Exploring Loneliness & Community with Elio
As a child, I was fascinated by the idea of tossing a message in a bottle into the ocean and wondering if someone,…
MorePosts tagged: Movies
Exploring Spirituality with How to Train Your Dragon
My children loved the previous How to Train Your Dragon movies and shows. They were curious whether the live action…
MoreExploring Ohana with Lilo and Stitch
My daughter and her cousin seem like an unusual pair. One is loud, outgoing, and adventurous, while the other is quiet…
MoreMinecraft Spirituality
It can be thrilling to see an imaginary world from a book or game come to life before our eyes. Before A Minecraft…
MoreSnow White Spirituality
From the time my kids were little, we have worked together to clean the house, take care of pets, and prepare dinner.…
MoreLooney Tunes Spirituality
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig are terrible at almost everything they try to do. They let their house fall apart, set Farmer…
MoreExploring Captain America: Brave New World
One of the things that frustrates my younger children is living in their older siblings' shadows. Teachers and coaches…
MoreDog Man Spirituality
Dog Man and his arch-nemesis Petey the Cat are stuck in a cycle of fighting with each other until Petey creates a…
MoreExploring Identity & Community with Moana 2
Moana spends her days exploring the ocean, searching for other islanders. The ancestors have said that her people will…
MoreExploring Difference with Wicked
When my family took our seats to watch the movie version of Wicked, we were expecting an upbeat musical with big dance…
MoreAsking Why with Transformers One
‘Why?’ is one of my children’s favorite questions. When they were little, they asked, “Why is the sky blue?”…
MoreExploring Personal Connections with Despicable Me 4
My family went on vacation with friends a few years ago. It was fun but also complicated to figure out how to live…
MoreExploring Identity with Inside Out 2
The transition from childhood to adolescence brings a host of new emotions to the fore: anxiety, envy, embarrassment,…
MoreLearning about Self & Others with The Garfield Movie
We often wonder what pets are thinking and feeling, especially when they do something that seems odd or silly. A cat…
MoreImagining Wellbeing with IF
Studies show that around 65% of children develop imaginary friends (IFs) before they are seven. These sometimes quite…
MoreSpiritual Leadership with Kung Fu Panda 4
The Kung Fu Panda movies are some of my kids' favorites. Together, we have watched Po grow from a noodle maker into a…
MoreWhen Kids See Life as a Quest
My son jumped excitedly from foot to foot as he waited impatiently for the clock to strike midnight. Our local…
MoreManaging Fears with Migration
When my daughter was little, she watched a movie where the mother died. Afterward, she would become upset every time…
MoreDreaming with Wonka
When my eldest was two, she asked if there would be “little meats” for Christmas. I was puzzled and tried…
MoreMaking Religious Meaning with Journey to Bethlehem
During the month of December, many Christian families retell the biblical Christmas story as part of their holiday…
MoreImagining a Better World with Wish
“Why do bad things happen?” asks my son. That question is hard enough to answer, but he doesn’t stop there. He…
MoreExploring Family Relationships with Trolls Band Together
Movies and commercials often highlight traditional families and focus on the joys of being together. But real families…
MoreExploring Community with The Eras Tour Movie
Moviegoers are sporting a special look this fall. Glittery shirts and jackets. Purple jerseys with the number 13 on the…
MoreExploring Teamwork with Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Preparing for a family get-together, I gave each child a different job. My youngest collected cups and my third…
MoreTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Spirituality
My kids used to grab paper and pens and create their own comics. Their scratchy designs would tell stories about their…
MoreBarbie Spirituality
Outside the movie theater, two young girls are pointing at all the people wearing pink. A group of women observe,…
MoreExploring Elemental with Kids
A few days ago, one of my children wanted breakfast for dinner, while another preferred Indian. The first argued that…
MoreExploring Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The new Spider-Man movie, Across the Spider-Verse, is visually stunning, with different graphics for each universe. The…
MoreExploring Spirituality with The Little Mermaid
Children have long loved Ariel, the star of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, because of her determination to live her…
MoreExploring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Kids
Marvel’s newest release, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, focuses on Rocket’s origin story as Groot, Mantis, Drax,…
MoreSuper Mario Spirituality
The Super Mario Bros. Movie begins with the Nintendo game’s familiar theme music, a siren call to multiple…
MoreAvatar Spirituality
Avatar: The Way of Water continues the story of Jake, Neytiri, and their children. For many years, they have lived…
MoreWakanda Spirituality
How do you create a Black Panther sequel without the Black Panther? Chadwick Boseman’s death made it difficult for my…
MoreReflecting on Lyle, Lyle Crocodile with Kids
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile offers several big songs and dance scenes that will engage and excite young moviegoers. But…
MoreExploring Gods & Grief with Thor: Love and Thunder
My family rarely misses a Marvel movie, and the new Thor: Love and Thunder is no exception. In his typical oblivious…
MoreExploring Power & Perseverance with Minions: The Rise of Gru
The new Minions movie has much of the silliness you expect from the Despicable Me franchise. We watch as young Gru…
MoreExploring Lightyear with Children
As long time fans of Toy Story, my children were excited to learn Buzz’s backstory. They watched as Buzz and Alesha…
MoreCelebrating Self-Discovery
As the regular school year draws to a close, many extracurricular programs also pause for the summer. Teachers and…
MoreSpiritual Reflection with Turning Red
Pixar’s newest release is a coming-of-age story about a Chinese Canadian girl accepting both her changing body and…
MoreReflecting with Spiderman: No Way Home
When my oldest child was 4, he begged to have his face painted as Spiderman. But when he saw his new face in the…
MoreSpiritual Reflection with Encanto
Encanto, Disney’s newest animated feature, tells the story of an extraordinary family. Once upon a time, Abuela…
MoreReflecting on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
During quarantine, my family watched all of the Marvel movies in chronological order. It was one of the few series…
MoreExploring Life & Death with Soul
Pixar movies are beloved by both children and adults for their creative stories, well-developed characters, and…
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