Terri Thompson

Top 10 Family Musical Movies

January 18, 2017 By Terri Thompson

I love musicals.

Love, love, love, love musicals.

Ok. I think you’ve got the point. I’ve always had a love of musicals.

They’re fun to watch. They inspire you to sing and dance. And, they’re often family friendly, which makes them a perfect choice for family movie night.

And, family musical movies aren’t the only great choice for family movie night, check out the rest of our recommended family friendly movies here.

Awesome movies musicals for kids to watch on your next family movie night

These are my top 10 picks for family musical movies to share with your kids. You’ll find some great classics and a few newer ones. The kids will love them and they’re also enjoyable for adults. I focused on live-action musicals for this list, even though there are many fantastic animated musicals that are family-friendly.

I checked out Common Sense Media for all of these choices and found they rated most of these family musical movies for ages 6 and up, meaning they are appropriate for and enjoyable for those ages. A couple of choices had a higher age rating and I’ll notate those in the list.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Best Movie Musicals for Families

1. Sound of Music (rated G) – Not only is this my favorite musical, it’s also my favorite movie. The length (almost 3 hours) can be a be much for some kids to sit through, but I’ve found that there are enough fantastic music scenes to keep everyone’s interest.

2. Mary Poppins (rated G) – Out of everything on the list, this is the one that will appeal to the youngest of kids. (My girls both watched and enjoyed it at around 4 years old.) Warning: the songs are addicting. You’ll be singing them for days.

3. Enchanted (rated PG) – What happens when a fairy-tale princess lands in the middle of modern-day Manhattan? You get this delightfully fun Disney musical. I love it and it’s great for the family.

4. Annie – Annie has been remade a few times and I really couldn’t decide between the original version and the newest version. My favorite is the 1984 version (rated PG) because that is the one I watched over and over as a child. I’m not sure any version can every beat this one because no one will ever be able to play the role of Miss Hannigan as well as Carol Burnett. BUT… my daughters would vote for the 2014 version (rated PG) starring Jamie Foxx. They love the modern-day twist and have watched it about as many times as I watched the original version. (Common Sense Media ranks the 2014 version as ages 7 and above and the 1984 version for ages 6 and above.)

5. The Music Man (rated G) – This is another long movie, clocking in at about 2-1/2 hours, but it moves so quickly you won’t notice. It’s fun and upbeat. Don’t even bother with any of the remakes of this one – the original is by-far the best.

Move fun family musical movies

6. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (rated G) – This one, starring Dick Van Dyke, follows an inventor and his kids as they fly away (in a flying car!) to a magical fantasy land. It has fewer songs than any of the other choices, but they are still quite delightful.

7. My Fair Lady (rated G) – This well-loved musical is perfect for families. Despite it’s rating of 6 and up, I’ve found that it’s better suited for older kids both for it’s length (just under 3 hours) and the fact that there are no kids in the movie.

8. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (rated G) – This one is fun, energetic, and the barn dance scene is one of the best dance scenes ever.

9. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (rated G) – In this movie, three kids are sent to a small English village for safety during World War II and end up in the care of an apprentice witch. This story is fun and magical. And, despite being set during World War II, this is a Disney movie so there are no scary war references. Common Sense Media rated Bedknobs and Broomsticks for ages 7 and up.

10. Newsies (rated PG) – This one is grittier and more political than any of the other movies listed, but it’s still a wonderful family-friendly film. It was inspired by a real-life strike in 1899 New York City when the newsboys (all teens and children) took on publishing giant Pulitzer – and won. Common Sense Media rated it for ages 9 and up and I would agree that it’s definitely more enjoyable for the older kids.

What are your favorite family friendly musical movies?

Grab some popcorn and a comfy seat on the couch for a fun movie night with one of these family musical movies.

Pick up a musical for your next family movie night. These kid-friendly family musical movies are perfect for all ages of kids and their parents.

Recommended Family Movie Night Resources:

If you’ve got Amazon Prime, it can be so easy to have a fun movie night. They’ve got so many family friendly movies available via streaming (in addition to other great benefits). You can sign up for Amazon Prime via this link.

Polar Bear Bookmark

January 13, 2017 By Terri Thompson

We never have enough bookmarks at our house.

I don’t know what happens to them. But, I suspect they’re hanging out the missing socks and hair ties.

Where do those things disappear to?

I’m constantly grabbing any scrap of paper I can find to mark my place just because I can’t find an actual bookmark.

I’d prefer to use something cute, like this adorable peeking polar bear bookmark.

Mark the pages in your book with this cute polar bear bookmark. It's so easy to make when you follow along with this step-by-step tutorial.

Don’t worry if you don’t think you’re very good at drawing. This polar bear is very east to draw and I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step.

This easy craft is perfect for kids and tweens, though they may need a little bit of adult help with the art knife.

Supplies Needed:

White cardstock
Milk cap
Pencil
Ruler
Black Marker
Scissors
Craft knife

How to make your polar bear bookmark:

Start by tracing your milk cap. This will be the polar bear’s head.

Next, use the ruler to make two straight lines down from the circle, about 6 inches in length and 1-1/4 inches apart. Connect the two lines with another straight line at the bottom.

Now, go back to your head. Add two small half circles for the ears. Also add another circle inside the head in the bottom half. This is your bear’s snout.

Add two little eyes and a nose.

Finally, draw your paws. Start from your head and draw a long oval-ish shape. Draw three simple claws on each side.

Finish your bookmark

Trace the entire bookmark with your black marker.

Carefully cut out around the entire bookmark. Use the black marker to color in any white spots on the edges left over from your cutting.

Finally, use the craft knife to cut around the two sides and the bottom of the paws. You do not want to cut the top edge under the chin.

I have this ceramic craft knife that I love to use. It’s easier to hold, stays sharper, and is much safer than a retractable craft knife. If you are ready to let your child use a tool like this, this is a great choice. If not, have an adult do this step.

Having this cute little guy peeking up from my book just makes me want to settle in and start reading.

Hopefully my polar bear bookmark won’t end up with all the other missing bookmarks. I want to keep this one around.

If you enjoyed this post, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook. You can also Pin the below photo for future reference.

You may also like one of these fun craft projects:

Cat Bookmark

Koala Bookmark

Cardboard Tube Penguin

10 Ways to Play and Learn About Polar Animals

Polar Bear Torn Paper Craft at Easy Peasy and Fun

Winter Nature Books for Kids

January 11, 2017 By Terri Thompson

Our winters in Minnesota are so cold and snowy that’s it’s tempting to stay inside ALL THE TIME.

But sometimes, you’ve got to just shake off that cabin fever, bundle up, and get out and enjoy nature in winter.

If you need some inspiration, grab one of these winter nature books. They’re all great choices that will make you want to get outside and have some fun.

When the weather gets cold, grab some of these winter nature books for kids. They will definitely inspire you to get out and explore outside.

Best winter nature books for kids

Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming is the story of a group of animals getting ready to hibernate. It’s a great choice for toddlers and preschoolers.

Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre. This simple story is probably more appealing to toddlers and preschoolers than older kids, but the beautiful snowy photographs will draw all ages in. This is a beautiful book!

Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee. Follow along as a young child tries to discover what made the footprints in the snow outside her window.

Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder. We’ve had this science-based story book in our collection for years. It’s a great and simple book about how different animals spend the winter.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner tells the story of all the wildlife that make their winter homes under the snow while a young girls glides her way over the snow and all the wildlife.

Someone Walks By: The Wonders of Winter Wildlife by Polly Carlson-Voiles. Not all animals hibernate in the winter. Take a walk through the woods in this book to see all the animals that are still active in winter.

Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian is a book of kid-friendly poetry about winter. The poems are short, fun and a great poetry choice for a cold, blustery day.

Sugar Snow: Adapted from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This Little House Picture Book is a simple story of the Wilder family’s experience with sugar snow and tells the process of making maple syrup.

Blizzard by John Rocco. Have you ever experienced a blizzard? Hear what it’s like in this fun book based on a true story from the author’s childhood.

Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli. Winter can get COLD! This fun book tells the story of how one small town survived (and enjoyed) a cold snap.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino. This nonfiction book is packed full of great information all about snow that is more suited for your older kids (ages 7-10) than your younger kids. It’s a fascinating read with a ton of great close-up snowflake pictures.

Our favorite winter nature books

I had my girls choose their favorite book out of the pile of books we reviewed. They liked all the books, but these two were the overall favorites.

My 9-year-old chose Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser. She loves a book that makes her laugh out loud and this book (and its illustrations) did. It’s the story of a squirrel, hedgehog, and bear who have never seen snow and decide to stay awake until it snows.

My 7-year-old chose Winter’s Coming: A Story of Seasonal Change by Jan Thornhill. She loved the story of a young snowshoe hare named Lily, who has no idea what to expect from winter. As she talks to her many animal friends, she learns how they spend the winter and also how she will too.

Now that you’ve read these winter nature books and are inspired to get outside, what are you going to do? Sled, build a snowman, feed the birds?

Maybe try one of these 10 Ways to Explore Nature in Winter.

No matter what you choose, get outside and have some fun!

Add these books to your library:

Any of these books would be perfect to add to your at-home library. You can find most of them to purchase on Amazon here:

Do you want to do more activities with your kids?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Stacking Rhyming Words

January 3, 2017 By Terri Thompson

Rhyming words are fun to say.

And make reading work feel like play.

Hooray!

Alright, alright. I’m not going to rhyme this whole post today. (Kidding!) But we will be having fun with rhymes as we build our own reading game for some fun rhyming practice.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Why is rhyming important?

It’s one of the stepping stones to learning how to read. It’s all a part of phonemic awareness.

But, wait, what’s that?

Phonemic awareness is simply learning about language, like the sounds and how they go together. Learning to hear the sounds and how to decode them. It’s something our kids are doing every day.

But, rhyming doesn’t stop the minute a child learns to read. It’s a great thing to practice to help your kids get even better at reading and decoding words.

This game is an easy way to to have fun practicing rhymes.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

Supplies Needed:

2 empty paper towel rolls
4 colors of craft paint
Scissors
Black marker

How to Make the Game:

Divide your cardboard tubes in half, either cut them or eyeball them. Paint each half a different color so you have four different colors of cardboard tube.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

After your tubes have dried, cut each color segment into four different pieces. You’ll have 16 different sections, four in each color.

Divide your tubes into sets so that each set has one of each color. Use your black marker to write your words. Each set will be one group of rhyming words, for example: clip, chip, hip, and dip. Change up the rhyme for each set.

Hint: This game is a great way to incorporate words your child needs to work on. Are there words from a sight word list you can choose? Are there specific ending sounds your child needs to work on, like -eep? Make sure to include those words.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

How to Play:

Mix up all your cardboard words on a table. Have your child make stacks of each set.

Stacking can get a bit tricky at times and your rhyming tower may collapse. But, that’s part of the challenge!

If the stacking gets frustrating, make pyramids. Or, just line up your rhyming words.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

Extend the Fun

Instead of including four words in each set, use only two words so you can match up pairs.

Turn this into a hide and seek game. Hide the cardboard tubes around the room and challenge your kids to find the rhymes.

See if they can name even more words for each set. How many words can you come up with?

Have fun practicing rhyming words with this fun DIY reading game.

Practice rhymes with this simple reading game for kids.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, you can share the above image on Facebook or the image below is perfect for Pinning.

Practice rhyming words with this simple DIY reading game for kids, stacking rhyming words. Build towers out of rhymes and see how high you can make them! #rhyming #literacy #kindergarten #BetterThanHomework

If you liked this post, you may also like one of these reading games:

Word Family Four Square

The -at Hat: Word Family Game

AD Word Family Activity: Highlighter Words

DIY Sight Word Memory Game

Stomp it Out Phonics Game for Kids at School Time Snippets

10 Fun Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Kids

December 20, 2016 By Terri Thompson

What are you doing on New Year’s Eve?

If you’re like many parents, you’re probably spending it at home with your kids. That’s what we always do.

We make up a bunch of yummy appetizers, get cozy, and settle in to ring in the New Year. Very rarely have we all managed to stay up until midnight.

I do love staying home on New Year’s Eve with kids, but it’s fun to add a few activities to make the evening extra-special. Try one of these fun ideas to celebrate New Year’s Eve all day long.

Fun ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve with kids

(Pictured left to right)

Reflect on the past year. Spend some time talking about all your favorite things from the past year. This year in review printable from Wondermom Wannabe will get you started. (Not pictured)

Set goals for the new year. Do you have any big plans for the new year? Do your kids have any goals? Spend some time setting goals with this New Years printable from NurtureStore.

Talk about your New Year’s wishes. Talk about your wishes for your family, your community, and even the world for the coming year. You can record them all on this Wishing Wall at Buggy and Buddy.

Watch the ball drop – at home. There’s no need to turn on the tv or stay up to midnight, you can make your own ball drop for New Year’s Eve. JDaniel4’s Mom has a great STEM ball drop activity you can do any time of the day.

Celebrate with science! Do a fun New Year’s science project to ring in the new year. This Confetti Science activity from Little Bins for Little Hands is tons of fun and has a big WOW factor.

Make a special drink just for New Years. Modern Parents Messy Kids has some fun ideas for fun fancy mocktails that the kids (and you) will love.

Celebrate with fireworks. No, not the real ones. Instead make your own Sparkler Firework Craft from Kids Craft Room. They’re safe, sparkly, and fun.

Countdown with a homemade countdown clock. Make a fun clock, like this one from Buggy and Buddy, to countdown to the new year. Hint: You can use this to countdown earlier in the evening in case your kids need to go to bed early!

Make a fun craft to celebrate. There are so many fun crafts for New Years. This fun fireworks craft from In the Playroom would be a great choice.

Enjoy a classic confetti popper. These can be messy, but tons of fun. And, isn’t that what vacuums are for? Little Bins for Little Hands will teach you how to make your own confetti poppers.

What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?

Terri Thompson