4 Animations in PowerPoint That Grab Student Attention Instantly (Tutorial, Bonus Interactive Hacks, and a Free Downloadable!)

If you’re tired of using the same basic animations in PowerPoint and want to upgrade your slides with more sophisticated effects, you’re in the right place. Below, you will find an upgraded twist on 4 animations in PowerPoint that you can integrate into your presentations, PLUS 4 tips on how to make your slides even more engaging and interactive to go along with each animation.

Let’s dive into these four creative ideas and see how animations in PowerPoint can do more than just add flair, but also guide attention, simplify complex ideas, and keep students engaged. Follow along with the blog using the downloadable template below, and let’s see how you can level up your animations!

Creative Animations in PowerPoint Trick #1: Fly-In Animation

The Fly-In animation is perfect for introducing content gradually as you progress through your presentation. It brings in new elements one-by-one, helping students focus on specific pieces of information without being overwhelmed. Let me show you how to upgrade it. 

Step 1: Insert & Format Shape 

Insert a Rectangle shape on the far-right side of the slide. 

Then, Format the shape with the Shadow Effect Offset Right.

Step 2: Duplicate Shape 

Duplicate the shape (CTRL + D) and move it to the left of the 1st shape. Then, duplicate 2x more to fill the whole slide.

Step 3: Format Shape 

Right-click on the 1st rectangle on the left. In Shape Format, Insert Picture. 

For the other three rectangles, change the fill color. 

Step 4: Add Text 

Double-click on each rectangle to add text content and format as needed.

Step 5: Add Animations 

Click on the first rectangle, then click the Animations tab in the PowerPoint ribbon. Select Fly In. 

Then in the Effect options, select From Left. 

Step 6: Repeat 

Repeat the addition of animations for each shape. Doing them individually helps them appear one at a time, instead of all at once. 

💡 Bonus Interactive Tip:

Add an interactive piece to one of the shapes as an appearing activity. With ClassPoint’s Draggable Objects, any shape, text, or image can be made draggable to move around your slide during your presentation. Perfect for activities like matching, labeling, sorting, sequencing, or revealing.

ClassPoint is a free PowerPoint add-in to make any presentation more interactive and engaging. Once downloaded and installed (it’s free), to set up draggable objects on your slide, select the text, shape, or images that you want to be draggable. 

Click on the More Features → Draggable Objects → then, toggle on.

During your presentation, click on the Draggable Objects icon on the toolbar and begin moving your items around the screen. 

Creative Animations in PowerPoint Trick #2: Rise Up Animation

The Rise Up animation adds a dynamic feel, perfect for showcasing a sequence of events or emphasizing key points.

Step 1: Insert Shape

Insert four rectangles on your slide. 

Step 2: Format Shape

Select both the 1st and 3rd rectangle on your slide (SHIFT + Click). 

In the Shape Effects, Off Axis 1 Right.

Select both the 2nd and 4th rectangle on your slide (SHIFT + Click). 

In the Shape Effects, Off Axis 2 Left.

Then, Select all the shapes, and in Reflection, select Off Bottom.

Step 3: Add Content 

Add any images or text to each rectangle. 

Once all the content is added, Group each content to its respective shape (CTRL + G).

Step 4: Add Animations 

Now, to animate each Group, select the group, click the Animations tab in the PowerPoint ribbon, and Select Rise Up. 

Don’t see Rise Up? Click the More Animations button, then find Rise Up in the Entrance Animations section. 

Then, set the duration to 1.75.

Step 5: Repeat 

Repeat Step 4 for each Group so that they all have their own animation set up. 

💡 Bonus Interactive Tip:

You can also get your students to ‘rise up’! Randomly spin a wheel of names to pick a student to answer a question or participate in an activity. With ClassPoint’s Name Picker, you can spin a wheel of names right inside PowerPoint. 

Invite your students to join the class, or add their names before class. Then, during your presentation, click the Spinning Wheel to randomly select a student. 

Learn more about saved classes and ways to use the Name Picker.

Creative Animations in PowerPoint Trick #3: Zoom Animation

Use the Zoom animation to create emphasis on key text or images, making complex ideas stand out.

Step 1: Add Text Box

Insert a Text Box and type 15 ‘-’ on the slide.

Step 2: Format Text

In the Character Spacing format box, select Very Tight.

Next, let’s adjust the Text Effects. In the Shape Format, select Transform and set it to Square.  

Lastly, fill the whole slide with the text box. 

Then, right-click on the text box, and select Format Text.

Insert a picture as the background fill.

Step 3: Add Content

Add text boxes to fill your slides with your content.

Step 4: Add Animations 

First, select the text box. Then, go to the Animations tab and select Zoom.

Enhance this further by going into the Animation Pane, and clicking on More Effects for the animation.

In the Effect Options, animate by letter.

Step 5: Repeat

Repeat this process for each slide in your presentation as desired. 

💡 Bonus Interactive Tip:

Add interactive questions without taking time to edit slides using AI. With ClassPoint AI, your slide content is analyzed, and then a quiz question is generated for you to get real-time audience feedback. 

Simply click on the AI button on your slide from the ClassPoint toolbar, then insert the question slide and start getting immediate feedback from your class.

Creative Animations in PowerPoint Trick #4: Hyperlinked Morph

Morph transitions can create smooth movement between slides, making it look like the elements on your slide are animated.

Set 1: Insert Background 

Insert an image or a color as the background.

Step 2: Add Title 

Add a text box and type your title. Format as desired. 

Step 3: Duplicate

Duplicate the 1st slide 4 times.

Step 4: Insert Shape

Add 4 rounded rectangles and a circle in the middle of the rectangles. 

Step 5: Format Shape

Adjust the Fill and Outline color of each shape.

Step 6: Add Icons

Select the Insert tab and Icons. 

Add corresponding icons to each shape depending on your topic and a Home icon in the center circle. For example, an icon to represent each season. 

Step 7: Link to Slides 

Now, we will link each icon and shape to its corresponding slide (we will go over this more in the next steps.)

For each shape, go to Insert → Action → Link.

Then, link that shape to its corresponding slides. Remember, the Home icon should be linked to Slide 1 (your current slide)

Continue this for each shape, so that they are all linked to a different slide.

Step 8: Copy to All Slides 

Now, we want to add these linked shapes to the rest of the slides in our presentation. This way everything is linked, no matter which slide you jump to in the presentation. For example, if I am on Slide 4 and select the home icon, it will take me to Slide 1. 

To do this, select all the rectangles and center circle and Copy (CTRL + C) 

Paste these shapes onto each of the duplicated slides (CTRL + V) 

Step 9: Add Content to Each Slide

Start at Slide 2, make the top-left rectangle larger, and add content inside.

Then, continue this process for the rest of the slides. For example, in Slide 3, make the top-right rectangle larger and add in your content. Continue until each slide has the content for a particular rectangle. 

Step 10: Add Morph 

Select all your slides (CTRL + A) 

In the Transitions tab of the PowerPoint ribbon, select Morph. You will see a quick preview of these rectangles morphing to show the added information. 

💡 Bonus Interactive Tip:

Add interactive quiz questions to each slide! This way, as the shapes morph a new question appears. With ClassPoint, you can add up to 8 different question types, perfect to keep your audience engaged and touch on all the learning types. 

To add a question to your slide: 

1. Type the question 
2. Add the corresponding ClassPoint button 
3. Interact with your audience once they’ve joined the class! 

Best Practices for Using Animations in PowerPoint

To maximize the effectiveness of your animations, keep these best practices in mind:

1. Avoid Overuse
   • Ensure every animation adds value to your presentation. When everything moves, blinks, or slides, students may struggle to identify the main points or keep track of what’s being said. Stick to a few purposeful animations per slide to guide attention, rather than overload it. Think of animations as visual cues—use them to emphasize, not overwhelm.
2. Keep It Simple
   • Choosing the right animations can help your content flow smoothly. These help direct focus without drawing attention away from the content. Avoid flashy or over-complicated effects like Swivel or Bounce, as these can seem out of place in a classroom setting and may detract from the professional tone of your lesson.
3. Time Your Animations
   • If animations are too slow, they can make the presentation feel sluggish, too fast, and students may miss important details. Aim for a moderate speed (between 0.5 to 1.5 seconds), and consider adding delays between different elements to create a natural progression. Use the animation pane in PowerPoint to control the order and timing of your animations for a polished delivery.
4. Combine with Interactivity
   • Pair animations with quizzes, polls, and draggable objects to encourage active learning and participation. For instance, after introducing a concept using the Fly-In animation, follow up with a quick quiz using ClassPoint to check understanding. This keeps students engaged and reinforces learning through immediate application.
5. Test Before Presenting
   • Even the best animations can go awry if not tested beforehand. Run through your entire presentation to spot any glitches, timing issues, or out-of-sync elements. If you’re using interactive elements, test these as well to ensure smooth functionality during class. A quick rehearsal will save you from scrambling in front of your audience and ensure your presentation runs seamlessly.

Wrapping Up

PowerPoint animations aren’t just for show as they are powerful tools that can transform how information is delivered in the classroom. Use the downloadable template provided to experiment with these animations, and don’t forget to check out ClassPoint to supercharge your interactivity!

More of our PowerPoint guides

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27 Super Hidden PowerPoint Tips and Tricks Only The Pros Know!