Happy Friday! Friday’s are perfect for movie night, and we are headed to see Ice Age again! We are on vacation this week, and are having such a great time on the beach, whale-watching, mini-golfing, going to the movies, and all the great things you can do as a family when you visit Cape Cod! If you’ve been following us along on Snapchat (@thisseasonsgold), you’ve seen the amazing close-encounters with whales and more! I also hosted an event at a boutique in Chatham, and I can’t wait to share more about it when we get back!
As a start to my Learning Through Motherhood (LTM) series, I wanted to talk about going to the movies with my son. The movies are honestly one of the best ways to spend time with the family, and with the right movie, a wonderful learning experience for the little ones!
Recently, we were kindly invited to attend a private screening of Ice Age: Collision Course on behalf of Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama (she’s amazing!). A Blue Sky Studios production (20th Century Fox), Ice Age: Collision Course is the fifth installment of the Ice Age movie franchise. My son and I went to see the movie, which was great for a 6 year old, and had the honor of meeting and speaking with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and the character voice of Neil deBuck Weseal in the movie. For a little boy who often asks questions about space and history (and everything really!), I could tell meeting Dr. Tyson was a moment in my son’s life that he will never forget.
As a mother and theatre teacher, what I learned from the famed astrophysicist was something I least expected. After being asked by a young boy what he would be if not a astrophysicist, he answered “I’d write music for Broadway musicals”. And after hearing more about his connection to the arts, it was then that my belief that science and the creative arts must co-exist for a strong education was reaffirmed, something that truly matters to me.
We ended the day exploring two exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, Dinosaurs Among Us and Dark Matter (Hayden Planetarium). It was such a lovely treat to spend the day together with my son, and both of us learning together.
As I close out this first post of my new series, I’d liked to end with what I learned from this experience as I stated in my post here.
3 Things I Learned
Going to the movies with my son is my favorite experience, especially when I ask the questions “What was your favorite part of the movie?”, “Why do you think that character made that decision?”, and “Who was your favorite character and Why?”
Giving your child the opportunity to explore the world around them without stopping them from asking questions helps them grow intellectually!
We are really, really small on this planet in comparison to the rest of the universe! (Perspective for what really matters in life!)
2 Things I Found Interesting
Ice Age: Collision Course was a wonderful lesson in science while entertaining enough for me and my son to watch!
Being a scientist is being an adult who never grew up because it is about constantly asking questions as to WHY things happen the way they do. (Thanks Dr. Tyson!)
1 Question I still have
Do I let my son explore and make mistakes enough for him to learn from them on his own? (My lifelong question as a Mom!)
I hope you enjoyed this first share of my motherhood experience, and I’d love to know – what movies do you like to watch with your children or those in your family?
Thank you for reading, and thank you to Nellie for sharing this experience with us!
