I recently took my 9 year old to a preview screening of Disney and Pixar's latest movie, The Good Dinosaur and we both really enjoyed it. Since the kids are off school this week, we had a little free time so we came up with a craft idea based off the film.
In case you haven’t heard of The Good Dinosaur, or are curious about my opinion of the film, here is my short synopsis and review:
“What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct?” That is the premise behind the film. As an alternative, Pixar presents us with a scenario where the dinosaurs have shifted from hunters and grazers to an agrarian society, where they raise and herd their own food.
The main character is a runt Apatosaurus named Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) who is forced into a perilous journey to face his greatest fears and “leave his mark” on the world both figuratively and literally (with his footprint). He eventually pairs up with an unlikely human ally and they both learn that they have more in common than you would think.
The movie was sweet and touching, and I admit it pulled on my heartstrings a few times. There were a few scenes (including a few on screen deaths) that may frighten sensitive kids, but my nine year old thought it was great. And although the storyline is somewhat predictable, there were enough humorous moments and action scenes to keep the story moving along.For me the most striking part of the entire film was the gorgeous animation. Although the characters kept their cartoon-like feel with the large eyes and bright colors, the backdrops were amazingly detailed and beautifully rendered. Pixar animators have raised the bar with the photorealism they created on screen.
We viewed the movie in 3D but it almost felt gimmicky based on the breathtaking scenery which was strong enough to stand on its own.
If you are looking for a family friendly film over the holiday break, I would definitely recommend The Good Dinosaur. I’m not sure just how much it would appeal to the “older tween” set, but for the elementary school crowd I think you have a winner.
The Good Dinosaur Handprint Artwork:
I used craft paint for this version, but washable tempera or fingerpaint would be a great choice since you are working with kids.
Put the handprint upside near the bottom of the sheet.
The thumb becomes the tail and you add on the head and neck with a paintbrush.
Then add toenails with a pen or marker.
Also add on the face (we gave him brown eyes just like Arlo has!)
And of course, we had to make more than one.. This one is his 'girlfriend' according to my 6 year old. (Who knew?!)
And if you can't get enough of The Good Dinosaur, I’ve also included these fun coloring and activity sheets (The PDF includes the full page-sized file of each)
