Animation Jumpstart - Making a Character

Lego/Toy
Materials:
• Lego or toy characters with posable limbs, and ideally with swappable parts.

• Any available doll-cloths or toy accessories that could be used to customize the the
toy character. (op=onal)

• General arts and cra@s material. (op=onal)

Achievement Goals:
• Demonstrate ability to build a character that can stand and be placed in different
posi=ons without falling.

• Demonstrate ability to customize a toy character to make it dis=nct from other

versions of the same toy.

Instructions:
If your student is going to use toys, what you want to demonstrate for them is examples of
how they can be crea=ve even when working with pre-made toys. You can decide for
yourself how far you want to take this.

If you have toys from the same toy line with swappable parts like Lego, try mixing and
matching to make something new.

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If you have doll cloths, try making an original outfit. You can also use cra@ supplies like
googly-eyes, sequins, or simple construc=on paper to enhance a toy character and make
them more original.

Also, par=cularly with Lego characters, it can be hard to get toy characters to reliably stand
up when not on a lego board. So take this opportunity to demonstrate how to use a small
amount of clay on the characters feet to help s=ck them to the ground.

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Activity:
• Have the student experiment with the supplies you have available and try to create
a unique character.

• Once you have a character of some kind, have them prac=ce posing it, including
prac=cing using clay to stabilize its feet.

Try to get at least 10 different poses. The goal is to push them to get crea=ve and be
expressive even within the limita=ons of the toy itself.

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