During these times, lots of people are struggling to keep the family occupied. As a high school teacher, I frequently find myself watching things on Disney+ and thinking, “This would be great for students!” Here are 4 things I saw on Disney+ that can promote learning, creativity, and critical thinking all while having fun.
- For the Handy family: If your family is into DIY building, that “Shop Class” is the show for you. This is a competition series where three teams of young builders are given a new design challenge every episode. The teams will compete to be named “Shop Class” Champs. After watching an episode, you can get the family together to try your hand at one of the design challenges.
Ages: Late Elementary, Middle, High School
Content: Physics, Math
- For the Crafty Family: If your family loves to cut and glue, then “Family Sundays” is the show for you. This crafty show walks you through a one-of-a-kind craft project based on a Disney film. Many of the craft project features are designed to bring the family together. You can gather some material and follow along with the episode.
Ages: Pre-K and Early Elementary
Content: Art
- For the family that like to discuss: Do you and your family like to engage in discussion about social issues? Do you have a budding film analyst at home? Check out the Pixar SparkShorts. The spark shorts tackle interesting topics such as gender in the workplace, animal rights, inclusivity , and autism awareness. These short specifically can be great conversation starters for the family.
Ages: Middle and High School
Content: English
- For the family that loves nature: If your family has an appreciation for animals and conservation, check out the new collection of DisneyNature Films and the National Geographic catalog. These films and nature docs can be a great starting point for a causal research project or a science report.
Ages: All Ages
Content: Biology, Natural Science
