This Amazing Short Animation Teaches Us Valuable Lessons
“A cloudy lesson” is an amazing short animation that teaches us some very valuable lessons. For example, there is no one right way to do things and wonderful things can come from making mistakes. It also shows us that children can achieve incredible things if we let them take initiative, and “be” and trust in their own abilities.
We encourage you to watch this short film with your children. Their age doesn’t matter. The visual message, the magical content and the captivating narrative will instantly capture your child’s attention in such a way that they will identify with the main character.
This is a story about values that goes beyond the perspective of a child, anxious to try and experience new things. There are also a series of hidden messages that we as mothers, fathers or educators should understand.
In “You are mom” we invite you to discover these messages.
The importance of trusting in children and giving them initiative
Maria Montessori says that our obligation is to offer our little ones a “ray of light” so they can later follow our path. We are allies, magicians, craftsmen and the orienteers of their education. We should never be obsessive, severe, or too directive.
Children should know that we trust them, that they are loved and valued until they reach the point of being strong enough to do things on their own and be adventurous. Because there is nothing like a facilitating environment for a child’s mind to wake up and shine, feelings free and able to create clouds in the shape of stars, like our protagonist does…
The Story
This story does not need words. The narrative is perfect, and instantly captivates and amazes us.
The short animation we are speaking about was made in 2010 by director Yezi Xue and produced by Ringling College of Art Design. The argument is simple: A grandfather and his grandson enjoy an afternoon making clouds together with an intriguing device.
The grandfather shows the child that he has a very special tool that requieres certain expertise to handle. When he leaves it to his grandson, he is not able to create perfect clouds as big and as spongy as those previously made by his grandfather.
Nevertheless the child invents a very original way to make clouds. His grandfather allows the child to do whatever he thinks of. He also becomes a patient observer and sometimes a lovely collaborator. What the child finally achieves is magical…
Look for the positive side of things: from mistakes wonderful things can occur.
Another sensational thought that “A cloudy lesson” leaves us with is that we are all fallible and that in this life, no one learns without having made mistakes several times.
There are also some things we should teach our children such as the fact that it is okay to make mistakes; they can overcome the frustration of a failure or error, and build up the courage and confidence to try again. It is okay to fail one hundred times to reach your goal.
This is the way a child develops their talent. We all have amazing capabilities, we are all creative, talented and posses great potencial. Nevertheless, we should give them enough room and freedom to develop their own creativity. This exceptional force that children have inside should always be “fed”, propelled by confidence and ideal situations so they can awaken.
Giving initiative to children every now and then is an amazing way to help them grow up with a sense of responsibility and the feeling that they are capable of achieving great things.
Teamwork: the perfect way to achieve fantastic results
There are not a lot of bonds that are as special as the one constructed between grandparents and grandchildren. It is a special camaraderie, there is trust, there is also a union where love and respect always make the best stories.
If there is something else noteworthy that we see in “A cloudy lesson” it is the contrast between the traditional way of doing things and the innovation that new generations can bring forth. In this story, we can see the grandfather making his clouds in the traditional way with a machine that he surely inherited from his own parents, and they from theirs.
In this story and thanks to the initiative that the grandfather allows his grandson, we see how the little boy, after making many mistakes, decides to try something new. He decides to innovate, at the same time his grandfather does not hesitate in helping him. The magic of collaboration and trust is the only way to do great things, like making clouds in the form of stars or of animals.
We are without a doubt in front of one of the most special short animation films that you can see. We highly recommend it for you and your friends. They too can share it with their children, so that together we will all create beautiful things.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Yezi Xue. (2010). A cloudy lesson. Cortometraje. Estados Unidos. Ringling College of Art and Design
