Family Fun

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.

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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.

Volunteer As a Family – Support Your Local Food Bank

October 12, 2016 By Terri Thompson

My kids live a life of privilege.

They have nice clothes to wear, plenty of toys, and shelves full of books. They have access to a good education and live in a well-maintained home in a safe neighborhood. My kids never go hungry.

Other kids aren’t so lucky, and I need my kids to know that.

So, how do I do that?

I can show them through news articles and I can tell then how lucky they are. But, I just don’t think that’s effective enough. I want to show my girls how they can help and teach them ways to make a difference in the world.

Finding time to volunteer as a family is a great way to start. We don’t do it nearly enough. That needs to change.

There are many ways to volunteer as a family. One way is to support your local food bank. Here are some ways you and your kids can serve your community.

A good place to volunteer is with your local food bank. You’ll be making a difference in your own community and helping your own community is an important place to start.

What can you do?

You can start by contacting your local food bank. Do they have any volunteer opportunities? (Also, double-check to make sure you can volunteer along with your kids.)

What if there aren’t any volunteer opportunities for your family? What if your kids are too young to help in an official capacity?

Don’t give up. Just get creative! There are plenty of ways you can involve your kids in helping your local food bank.

Here are ideas that are perfect for a family service project to support your local food bank.

Here are some fun ways to volunteer as a family to help fight hunger

Bring Breakfast:

Pleasantest Thing found a great opportunity to involve their kids through a special opportunity at their local food bank. You can do something similar by taking your kids shopping for good and healthy non-perishable breakfast foods you can donate.

Pack Birthday Boxes:

Special treats just aren’t a reality for many families that depend on food banks. Help your kids give back to other kids by creating these simple birthday boxes from I Can Teach My Child. It’s a simple birthday party in a box, but it would mean so much to any kid.

Shop for a Recipe:

Help your child pick out a favorite recipe and then shop for the ingredients. JDaniel4’s Mom has a great idea to help your kids plan mindfully, shop, and then donate their food choices.

Go On a Holiday Food Scavenger Hunt:

Help make sure your local food pantry is stocked with holiday food favorites with this simple and fun activity. Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails created a simple picture-based scavenger hunt to help their kids shop for the food pantry. This is a simple way for even your youngest kids to help.

Stamp Out Hunger:

Every year the United States Postal Service does a food drive. Your family leaves food by your mailbox and a postal worker will pick it up and deliver it. The Weaving Ideas has the details you need to participate in their yearly food drive.

Pack a Backpack:

Too many kids are not getting enough food. It’s heartbreaking. Many communities now have a backpack program where kids receive a backpack at school full of food that they can take home to help combat this hunger. Foster2Forever explains how this works at this link. You can help support this project by shopping together has a family for requested food items.

Start Them Early:

Get your toddlers involved. With a lot of parental help, even your youngest kids can get in the practice of giving back. You can find some tips for involving toddlers here at Bits of Positivity.

Host a Neighborhood Food Drive:

A food drive doesn’t have to be huge. Help your kids start small with a simple food drive in their neighborhood. EDVentures With Kids shows you how.

Have a Food Drive Play Date:

Invite a group of your child’s friends over to learn about how they can help combat hunger and collect food for your local food bank. It’s a great learning experience for all. You can find the details at Coffee Cups and Crayons.

How do you support your local food bank?

You can help your kids make a difference when you volunteer as a family. It can change the world one little bit at a time.

Find more ways to volunteer as a family here:

12 Months of Family Service Projects at Every Star is Different

20 Service Projects for Kids to Fight Hunger at Lemon Lime Adventures

Using Children’s Books to Raise Awareness About Hunger at Bits of Positivity

Lunchbox Jokes That Will Make Your Kids Giggle

September 9, 2016 By Terri Thompson

My kids love lunchbox notes.

It’s a little connection to me and a little connection to home.

It’s a reason to smile even on the worst days.

I’ve been slipping these into my girls’ lunches ever since my oldest was in 1st grade. In case you’re curious, she’s in 4th grade now. That’s a lot of lunchbox jokes.

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

Searching Pinterest will usually yield lots of good options, but that can take time. Time that none of us have. So, I thought I’d gather up some of my favorite lunchbox jokes and put them in one spot so you and I can both have easy access to these fun printables.

Click on the ones that look interesting, print them out, and starting slipping them in the lunch box. It’s a fun way to add a little something special to your child’s day.

Fun lunchbox jokes that will make your kids giggle

Minecraft Lunchbox Notes from Five Marigolds

Under the Sea Lunchbox Notes from Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

Fun Fruit Jokes at Double the Batch

More Fruit Jokes at One Creative Mommy

Even more Fruit and Veggie Jokes at Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

Sports-Themed Jokes at Inspiration Made Simple

Hilarious Knock Knock Lunchbox Jokes at Happy Go Lucky

School-Themed Jokes at The Quiet Grove

More School-Themed Jokes at Coupons are Great!

Superhero Jokes from Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

Simple and Funny Lunchbox Jokes at Taking Care of {Monkey} Business

Funny and Silly Lunchbox Jokes at Wine and Glue

Fun Tongue Twisters at What Do We Do All Day?

On the Farm Jokes from Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

Did you find any your kids will like? I know I have!

Your kids will love finding one of these lunchbox jokes when they open up their food at lunchtime. There are fun choices for any kid.

More ideas for connecting with your kids:

My Reading Promise or Why Reading Aloud Matters

Connecting After School: The Questions You Should Be Asking

Surviving Your Child’s Math Homework

Kid-Made Bird Feeders for a Bird-Friendly Yard

August 5, 2016 By Terri Thompson

Birds certainly are fun to watch, aren’t they?

A house never quite feels like home to us unless we’ve got birds fluttering around.

We like to attract them to our yard with bird feeders that we keep filled all year long. Most of ours are store-bought, but it’s always fun to offer a kid-made bird feeder to our feathered friends.

Invite the birds to your yard with one of these kid-made bird feeders. DIY bird feeders are a great family craft and a fun way to learn about nature.

You can buy a bird feeder, make your own, or have a combination of the two if you want a bird-friendly yard.

Keep reading below for some fantastic ideas for kid-made bird feeders. They’ll all attract fun feathered friends to your yard.

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

For the Little Kids

(pictured left to right)

A bird feeder doesn’t have to get more complicated than stringing bird-friendly food. This Cheerio Bird Feeder is super-easy to make and the birds love it.

Add some berries and you’ve got these great Cheerio and Berry Bird Feeders from Happy Hooligans. I love how you can make them into lots of different shapes.

One of my favorite simple bird feeders is a Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder. The Resourceful Mama shows you how to make this simple project.

Before throwing away fruit that’s past its prime, turn it into these “Clean Out the Cupboard” Bird Feeders from Happy Hooligans.

Turn a pine cone into a bird feeder. You can find the instructions for a Pine Cone Bird Feeder at Juggling With Kids.

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For the Bigger Kids

(pictured left to right)

Turn a simple wooden frame from the craft store into a fun (and colorful) refillable bird feeder. You can find the instructions for Homemade Bird Feeders Using Frames at Buggy and Buddy.

Decorate your trees with pretty shaped bird feeders. Kitchen Counter Chronicles has the instructions for these simple Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders.

Clean out a lotion bottle and turn it into a bird feeder. Find out how to make this recycled bird feeder at Teach Beside Me.

Have you ever seen those beautiful bird feeder wreaths? Did you know that it’s a project you can do with your kids? Suger, Spice, & Glitter has all the instructions you need for creating a Kid-Made Bird Feeder Wreath.

Turn a gourd or small pumpkin into a bird feeder. Check out Kitchen Counter Chronicles for this pretty project.

Don’t forget to keep track of all your feathered friends with a Bird Watching Journal!

Family Bird Watching Club

June 9, 2016 By Terri Thompson

Does your family have any shared interest or hobbies? Do you all love to watch and play baseball? Or maybe hiking is your thing? Or do you spend the winter skiing and snowboarding? Whatever it is, a shared hobby is a great way to spend quality time together.

If you don’t already have a shared interest, have you thought about trying something new together?

It doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t have to be expensive.

I’ve got a crazy idea for you. Start a Family Bird Watching Club.

Begin a hobby together with your whole family by starting a family bird watching club. You'll learn together and have fun together.

I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t that something only old people do?”

Hear me out. Why is bird watching a good idea?

It’s simple. You may already have all the supplies you need. You can do it all over the world all year round. It gets the family outside enjoying nature. You can plan fun trips around this hobby. Anyone at any age can do it. Plus… birds are just plain fun.

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

How do you get started?

First, you’ll need to gather a few supplies.

1. Find a good bird field guide. We’ve had the field guide pictured above for a long, long time. It’s still very useful and we use it all the time to identify birds. Birds (A Golden Guide from St. Martin’s Press) is an updated version of our book. I also love the field guides from National Audubon Society, such as the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Edition. Find a field guide that will work for your area of the world.

2. Get some binoculars. You won’t always be able to see birds close-up. A good pair of binoculars is crucial to being able to see and observe birds. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, an inexpensive pair will get the job done.

3. Add a bird watching journal. You’ll want to record all the cool birds you find, so you’ll want a simple Bird Watching Journal. Get a nice notebook (like a Moleskine) or follow our tutorial for a simple and colorful DIY journal (you can find the tutorial here).

4. Find a basket or container. This isn’t necessary, but it’s a nice addition. Find a basket to keep all your bird watching supplies contained. Keep it by a window (it it’s a window near a bird feeder – even better), and you’ll have easy access for everything you need.

You’ve got the supplies, now what?

1. Learn about the birds that visit your own backyard. If you’re going to try bird watching, you probably want to make sure your yard is bird-friendly. Add some feeders (and keep them full) and maybe a bird bath. Try to put a feeder near a window, so you can observe the birds from inside and not disturb them.

2. Plan some trips to watch birds. You don’t have to go far. Visit a local park, pond, or nature center. Don’t forget your binoculars.

3. Keep our eyes and ears open everyday. Birds are everywhere! Once you start noticing the birds, you’ll find them all over the place. Use your field guide once you get home to identify the birds you saw.

Don’t forget these important tips!

1. Don’t get too close! Stay a distance away – that’s what the binoculars are for. Let the birds go about their day without disturbing them or even trying to touch them. And, while we’re on the subject of touching, don’t try to disturb or touch a bird’s nest either.

2. Birds like it quiet. Sometimes even a little noise will scare away a bird. While observing a bird, keep it quiet and you’ll see all kinds of fascinating things.

3. Use your ears. Often you’ll hear a bird before you see one. If you hear a bird, stop, and look around. You may get lucky and find the bird you hear. If not, can you identify the bird by it’s call?

Are you ready to start a new family hobby yet? Give bird watching a try once. You never know, you may find a new source of family activities.

Bonus Tip: The book Backyard Birding for Kids: A Field Guide and Activities by Fran Lee is a great starting point for bird watching. You’ll find common birds, places to go, and activities to make your own yard bird-friendly.

More bird activities you may love:

Family Bird Watching Club

Bird Watching Journal

After School Fun – Hummingbird Suncatchers

All About Birds Scavenger Hunt at Inspiration Laboratories

Family Fun