HOLLYWOOD HOMESCHOOLING

Plonking your kid in front of a TV screen to watch a movie can be educational, says education expert Becky Cranham of home learning site Planbee (www. planbee.com). Only don’t do what I did when we watched Inside Out and loudly weep all the way through the movie…

Ask children to write down the names of each of the emotions as they watch the movie. They could also note what colour the emotions are and how they behave. When the film is finished, ask them to think of a time they felt each of the emotions and write them down in an emotions diary.

Explore the natural world by asking little ones to keep a tally of different animals and put them in groups – big cats, etc – then see how many ways they can be grouped together using different criteria.

Have a craft lesson by getting children to note down what materials are used to make the toys in the film – plastic, metal, fabric, wool and wood etc. Which of their own toys are made from fabric, like Woody?

Ask children to write down spells and what each one does, then ask them to make a spell book complete with instructions and diagrams. Children could also make a book on mythical beasts about each creature.

Get children thinking about the seasons and how they affect people and animals. Ask them to create a list of words that describe either summer or winter as they watch, including what people are wearing, colours seen, people and animals’ reactions, and their activities.