I tried an AI video maker that could be useful for teachers and children in their classes too. Ai.Invideo.io is free to use but has watermarks on the images.
The app needs text prompts which can be up to 3000 characters. I fed ChatGTP with the message: Halloween, simple facts, customs in the UK, legends, and anything else interesting for children under 11 in UK schools. It gave me the following text:
“Halloween is an exciting and fun holiday celebrated in the UK and around the world. Here are some simple facts, customs, and legends about Halloween that children under 11 in UK schools might find interesting:
Facts about Halloween:
- Date: Halloween is celebrated on October 31st every year.
- Origins: Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. People believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred.
Customs and Traditions:
- Costumes: Children and adults often dress up in costumes. Common choices include witches, vampires, ghosts, and superheroes.
- Trick-or-Treating: Kids go door-to-door saying, “Trick or treat!” They receive candy and treats from their neighbors.
- Pumpkin Carving: Families carve pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns. These spooky faces are lit up with candles inside.
- Decorations: Homes are decorated with spooky items like cobwebs, skeletons, and fake spiders.
- Halloween Parties: Many people host or attend Halloween parties with games, costume contests, and themed snacks.
- Bobbing for Apples: A traditional game where kids try to bite apples floating in water without using their hands.
Legends and Spooky Stories:
- Jack-o’-Lantern: The name “jack-o’-lantern” comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack, who was said to have tricked the Devil. He was forced to roam the Earth with a lantern made from a turnip with a piece of coal inside.
- Witches: Witches are a common symbol of Halloween. In the past, people believed that witches and evil spirits were more active on Halloween night.
- Ghosts: Halloween is associated with the idea that the spirits of the dead can return to the Earth on this night.
- Haunted Houses: Some people like to visit haunted houses, which are set up with scary decorations and actors to create a spooky experience.
Other Fun Facts:
- Dressing Up as Ghouls: People dress up in scary costumes to disguise themselves from any wandering evil spirits that might be out on Halloween night.
- Halloween Colors: Orange and black are the traditional colors of Halloween. Orange represents the harvest season, and black symbolizes the darkness of the night.
- Sweet Treats: Halloween is all about candy and sweets. Many children love collecting a big bag of treats while trick-or-treating.
- Halloween Safety: It’s important to stay safe on Halloween. Kids should always have adult supervision when trick-or-treating, and they should only visit homes with lights on.
Halloween is a time for children to have fun, be creative with their costumes, and enjoy the spooky atmosphere. It’s also an opportunity to learn about traditions, legends, and the history of this exciting holiday.”
I went to invideo app, pasted the text. The app analysed the text, had a few seconds thinking, and moved forward. The next step is to choose the audience – children, the look and feel of the video – bright, and the preferred platform – YouTube. I left the video working, it took about 3 minutes or so to create it.
AI.invideo.io With the free version I got the watermarks across the images used in the videos. I could take a subscription to remove these. I didn’t want to pay so I exported it as it was. What I didn’t like about it, is that it altered my words, I preferred what I entered!
I can imagine this being particularly useful for teachers for teaching when something suitable is not already available, but I can see it being better at Christmas for a message sent out from the class or table groups.
An interesting experiment, some teachers will love it, but others will find AI video makers to be of no interest at all.