Video Editing for Kids

Creating videos is by far the most powerful way to tell stories. But when looking for the right video editing software for your child, it is hard to know what the right option is. For beginners of any age (myself included) video editing software can feel extremely intimidating and complex. The reason for this is that the majority of video editing software is designed for making films and TV shows, not fun videos for youtube and other social platforms, the sort of content we all want to create and consume nowadays.

Why content creation is important for kids?

From an early age, we find that being creative is an extremely rewarding process. Self-expression, exploring and making mistakes are fundamental building blocks for kids to learn and discover.

When your child starts creating videos, it is easy for them to look back on their previous work and see how much she has improved over time. This is a powerful learning experience that visually demonstrates how the combination of hard work, time and having fun leads to your personal and creative development for your kid.

But looking back at your work is not the only important factor. The ability to share the videos you are proud of with the rest of us can create a great feeling of pride and also inspire others. This is a brilliant way for your child to build self-confidence and foster creative expression from a really young age.

How to get kids to stop watching youtube and start creating their own videos?

First off, I want to come clean. I love watching youtube and I am not the only one. Over 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day. Youtube is fundamentally a search engine, but instead of returning a website, returns videos full of interesting and engaging content. This is important to remember because your kids (as well as highly educated formed adults, just like myself *khem*) are not addicted to youtube! We are addicted to consuming the content.

The benefit of consuming and understanding the content is a great way to get inspired. And like any artist, we need to get inspired before we can start making it ourselves.

There is a good chance your child already loves a specific type of content on youtube and is already inspired to create their own. They might just not know how or where to start or need pointing in the right direction. The best way to get started is by replicating something that already exists and something your kid finds existing. Just like drawing a still life, you are creating your own version of something that already exists. Remember, best artists steal.

INSPIRE -> CREATE

Best video camera for kids?

Chances are you already have a great camera in your pocket right now. If you want to have a dedicated camera that is a little more rugged, a simple point and shoot camera will do the trick. Pretty much every camera nowadays records in 720p with sound. One of the most popular videos I have ever made  "how to make a fidget spinner" was shot on a second-hand Canon camera that I picked up from gumtree for £60.

How to record games?

Recording games is fun and extremely popular with Twitch streamers and YouTube creators. The reason for the huge rise in popularity in making gaming video is because you can create entertaining and fun content quite regularly without the need to leave your laptop. Think about it as a modern form of puppetry. Combine this concept with Minecraft and you now have puppetry + lego, does it get much better than that? Setting up a game, recording environment can be a little tedious but there is a great little tutorial on the OBS website.

Video editor for Kids?

The best way for kids to edit videos on any device is by using VEED.IO a simple online video editor. Full disclaimer, I (Sabba) run this company. As the software is based online, your projects can be accessed from any computer. Additionally, as VEED renders all the videos in the cloud, you don’t need a super-fast, expensive laptop for it to run. The software adds a small watermark to your videos but this does not stop you having fun!

With fun features like video effects, ability to add music to video, slow motions and hyper lapse tools. We also have basic tools to will also you kids to crop video, trim video and rotate video them too.

Video editing for Kids on Mac

If you have a Mac, iMovie is a great entry-level video editor and best of all it is free. It works across iPhone, Ipad and Mac. The user interface is simple and easy to use and you can really do a lot with it. The only downside is it can feel a little limited with simple features such as changing aspect ratios and adding text.

Summary

At this point, it is important to just get on with it, make mistakes, have fun, be creative and problem solve on the fly. Use whatever tool you have at your disposal. Need to add text to your video? Maybe just do it how bob dryland did in the music video Subterranean Homesick Blues (or tell your child this is how Ninja does it).

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Guest post by Emma Jacobs, IELTS Tutor @ Writing Lab