the hair is quite right.
What age do kids enjoy seeing themselves as a cartoon?
From about two, kids love hearing their name in a story. From four or five, they start helping invent the character and the plot, which is when it gets really fun. Older kids often want to write and direct it themselves. Let them, and take the credit as producer.
Can siblings star in the same cartoon?
Yes. Give each child one clear power and one line so nobody feels like a sidekick. A good trick is a team-up story where the mission needs both skills: one is fast, one is clever. Fair screen time prevents a real-life sequel called The Big Argument.
Can I use my child's own drawing in the cartoon?
On Nine's paid plans you can upload a picture, like your child's drawing of their hero, to use in the film. Kids are extremely proud to see their own drawing in a real film, so this is worth doing. Take the photo in daylight on a flat table.
Is a cartoon starring my kid a good birthday gift?
Your idea, ready to go“A 20-second superhero cartoon starring my son Theo, in his red rain boots, who can talk to birds and saves the park picnic.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
Keep reading
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- 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.
- 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.
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