5 Classic Movies to Watch with Your Kids

Rainy day? Friday movie night? It’s time to put away the video games and take a trip back in time with a classic motion picture. Remember that movie you used to watch at Grandma’s house? Or the one your dad used to rave about, but you never understood why until you were older? These are our classics. Today it’s easy to overlook these movies as things of the past. Maybe you’ve never thought to introduce your kids to a film you used to love, but we can assure you there are a number of classics that not only make us laugh, but also contain important lessons for people of all ages. So, grab your popcorn as we take you through time and five classic movies both you and your children will get a thrill out of. Ready? Action!

5. Toy Story (1995)

Maybe you loved Toy Story as a kid because you could imagine your own toys coming to life and fighting over which one would get the royal privilege of sitting on your bed. Perhaps it was even Mr. Potato Head and his feisty attitude that sparked your laughter as a child. It’s important to know, however, that Toy Story has much more to offer than just a bunch of talking toys running around Pizza Planet.

Toy Story will teach your children important lessons about friendship, loyalty and even jealousy. Woody learns an important lesson by the end of the movie. He accepts that it’s okay for Andy to have more than one favorite toy and more than one friend.

“You’ve got a friend in me.”

4. E.T. (1982)

A little alien is left all alone on a strange planet. He soon finds a friend in ten-year-old boy named Elliot. You probably stocked up on Reese’s Pieces enough to fill your entire closet and tried to bring plants back to life after seeing E.T. We would be lying if we said that Elliot’s determination to save his extraterrestrial companion didn’t have us in tears.

This movie shows children and adults alike the power of friendship. Next time your alien friend gets sick and needs to get on a spaceship to go home, will you ride your bike over the moon without a helmet on even if you don’t want him to leave? After seeing this film, you just might want to!

“You could be happy here. I could take care of you. I wouldn’t let anybody hurt you.”

3. Star Wars (1977)

A giant rebel space station, robots, unexpected heroes and even a princess. What’s not to love? While we are huge fans of this adventure film, it also provides us with important messages. For one, Princess Leia is not just an ordinary damsel in distress with an iconic hairdo. She stands up for what’s right and isn’t afraid to fight off any Stormtroopers that get in her way. It’s in the opening scene that she shows us that even princesses can be brave and tough.

Star Wars blurs the line between good and evil, and reveals to parents and children that though the choice between good and bad is more complicated than we think, good will always triumph over evil.

“Who is more foolish? The fool or the one that follows him?”

2. Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is the first musical on our list, and also the only film here that combines live action and animation. Maybe you dreamed of having a babysitter as cool as Mary Poppins. Or maybe you just could never seem to get “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” out of your head. Maybe what you didn’t realize the first time you saw this flick is that Mary Poppins teaches us to love and enjoy life. That is the real meaning behind “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Though kids might not recognize this lesson right away, they definitely won't be able to stop dancing and singing along.

“In every job that must be done there is an element of fun.”

1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Get swept away with Dorothy into the magical Land of Oz. We’re throwing it way back here, but we’re sure that this movie is family-friendly and magnificent even today. The first feature film to use both color and black-and-white will take you over the rainbow with lessons about life and love, as each of the characters have something to show us on their own.

The Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow prove that true friendship exists in believing in one another, and that a true friend is always there for you through life’s troubles, no matter how big or small. 

And finally, Dorothy Gale has many lessons to teach people of all ages. Dorothy dreams of a life away from home, but is surprised when she’s taken to the Land of Oz and suddenly longs to return to Kansas. Dorothy not only teaches us to follow our own paths, but she also reminds us not to take home for granted.

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

Tuesday, November 4th, 2014 the Children’s Museum in Easton will be hosting its new event Off to see the Wizard. Activities will be based on the popular story including all of your favorite characters. Don’t miss a visit from Dorothy and several themed crafts and stories. Follow the yellow brick road with your little munchkins from 10am-1pm for a magical day of over-the-rainbow fun! Be sure to watch the popular film and visit us on the 4^th. There’s no place like the Children’s Museum in Easton.

*Written by Deanna Haas, PR Intern

Things To Do This Summer Part 2: Rainy Day Activities

It’s not as easy to keep kids entertained on rainy summer days. They don’t enjoy being cooped up inside the house all day long. Sure, they may enjoy watching a movie or playing a board game, but eventually they need a way to get that energy out. With all the recent rain, you and the kids have probably run out of fresh ideas to keep them occupied.  Here are some ideas to break kids out of their rainy day habits and have some awesome summer fun!

1. A great way that you can keep the kids busy and teach them about giving back is to help them bake

cookies or some other treat to bring to local firefighters or police. Not only will they have fun baking with you in the kitchen and seeing some local heroes, they’ll be brightening the days of some of their local heroes as well.

2. Another way to entertain the kids and keep them active on a rainy day is to send them on a quest around the house. Give them one clue or riddle to lead them on a search for the next clue that will then lead them to the next clue and so on. At the end have a small little prize for them to find like a special snack, dollar store toy or temporary tattoos. The kids will enjoy the searching as much as the treasure they find at the end.

3. Imagine That! Have kids make up their own activity or game using different household items. They can use things like rubber bands, blankets, tapes, spoons and boxes to create something brand new! This activity is part of a Play60 contest that will be going on until July 12. For more information about the contest click here.

4. Play charades. Have the kids pretend to be their favorite characters, animals and more and then have everyone else try to guess. This will cause a lot of giggles as well as get the kids thinking creatively.

5. A fun rainy day craft that is also a way to make a wonderful keepsake is to have kids make a plate. There are kits that you can buy on Amazon that come with plate templates. Give a template and some markers to each kid and let them have fun creating a custom piece of artwork. Once they’re finished, follow the instructions in the kit and send the templates out to be turned into plates. It may take a couple of weeks to get the finished product in the mail, but when you do, the kids will be happy to see their artwork on a plate that they can eat off of.

6. An easy to make treat for the kids that will bring nature inside, let them get hands on and is delicious to eat is a dirt cake. It takes just a few ingredients; chocolate pudding mix, any sort of chocolate cookie and gummy worms. Find a paper or plastic cup that is deep enough to act like a pot. Mix the chocolate pudding and let the kids dump their desired amount into their cups. Once they’ve got enough pudding let them crumble chocolate cookie crumbs over the top of their pudding. Give them a few gummy worms to garnish their “dirt” with and then let them enjoy!

7. Next time you’re at your local supermarket ask if they have any giant boxes that they’re done with. If they do, you can keep it around the house until a rainy day arrives and then let the kids decorate it as they please. The box can suddenly become a castle, ship, car or space shuttle! The kids will have a homemade set to let their imagination soar and keep them occupied all day.

For some great places to take the kids for some indoor fun that aren’t the normal summer hotspots click here. For some more ideas of indoor activities to do with kids you can click here.

Up next: Sunny Day Fun