Written by: Malak Tariq
Movie night can easily be called the family’s favourite past-time. Some families have it regularly on Sunday nights with dinner. Sometimes, they even have a movie marathon if time permits (usually during school holidays). It is lovely to snuggle up as a family, eat popcorn and watch movies. You can start this great family-bonding activity at any age that your child can sit and watch with you.
Here are 5 fantastic child-friendly movies that depict the adventures of protagonists and relationships between characters that parents and children can warm up to:
1. COCO
Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. Coco is a colourful, joyous and utterly charming Pixar film. Pixar is renowned for its consistently amazing and heartfelt animated movies.
Age group: 6 and up.
2. INSIDE OUT
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school. Inventive, gorgeously animated, and powerfully moving, Inside Out is another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.
Age group: 6 and up.
3. UP
78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Frederickson is about to fulfil a lifelong dream. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, he flies away to the South American wilderness. Along the way, he meets his childhood hero, forms a bond with a boy who has an absent father and realizes the preciousness of the life he lived as well as the one he now lives. It is a Pixar animation.
Age group: 6 and up
4. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
Five long centuries after the selfless sacrifice of the magical dragons, the once-peaceful land of Kumandra, where humans lived harmoniously alongside the mystical creatures, is in disarray, divided into five nations. With warring factions, distrust, and the unstoppable menace of the Druun wreaking havoc on Kumandra, Raya, the sword-wielding Princess of Heart, and fearless Guardian of the Dragon Gem, embarks on a peril-laden quest to track down a benevolent mythical being and heal the land. Will Raya find mighty Sisu, the last dragon?
Age group: 7 and up.
5. THE LOUD HOUSE MOVIE
With his parents and all 10 sisters in tow, Lincoln Loud heads to Scotland and learns that royalty runs in the family in this global musical journey. The Loud House Movie is a 2021 American animated musical comedy film featuring characters from the Nickelodeon series The Loud House.
Lincoln Loud is the only boy and the middle child in a family of eleven children residing in the fictional town of Royal Woods, Michigan. He has ten sisters with distinctive personalities consisting of bossy eldest child Lori, ditzy fashionista Leni, musician Luna, comedian Luan, athletic Lynn Jr., gloomy poetic goth Lucy, polar opposite twins Lana and Lola, child genius Lisa, and baby Lily. Lincoln occasionally breaks the fourth wall to explain to the viewers the chaotic conditions and sibling relationships of the household, and continually devises plans to make his life in the Loud House better.
Age group: 7 and up
Even though this activity of watching movies is cheaper compared with other family activities such as going to recreational parks or going out of town, it nonetheless offers the same benefits. Study shows that watching a movie with your loved ones is good for you—it strengthens bonds, promotes family togetherness and builds tradition, among others. Bonding time can help eliminate any barrier between family members. Movie time is also a good venue for laughs. Family members can talk about the memorable scenes in the movie afterwards, building a strong foundation between family members. Family bonding activities such as watching movies together help children become more productive, thereby increasing their level of confidence. As parents, you can also explain the social situations your children see in the films. Doing so will instil in your children the proper values they need to become better people.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your popcorn, set up the table and TV; play the film, and you’re ready to go.
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