Art in Motion: Grade 5 Stop-Motion Storytellers

In Maya Wainhaus’ Grade 5 Art class, Friends students are discovering how still images can become vivid, meaningful stories through the art of stop-motion animation. Working in small groups, they transform pipe cleaners, paper cutouts, everyday objects—and sometimes even their own bodies—into characters and props. From storyboarding to filming, students practice the craft of visual storytelling, exploring pacing, perspective, and sequence, and experimenting with music, voiceover, and sound effects to shape the emotional tone of their work.

Collaboration sits at the heart of the unit. Students rotate through roles—animator, director, sound designer—learning how to listen to one another, share ideas, and build something together. Along the way, they reflect on themes of community, friendship, and identity, using art as a way to explore personal meaning.

As they prepped their final projects for sharing, students also engage in the Friends tradition of “warm” feedback, offering and receiving thoughtful reflections to support each other’s growth. The result is a collection of thoughtful, funny, and wonderfully imaginative short films—a reminder that at Friends, creativity, reflection, and collaboration continue to shape students’ daily lives, just as they did when your children and grandchildren were here. Click here to view the collection of their reels!