Drones are becoming an everyday tool in society, from the workforce to backyard play to schools. We know that educational drones can help kids in middle school and elementary school grasp important STEAM concepts in fun, hands-on ways.
Creating drone videos from drone video footage is a fun-filled, multi-stage, expressive and technical activity. When it comes to kid-made drone videos, here are some of the amazing possibilities available.
Kids Drone Videos for STEAM Education
Whether at home or in school programs, teaching a kid how to make their own drone videos is a great way to encourage STEAM learning. STEAM is STEM amplified: it stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
While STEM connections are pretty straightforward with drones, there’s also a big creative component. Drone photography and drone cinematography are fast-growing disciplines.
Movies, video ads, and even wedding footage are all enhanced with the use of drone footage, and the field continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Drone videos let students access new opportunities to test what their imaginations are fully capable of. Drones also let kids see their immediate world from a whole new perspective.
The best video drones for kids let them see live drone footage through the drone’s-eye view as if they’re in the pilot’s seat.
Using Videography Drones in the Classroom
Video drones can be used outdoors, but they can also be used inside the classroom.
Regardless of what school subject drones are used to help teach, video footage lets students capture expansive real-life settings and scenarios.
The possibilities for using drone videos to supplement STEAM education are endless. Students can sharpen their skills in:
- Film and photography: Students with an interest in photography learn new, advanced techniques for capturing images and footage, including wide-scale composition, camera stabilization, use of sunshade equipment, and making quick creative decisions.
- Video editing: Editing drone footage introduces students to new visual orientations and different uses of video editing programs. Cutting from wide shots, long shots, and aerial shots shows students how to balance different perspectives in film and make a scene really “flow”.
- Computer software: Whether a kid is piloting a camera drone or editing footage after a drone mission, learning how to work computer software is key to creating a final product.
- Creative copyright laws: When finding music for drone videos, kids need to know the concept of copyright laws. Introducing students to copyright standards gives them a glimpse into the type of responsibility required in video production and content creation.
- Drone flying safety: Before kids can fly drones for videography, they must learn how to safely fly and control drones. While a student interested in art may have once shrugged at the idea of learning to use drones, revealing the creative opportunities drones give them might inspire them to take an interest in STEM.
- Creative collaboration: One of the best parts about drone videos for kids is the high level of collaboration and teamwork it facilitates. Taking turns, expressing different ideas, and learning from failure are all useful life skills.
Whether you’re a teacher looking for ideas to build the “A” in STEAM or you’re a parent who wants to nurture your child’s interest in video production, drones are game-changing tools to consider.
Fun Drone Video Projects for Students
Drone videos made by kids prove two things: kids are capable of amazing creative achievements and drones are one of the greatest inventions of our time.
Want to inspire your child or student to start making drone videos? Here are some fun ideas for individual kids and class groups.
Build-Your-Own Video Drone
If your child loves building things, get them a video drone kit to put together. They’ll learn basic drone mechanics, such as propellers and motors, as well as camera hardware and wireless video feed setup (if included in the drone features).
Video Drone Scavenger Hunt
Task students with finding a list of objects that can be found throughout a designated location, like a local park or neighborhood. Set up teams of two and have them fly video drones to find as many objects as they can. Pilots must record and zoom in on each item they find then steadily return to normal flight. Set a 45-minute timer and make sure teams stay within the boundaries of flight. Whichever team can playback the most objects found, wins.
Drone Wildlife Survey
Help kids fly a video drone to observe wildlife (while ensuring you follow all FAA rules, of course). Let kids watch the first-person video in action, and record footage to be observed later in the classroom. During the class activity, instruct groups of students to count, monitor, and report their findings on specific wildlife, such as livestock, trees, marine animals, or garden flowers.
Intro to 3D Mapping
If you have the technology, you can introduce the class to 3D models of building images compiled from drones. Have them build, measure, and compare findings based on original footage and 3D outcomes. For older kids in middle school or high school, you can teach them how to record and build models using CAD software or other computer programs.
Drone “Search and Rescue” Footage
Set up some pretend search and rescue scenarios, either inside or outdoors. List the rescue mission objective and arrange students into teams of 2 to 4. Using camera drones, each team must figure out how to effectively search and rescue their items and then create a report on what happened. Have each team present their footage and report back to the “rescue squad” in front of the class the next day.
Teaching Kids to Fly Drones and Make Drone Videos
Start making unbelievable drone videos with your kids or students, and you’ll have memories (plus beautiful footage) that last a lifetime.
How do you get started? First, help your kids learn about drone piloting and STEAM basics. There are some great resources from Drone Legends, a community of drone education enthusiasts from around the world.
Check out our program to get a kickstart drone curriculum that includes video lessons for kids!