Imagine Ocean     

Let Your Imagination Run Wild!

Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up. Pablo Picasso
The Animix™ brand is owned by Imagine Ocean Ltd

What is Animix?

Animix Game

Animix™ is a creative activity using traditional drawing methods and materials that stretches children’s imagination, nurtures independent thinking and builds self confidence.

How to play?

Choose two or more Animix™ animal cards, (at random for a surprise, or choose by sight) and create a unique new species by drawing a combination of those animals.

Create a name for your new species by mixing the names together in a creative or funny way.

Write a story about your new species. Animal facts on each card will spark the imagination and give ideas about animal features, behaviour, lifestyle and habitat, which can all be developed to feed into story writing.

Animix™ is very versatile and can be played in groups or as one. It can also be taken into different creative mediums; collage, modelling clay, pastels, paints, or into different styles; famous artists, cartoon, pop art, abstract.

It is suitable for all drawing abilities. The way in which a child imagines, interprets and creates a new species is a personal and fluid process.

Animix Game

versatile, easy to understand and play

stimulates individual creativity and original thinking

gives children the freedom to express themselves

nurtures self-confidence and independence

feeds into creative storywriting

simple fun, endless permutations

Our Products

Drawing Cards

Themed drawing card packs. 36 cards per pack. Each card features an animal and a fact.

  • Original
  • Endangered
  • Rainforest
  • Marine
  • Extinct
  • Discovery
  • Numeracy
  • Literacy
  • Patterns

The drawing cards are very versatile and can be used in many different ways:

  • Discuss

    Simply looking through the cards and exploring the facts can lead into class discussion about the animals characteristics, their habitats, lifestyles and diet.

  • Compare

    Use the cards to make comparisons across the animal species; which animal is bigger? which is faster? which is nocturnal? which is a carnivore?

  • Draw

    The cards can be used for drawing. By giving out at least two cards per child they can explore creative ways to mix them into a new species.

  • Randomise

    Cards can be dealt at random for a surprise or allow the children to select them.

  • Teamwork

    Working in small groups. Each child takes a card, and working with a partner or small group they all draw a species with all their cards. It is interesting to see the different ways the children visualise and mix the same animals.

  • Numeracy

    Numeracy cards can be used as a drawing exercise, but in addition they also offer the opportunity to include some mental arithmetic whilst children are busy being creative.

    Numeracy cards can also be used to explore and compare the sizes, weights and lifespans of different animals.

  • Literacy

    Literacy cards can be used for the drawing activity but have the added capacity for some word games. They can be used to expand children’s vocabulary which feeds well into story writing.

  • Patterns

    Patterns drawing cards can be used for the drawing exercise but can also be used to extend the creative into a more abstract pattern-making workshop. Try mixing ladybird spots with zebra stripes, or a jaguar’s rosettes with a peacock’s feathers.

  • Create

    With all categories of cards, the creative can also be taken into different mediums (paint, collage, pastels etc) and can be taken into 3D with modelling clay, papier mache and even puppets, to name a few.

  • Style

    The creative can be taken into different styles of art with all card categories; famous artists, cartoon, pop art, cubism, abstract to name just a few.

Books

6 Poetry-tales. All the characters were inspired using the drawing cards.

Workshops

Full, half day and after school workshops in schools.
Ideally suited to KS1-KS2.

Our workshops are designed to explore the imagination whilst supporting key elements across the school curriculum including:

  • Art and Design

    Experimenting and being inventive.

    Encouraging proficiency in drawing.

    Exploring a wide range of art techniques and materials.

  • Literacy

    Exploring ideas for creative naming.

    Collaborating in groups for story writing.

    Forming, articulating and communicating ideas.

  • Science

    Introducing a variety of animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

    Providing and discussing facts about the animals; their habitats, lifestyle and characteristics.

  • Numeracy

    Building confidence and fluency in numeracy; times tables and mental arithmetic.

    Understanding comparative measures.

Please contact me for further details about our workshops, including costs, or to arrange a complimentary demonstration workshop.

See our workshops in more detail below:

Ways to Play

Animix is extremely versatile. Please click the button below to see the many ways that Animix Drawing Cards can be used.

Workshops

Each of the workshops can make use of a combination of the themed card sets available, which provides an opportunity for some cross-curricular learning.

Original - Endangered - Rainforest - Numeracy - Literacy

animix explore

half day/full day

This workshop is all about being inventive and exploring the different ways to be creative with Animix. Children can work individually or in groups. Includes a intro session about imagination, and a group story session to stimulate the children’s imagination and show them how their 'new species' can evolve into stories.

animix stylise

half day/full day

This workshop extends the creative into the wonderful world of the stylised image. It can be tailored to a specific artist or a specific style of art; abstract, cubist, pop art, caricature etc. Includes looking at and discussing examples of the artist’s work or the chosen art genre.

It can work as an extension to ‘Animix explore’ as a half day workshop.
animix 3d

half day/full day

This workshop uses modelling clay. Children can explore the different ways to bring their 'new species' to life in a 3-dimensional format.Includes access to a tub of plastic animals which the children can use to help them to understand the concept of form and shape.

It can work as an extension to ‘Animix explore’ as a half day workshop.
animix collage

half day/full day

This workshop takes the creative into a collage. Working individually or in groups, children create their 'new species' using a mixture of materials. The collage can follow a specific theme if required eg. rainforest which works well as a group activity, or puppets which works well if the children are working individually.

animix you

half day/full day

This workshop involves creating an Animix of yourself! Children can draw themselves mixed with an animal they think they’re like, or one they would like to be. Perhaps they’d like to fly like an eagle? Or run fast like a cheetah? Or perhaps they’d like to be a camouflaged animal playing hide ’n’ seek? In this workshop we discuss and compare animals’ characteristics with ours as humans.

animix story

full day

This workshop extends the creative into storywriting. The children can explore their 'new species' using the facts on each card and their own knowledge, and can start to build a story line. If working as a group they may decide to elect an author, an illustrator and researchers amongst the group members. Involves team working skills.

Workshop Rates: (+ VAT)
Full Day: £200
Half Day: £125
After School Club: £60/hr
Children's Packs: £3.00 per unit

All workshops include the use of Animix cards for the duration of the workshop. Materials to be supplied by the school or can be supplied on request at an additional cost. Children’s A6 size Animix creative packs (to take home) are available at a unit cost of £3.00. Each pack contains: 6x Animix animal cards (randomly selected), 1x small drawing pad, 3x coloured pencils - supplied in a branded polypropylene wallet.

workshops

Gallery

A beautifully simple concept that provides endless possibilities for creativity.

Reviews

Year 3 Teacher
Southfields Primary School, Coventry
Nov 2017

"My Year 3 class really enjoyed the Animix workshop. Very quickly they grasped the idea of mixing the animals together in their drawings, and I was impressed with the diversity and energy of their creative output. They enjoyed a ‘show and tell’ session and I could see that they were proud of their work.

Usually in class we write stories and then draw pictures to illustrate them, but we were able to use the children’s ‘characters’ from the Workshop to develop into some creative writing on another day. There was an improved level of descriptive language used in their writing due to the unique creatures they were able to create, and I also noticed an increased level of engagement by all the learners.

Animix is such a simple idea and yet the versatility of it as a teaching tool in the classroom, is huge. I am quite sure it would work well across KS1 and KS2 settings. It really challenges the children to use their imagination and to be original, and of course it’s fun because anything goes!"

Suzanne Dean - Creative Director
Vintage, Penguin Random House
July 2018

"I can’t recommend Animix enough! What a great way to get children to engage with their creative skills. Simple and fun, Animix presents a platform for imaginative drawing that is fresh and compelling. The concept is hugely versatile, with an ever-growing range of new exciting categories making it both educational and stimulating."

J.Rosier - Head of Marketing
V&A Museum
Oct 2016

"A beautifully simple concept that provides endless possibilities for creativity. To find something that is both educational and fun is a rareity and makes for a genuinely innovative product."

Gig Sixsmith
A Personal Note...
May 2019

The response to Animix from Primary school level has been really positive.
Children as young as 4yrs have grasped the idea of Animix quickly and wasted no time in getting creative.

Interestingly, I noted that children at KS1 level preferred to choose their animal cards by sight, whilst children at KS2 level enjoyed the challenge of dealing the cards at random, and even creating their new species from three or four animals combined!

Quite often I found that the younger children embark more readily into the creative process and enjoy the freedom to express themselves. But by Year 4 (8-9yrs) children are often more self-critical about their creativity and so take a bit longer to process their ideas and actually put pencil to paper!

Animix is a fluid creative tool which really did come about by chance as I was entertaining my own children, with their cousins, over a summer holiday. It kept them engaged and stimulated for so long and the permutations of the cards seemed to give scope to such freedom.

My sole aim in designing Animix is simply to give children a creative tool to spark their imagination. They don’t need to be budding artists because they are working within the world of fantasy, where anything goes. This is a beautiful safe haven for children to invent, to explore, and to be original in their thinking.

In developing the product into different categories of cards, I have added some other functionality. I really believe that children can learn best when they are happy, relaxed and doing something they enjoy. The facts on each card give them a point of interest and discussion, and can also give them a point of focus for story writing.

The Numeracy cards can introduce some cross-curricular mental arithmetic and comparisons between animals’ sizes, weights and lifespans. Literacy cards can be used to play word games; making words including the letters from several cards, writing stories about the animals on the cards, brainstorming categories beginning with the letters dealt on the cards. These cards also feature some descriptive words which expand children’s vocabulary and reinforce spellings.

Patterns cards are a great introduction to pattern making and a more abstract approach. They also work well for children who are hesitant to get them bump started! Once they discover the beauty in creating a pattern mixing a peacock’s feathers with a jaguar’s rosettes, they are more confident to come back to the more figurative approach of mixing the animal species.

I am constantly evolving new categories to expand the Animix experience and foster creativity in children. There is so much evidence that nurturing children’s creative minds through art exploration ignites a desire to learn across other subjects too. For children of all abilities, Animix allows them to express themselves freely without limits or rules. This freedom is key in their development and will help them with problem solving and resilience as they mature.

Year 3 Class Teacher
Paddox Primary School, Rugby
July 2019

"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Gig. She made the day so engaging for the children and it really brought out their imaginations. Some of the children that often struggle to be creative were able to open up their minds and come up with the most wonderfully creative ideas. We are already planning other ways of inviting her into school!"

animix children
What the children say
about Animix
Summer 2019

"It was so much fun, I wonder why I hadn’t thought of doing it before. I love thinking up brand new animals…they are like my pets."

"I liked it because it was a way for us to use your imagination. I love animals and it was really fun to make our own!"

"It was really fun and I loved the way we got to freestyle and draw whatever we wanted to."

"It was fun because we got to put different animals together to make more animals."

"It was fun because you got to use your imagination and draw whatever you want!"

"I liked getting to use my imagination because if I don't then I get bored!"

Year 1 Class Teacher
Paddox Primary School, Rugby
Animix Competition - Jan 2020

"It was fantastic to see how enthusiastic the children were about their designs. They all wanted to share their ideas with each other."

Year 4 Class Teacher
Paddox Primary School, Rugby
Animix Competition - Jan 2020

"The competition really brought out the creativity in some children. It really inspired them to draw and investigate different aspects of animals and then combine these with another animal. It was wonderful to see their weird and wacky ideas!"

Get in Touch

Gig Sixsmith
Gig Sixsmith

My background is in graphic design and illustration having graduated with BA Hons at Kingston School of Art. After an early design career with Virgin Atlantic I have accumulated over 30 years experience of commercial design work with a wide variety of clients.

I am an advocate for the power of imagination as a source of nourishment for children's personal development and creative thinking. Inspired by my two daughters when they were young, I designed 'Animix' a range of educational creative products which stretch children's imagination and build self confidence. I use these products to run imagination workshops and competitions in Primary schools and I have had some beautiful feedback. I also write and illustrate story books with a focus on nurturing children's mental health:
www.imagineocean.uk
Please contact me via the form below.

  • Art Foundation Course - Kingston School of Art
  • BA (Hons) Graphic Design - Kingston School of Art
  • Foundation Art Therapy
  • S.A.C. Cert - Educational Psychology
    Distinction
  • S.A.C. Cert - Developmental Psychology
    Distinction
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