 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
GoAnimate
Common Sense Media says
Fun, do-it-yourself cartoons for budding teen animators.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this site enables people to create simple animated films, which are available to view on the site much like a cartoon version of YouTube. Some cartoon violence and crude language make this site inappropriate for young kids.
What's it about?
GOANIMATE lets people create short, animated films and publish them on the Internet. The online software is easy to figure out and simple to use, and the cartoon characters can be made to perform a wide variety of actions and show plenty of entertaining emotions and reactions. People can choose from a collection of stock characters, many drawn from well known TV shows or video games, or upload their own graphics. Want to watch Captain Kirk chug a martini, or make Underdog throw a punch? What about a scene with Dracula, an alien, a devious young boy, and a pair of dancing girls in bikinis? With enough imagination, almost anything is possible.
Is it any good?
The tools are simple, but they are not very sophisticated and the end results will never pass for actual cartoons. Once created, the animated shorts can be watched on the site, and the extensive collection of user-created features is a bit like a low-end, animated YouTube. The site seems to be aiming at a specific age group. Young children may not have the patience to fully utilize the software, and older teens and adults might be too mature to enjoy the process or the finished products. But it could be plenty of fun for teens, who are probably technologically adept enough, and imaginative enough, to produce reasonably entertaining films and share them with their friends.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about digital creativity. Do you think it is more fun to make cartoons using your own graphics, or to use the ones provided by the site? Which is easier? Which ones are the most popular on the site? Will other people be entertained by cartoons that include your custom graphics? Will your friends enjoy your cartoons if they feature people they know?
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- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Don't Go!Animate
As an aspiring animator, I can tell you that animation needs to be a time-consuming process that requires concentration and the best effort you can possibly give.
This website is actually insulting. I mean, can't we just DRAW characters? I thought the point of animation was meant to be your own drawing coming to life, not some badly-made little sprite that moves for you.
Go!Animate claims that they're "teaching" kids how to make animations themselves, but they could at least, AT THE VERY LEAST, let us draw and use actual dialogue, not some awful Microsoft-Sam-style speech recognition thing.
I could go on and on and on about the many flaws this site has, but it's easier to simply advise you to stay away from the site, don't bother using it, and if you DO decide to give it a go, DO NOT actually give money. There is a Premium option, but all it seems to offer is extra options for making your characters.
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AGE
GoAnimate is GREAT!!
I am a parent as well as an ICT Coordinator for a school district. I learned about GoAnimate from my daughter who's teacher had used it with their class. The kids used it to make animations based on books that they had read. I checked out the site and LOVED it!! I have since recommended it to other schools and the GoAnimate staff are so helpful with the students and teachers. They are even working on creating a site that is specifically for schools and I'm told it will be ready soon.
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AGE
I think it is a really fun site for my kids to play on. They are learning how to use a computer and this site helps them have fun while learning how to use the mouse, and the keyboard. I highly recommend this site for kids around the age of 6 and up.
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Kid, 11 years old
June 14, 2011
AGE
awesome!
i really like going to this site, but i just dont like that you have to buy stuff with gobucks... very little sexual content and not that much violence and NO bad language. i do recommend this site to everyone 10+
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AGE
money makes it less fun
ok for one im on this and i have to say there is so many things you have to pay for and this really stops the fun sure you make animations that are cool but you cant improve your animation and i have to do 10 more reviews to get to 100 reviews yay on ages 8 plus
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AGE
it is o.k
It is sorta good. the people talk funky and it is just..... O.k but it is so fun. you can make people laugh. Just do not watch anyone else's because they can have bad words. or drinking.
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AGE
Suspicious Credit Card Requirement, Hidden Costs
Nice site, but they require you to give them your credit card number to register, than after that, accept PayPal for further purchases. Why do they want your credit card number on file? Why not allow you to pay for your membership with PayPal? This is suspicious.
They also have many hidden cost such as goanimate character creator, which charges extra if you want to use all the features. After paying for a membership, most features come with an additional cost. Your child may run up extra costs or be frustrated in not being able to fully use the program. Its a great site, except that they seem to have a single goal of charging you every time you press a key on their program.
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AGE
endless creativity
I love this little site, its got a simple engine that is easy to use, it is also free, so that makes it extra good, but it does have some iffy material
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Kid, 11 years old
December 15, 2011
AGE
Great!
This is a great site. If you are a serious hardcore animator, you may want to skip this though. You can only use actions already on a menu. The voices you can use are kind of bad, but if you have the proper equipment, you can record yourself. Violence isn't much of an issue. Language is though. The site does not use cursing. It is the community. There is no moderation, so just like youtube, language does pop up sometimes. Also some props, settings, and actions are only available if you buy them or have a GoPlus account.
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Kid, 10 years old
July 18, 2011
AGE
Fun!!! Go on the site!!!
You can make the character's say whatever you feel like!!! You can also make them do actions. You can even make them have feelings!!
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| Genre: | Creating |
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