Fun & Values

This past few weeks while looking for quality children's movies I came across a great resource for family entertainment: Feature Films for Families

While browsing their site, I was amazed to find that their purpose is to teach and strengthen family values through entertainment. They have movies for kids of varying ages and for the whole family as well. Their selection includes genres such as adventure, sports, family and animated features. The films focus on values such as kindness, forgiveness, obedience, respect, love, faith, and honesty. Each movie also includes a Parents Guide, with questions to encourage families to watch and discuss the values portrayed in the movie.

I discovered that I had seen several of these films already, including some of my childhood favorites such as The Secret Garden and Rigoletto. I decided to watch one of their animated films entitled, Scamper the Penguin.

Scamper is a precocious penguin who loves to explore, but when he and his friend disobey their parents and go off on their own, they get more adventure than they bargained for. These two adorable penguins have to work together to get back home safely. I thought the movie was very fun, and loved that it promoted obedience, courage and teamwork. This is definitely entertaining and exciting for kids to watch, while teaching some important concepts as well. The movie does have several scenes that may be scary for younger children however, such as having to escape from sea lions and whales and being trapped alone on an iceberg. The penguins help each other to overcome these obstacles and are reunited safely with their parents.

I highly recommend this film for school age children, though it is sure to be a hit with pre-schoolers as well if they watch with a parent for reassurance during possibly scary moments. And I encourage you to check out Feature Films for Families to see what your family might like to watch and learn together.