home / skills / dylantarre / animation-principles / playfulness-fun

This skill helps you craft playful animations using classic Disney principles to entertain, engage, and delight users across interfaces.

npx playbooks add skill dylantarre/animation-principles --skill playfulness-fun

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: playfulness-fun
description: Use when creating animations that entertain, engage with humor, or create lighthearted interactive experiences.
---

# Playfulness & Fun Animation

Create animations that entertain, surprise, and make interactions genuinely enjoyable.

## Emotional Goal

Playfulness invites interaction through unexpected, whimsical motion. Fun comes from animations that have personality, respond expressively, and make users smile.

## Disney Principles for Playfulness

### Squash & Stretch
Generous, exaggerated (25-40%). Rubbery, cartoon physics. Objects should feel alive and reactive. Bounce like a beach ball.

### Anticipation
Exaggerated wind-ups (150-250ms). Comic timing—big preparation for big payoff. Elements "think" before acting.

### Staging
Theatrical presentation. Clear setup and punchline. Give playful moments room to breathe and be noticed.

### Straight Ahead Action
Embrace spontaneity. Wobbly paths, unpredictable bounces. Characters and elements with minds of their own.

### Follow Through & Overlapping Action
Extensive, bouncy follow-through. Overshoots, wobbles, and settling. Like a cartoon character skidding to a stop.

### Slow In & Slow Out
Asymmetric with overshoot. Quick starts, bouncy landings. `cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.265, 1.55)` for elastic effect.

### Arc
Exaggerated, bouncy curves. High arcs for jumps. Squiggly paths for personality. Nothing moves in straight lines.

### Secondary Action
Abundant! Wiggles, sparkles, expressions. Elements react to each other. The whole interface feels alive.

### Timing
Varied and expressive (100-500ms). Quick snaps, slow anticipation. Comic timing with beats and pauses.

### Exaggeration
High (30-50%). Push movements to cartoon levels. Impossible physics that feel emotionally true.

### Solid Drawing
Maintain appeal through deformation. Stretched elements stay charming. Volume shifts for effect.

### Appeal
Round, friendly shapes. Bright, saturated colors. Big eyes, expressive forms. Character in everything.

## Timing Recommendations

| Element | Duration | Easing |
|---------|----------|--------|
| Bounce | 400-600ms | `spring(1, 60, 8)` |
| Wiggle | 300-400ms | `ease-in-out` |
| Pop | 150-250ms | `ease-out-back` |
| Squash | 100-150ms | `ease-out` |

## CSS Easing

```css
--play-bounce: cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.265, 1.55);
--play-elastic: cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1);
--play-wobble: cubic-bezier(0.45, 0.05, 0.55, 0.95);
```

## Fun Animations

```css
@keyframes wiggle {
  0%, 100% { transform: rotate(0deg); }
  25% { transform: rotate(-5deg); }
  75% { transform: rotate(5deg); }
}

@keyframes boing {
  0% { transform: scale(1); }
  30% { transform: scale(1.25, 0.75); }
  50% { transform: scale(0.85, 1.15); }
  70% { transform: scale(1.05, 0.95); }
  100% { transform: scale(1); }
}
```

## When to Use

- Games and gamification
- Children's interfaces
- Social media reactions
- Onboarding tutorials
- Empty states
- Easter eggs
- Casual apps
- Entertainment platforms

Overview

This skill helps designers and developers create playful, entertaining animations that invite interaction and spark joy. It translates Disney-inspired principles into concrete timing, easing, and motion guidelines so interfaces feel alive and whimsical. Use it to add personality to UI elements, characters, and microinteractions without losing clarity.

How this skill works

The skill inspects animation intent and recommends motion patterns (squash & stretch, anticipation, arcs, follow-through) and numeric parameters for timing and easing. It returns suggested durations, easing curves, and examples of keyframe behaviors tailored to the target element (bounce, wiggle, pop, squash). It also flags when to prioritize staging, secondary action, or exaggerated physics for emotional impact.

When to use it

  • Games and gamified flows to boost engagement
  • Children’s apps and educational interfaces
  • Social reactions and microinteractions (likes, stickers)
  • Onboarding steps that should feel welcoming
  • Empty states and easter eggs to surprise users
  • Casual or entertainment platforms seeking personality

Best practices

  • Prioritize clarity: exaggerate only when it supports the message
  • Use anticipation for predictable surprises and build payoff with timing
  • Combine primary motion with subtle secondary actions for richness
  • Favor arcs and curved paths over straight lines for natural motion
  • Keep durations expressive but short (100–500ms); use longer anticipation for comedic beats
  • Test at different speeds and devices to preserve appeal and readability

Example use cases

  • A button that boings with squash & stretch after successful submission
  • A mascot character that anticipates then jumps with a high arc in onboarding
  • Reaction stickers that wiggle and pop using elastic easings
  • Empty state illustration that slowly breathes and adds sparkles as secondary action
  • Game HUD elements that overshoot and settle to communicate impact

FAQ

How much exaggeration is appropriate?

Aim for 30–50% visual push beyond realism for clear emotional effect; dial back if it distracts from functionality.

Which easing should I use for a playful bounce?

Use elastic/overshoot curves (example cubic-bezier patterns) or a spring with high stiffness and small damping for lively bounces.