The author
Kim St. Lawrence
Kim St. Lawrence doesn’t have kids. But she has lots of friends who do. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Kim could see that the children around her needed help understanding social distancing. In Kim’s words, “they needed a story.”
And if there’s one thing Kim knows about, it’s stories. In her roles as writer, TV host, and marketer, Kim relies on the power of storytelling to evoke emotion and communicate with passion.
Kim had always wanted to make a kids’ story and this was her chance… as long as she could make it quickly.
The problem
Time is limited during a pandemic
Traditionally, getting a professionally animated video created for children takes months and sometimes years. Working with an animator is a slow and expensive process, as is cutting and editing a video.
Kim knew there had to be a faster way. She searched online for an easy video maker and found Biteable. After signing up and discovering the library of kid-friendly, animated content, she knew she was on the right path.
The solution
Let Biteable do the work
In Biteable, there are several animated characters to choose from, including a robot, a little man named Frank, and a friendly bear. It was the last one that inspired Kim the most and became the main character in her story.
First, Kim wrote her script. She then spent an evening creating her video in Biteable. When her husband saw Time to Come In, Bear the next morning, he couldn’t believe it had been made in a single evening. He was so enthusiastic, he volunteered to create a voiceover.
Biteable’s animations made creation quick and painless, and gave me a level of polish I could never have achieved alone.
- Kim St. Lawrence, author and creator of Time to Come In, Bear
The result
Views from around the world
Kim published her video on YouTube on March 23rd, two days after starting the project. Within a day the views began to skyrocket. Her video has now been viewed more than 1,000,000 times. Far more than she ever imagined.
Requests also came pouring in for translations (15 to be precise), feature articles, and a print version of the video. But none of these were as important as the feedback Kim received from teachers.
Kim’s video helped teachers around the world explain the impacts of COVID-19 to the children in their care. Some used the story as a starting point for conversations. Others embedded the story within their curriculum and shared it with parents. All were thankful for the timeliness of the video.
An unexpected edition
A children’s storybook based on the video
Following the unexpected success of Time to Come In, Bear, Kim St. Lawrence and Biteable have created a collaborative print edition based on the popular video.
If you’d like a copy for your classroom, or your children, you can place your order through Biteable. All proceeds raised from the sale of the book will go to the WHO COVID-19 response fund.
Do it yourself
Make your own bear video
Like Kim, you too can use Biteable to quickly create educational videos that are both fun and engaging. As Kim’s story shows, the power of video storytelling cannot be underestimated, particularly given the number of children now learning remotely.
Hit ‘Edit’ below to get started on your own bear video.
I’d absolutely recommend Biteable for teachers. We know that today’s generation loves video. It’s ingrained in their culture. Video not only gives better retention of lessons, but it also creates more engaged students.
- Kim St. Lawrence, author and creator of Time to Come In, Bear
Kim’s tips for engaging children with Biteable
- Play in the tool. Biteable contains limitless options for storytelling and hundreds of animations. Spend time simply playing with the tool to discover all its content and become inspired.
- Keep it fun. For small children, use colorful illustrations to make an impact. They learn through their eyes. For older kids, keep things bright, punchy, and in keeping with their world.
- Get videos out fast. Children’s appetites for learning is voracious. Feed them regularly. Your videos don’t have to be perfect. After all, your audience is a forgiving one.
Teach anything with video
Biteable is as much a tool for teachers as it is for students. Use Biteable to teach your students storytelling in a fun and easy way. Let their imaginations — and your own — run wild with more than 1.8 million images, clips, and animations.
If you’d like to learn more, visit our article on making remote teaching content with Biteable. Or click ‘Edit’ on this video for instant access to all the education-friendly content it contains. Biteable is free to get started.
