FIParent Blog

Rent The Movie, Make The Popcorn And Get The Kids Off The Couch

January 28th, 2007

We recently got an email from Sarah Bowman and Diane Phillips Shakin, the creators of Kids Off The Couch.  Their idea was simple: 

“A bowl of popcorn and a memorable movie. Like a spoonful of sugar, the magic of a good film will lure kids to cultural outings that are more than typical kid fare. We call these film and excursion pairings Popcorn Adventures. Together with our kids, we have pondered the universe at planetariums, explored ethnic neighborhoods and learned how our local newspaper lands on our doorsteps each morning.”

Each week, Sarah and Diane select a movie that kids will enjoy and that parents can use as the launching pad for discussions and ideas.  They provide an overview of the film, conversation starters to help parents talk to their kids about the film and suggestions for a cultural adventure with your kids.  For Thanksgiving week, they featured Oliver. Conversational ideas included asking your children to imagine life on the streets.  How would they choose betwen long hours with little food at a work house or a life as a young criminal with Fagan’s gang? And then they offered ideas for volunteer activities between Thanksgiving and New Years.  Our segment involved Paper Moon, which featured Tatum O’Neal as Addie.  Tatum’s Academy Award winning performance as a nine year old con artist made her the youngest person to ever receive an Oscar.  Sarah and Diane used Paper Moon as a vehicle to talk about kids and money and to offer suggestions for other films, websites and books.

Kids Off The Couch is beautifully illustrated by Laura Cornell, who also illustrated the wonderful children’s books by Jamie Lee Curtis.  Right now, the website offers specific suggestions for cultural adventures in Los Angeles and New York.  More cities will be added in the future.  We strongly recommend that you sign up for the free weekly newsletter at www.kidsoffthecouch.com 

Entry Filed under: Financial Reflection, Modeling Values, Talking About Money, Financial Literacy