Animation Workshop for Google Slides

Try these three fun ideas and sharpen your animation skills with Google Slides!

In a previous post, I described a new TechnoKids project for Google Apps for Education. TechnoToon inspires students to write in a comic format. The graphic format of the writing with images, callouts, starbursts, text boxes, and word art, really hooks student interest. The final project is animated and shared with peers.

Here are some creative animation tricks to make any presentation unique and engaging.

Sign in to Google Drive and create a new Google Slides file.

Ghostly Creature – Make a Character Appear and Disappear

1. Click Layout. Select Blank.
2. Insert a ghost or other clip art image you want to use as a character.
3. Place it in the center of the slide.
4. Select the clip art. From the Slide menu, click Change Transition.
5. Make the ghost appear: Click Add animation. Select Fade in and pick After previous.
6. Make the ghost disappear: Click Add animation. Select Fade out and pick After previous.
7. Click Play to watch the ghost appear and then fade away. Click Stop.

Take the challenge! Make it appear as if the ghost is floating around the scene.

• Add a Fly in from Right animation. Set it to After Previous.
• Add a Fly out to Right animation. Set it to After Previous.
• Add a Zoom in animation. Set it to After Previous.
• Add a Zoom out animation. Set it to After Previous. Play it!
• Have fun! Combine any IN animation with an OUT animation to make the ghost fly!

Car Race – Adjust Timings to Make a Chase Scene

1. Add a new blank slide.
2. Insert two clip art cars onto the screen.
3. They should be driving in the same direction. If they are not flip one.
4. From the View menu, pick a magnification that lets you see the scratch board.
5. Place the cars off the canvas on the LEFT.
6. Make the car drive: Select a car. Add the animation Fly in from right. Select After Previous. Drag the speed to Slow.
7. Make a car pass another: Select the second car. Add the animation Fly in from right. Select With Previous. Drag the speed to Medium. Play it.

• Change the second car to After Previous.
• Adjust the speed for both cars to 0.6 seconds Fast.

Fly a Spaceship – Crop a Picture and Group It

1. Add a new blank slide.
2. Use your skills to add a spaceship and a person clip art.
3. Crop the person to show only their face. Crop the face into a circle.
4. Place the face over the spaceship to make it look as if the person is looking out a window.
5. Select the spaceship and person. Right click and pick Group (or use CTRL + G).
6. Make the spaceship fly: Add the animation Fly in from right. Select After Previous. Play it.TIP: Rotate or flip the spaceship to make it fly in the right direction.