A tiger, a T.rex, a unicorn, and a bull all walk into a barn … and then what?
This past March, toy manufacturer Schleich and youth development program 4-H asked kids to finish this story in their 3-month-long “Create Your Story” contest. Kids were given an initial prompt: ChaCha the Tiger, Larry the T.rex, and Lilly the Rainbow Unicorn all visit Blair the Bull’s barn for a playdate. With this prompt, kids were asked to submit written stories, videos, and drawings detailing what they thought should happen next.
Schleich held three separate “Create Your Story” contests throughout the year, each one being an additional chapter to the story. In each contest, ten participants with the most creative and unique stories were chosen as finalists and from these finalists, a winner was chosen in Facebook and Instagram polls posted by Schleich.
Now, Schleich and 4-H are giving kids the opportunity to step inside the stories they create with an interactive “Create Your Story” YouTube experience. Each of the winning submissions were transformed into stop-motion animation videos with voice recordings from TV personality Bindi Irwin, co-starring the five contest winners.
The experience begins with the initial video prompt from Schleich and 4-H. At the end of that video, viewers are presented with two videos to choose from: the Mystery Kickball Portal by Aarya or Hide ‘N Seek by Gerard. This pattern repeats for three chapters as viewers make tough decisions between treehouse adventures, crystal caves, or ball pits. At the end of the experience, viewers will return from a totally personalized adventure that will likely be different from their friends’ experiences.
With 12 different stories to choose from, the “Create Your Story” YouTube experience offers 90 minutes of custom, stop-motion animation for kids to enjoy. Click below to jump into the experience and decide the fate of ChaCha, Larry, Lilly, and Blair!
