I’ve always been a movie geek. I love looking for gaffes, figuring out that they filmed Toronto for New York, or trying to determine who that guys is who was in that other movie where he either played a cop or a surfer. Needless to say, I can’t wait until my children are old enough to start appreciating the finer points of cinema, and not just asking for the same scene from Finding Nemo 197 times in a row.
One year ago, two other movie-loving moms, Sarah Bowman and Diane Shakin, founded Kids off the Couch to help LA-area families turn the passive act of film-watching into active adventures around town that get kids psyched about film, culture and yes, even spending time with you.
The staff of CMP thought we could not love this site more–until this week when they finally took KOTC national. Hooray!
Just sign up for their free newsletter and each week you’ll get a "Popcorn Adventure" in your inbox themed around a current release or family-friendly classic. The editors provides a good description of the movie, viewing tips, trivia, a comprehensive list of related books and films, and best of all, outings that help bring the film to life. Hit the local park with a birding guide after a viewing of Fly Away Home, or rent E.T. then turn your kids onto NASA’s website for kids, followed by a trip to the planetarium. Suddenly movies are more than a 120 minute break from the world, they’re an entry right into the heart of it.Take a look at the LA archives and you’ll get a great sense of what to expect. In fact, even if you don’t live in LA I suggest you sign up for that edition too – it’s easy to adapt a lot of the suggestions to your own hometown.
Best of all, the whole thing is free. The best things often are. And if you’ve rented Good News recently, you’d already know that. See? Total movie geek. –Liz
Couch Potatoes No More
