Six-year-old Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who was raised by her older sister, Nani, after their parents died in a car crash, adopts a new “dog” that she calls Stitch. Little does she know, Stitch is a small, blue alien genetically engineered to create chaos.
While Stitch uses Lilo to avoid being captured by the intergalactic federation, he learns new things from her. Here are some lessons to point out to your kids:
- It’s OK to be different. Lilo has trouble getting along with girls her age because they think she’s weird. That doesn’t stop her from being her true self with Stitch and Nani. And in the end, it doesn’t matter how many friends she has.
- Family is important. One of the best quotes in this animated movie is “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” It’s something that Stitch, Nani and Lilo remind each other. They might be a small and broken family, but they know they have each other no matter what.
- Choose kindness. Stitch was originally designed to cause destruction. Through his new family, he learns there are more important things in life. He’s lost and alone if he chooses to be harmful to others. Instead, he changes his way to become kinder and more loving by helping out his new family.
Movie-inspired activities
After watching Lilo & Stitch at home, try these activities with your family:
- Make a fun bento box. Surprise your family with a special lunch. This fun bento box comes with yummy snacks and your kids will love the Stitch ears.
- Learn how to hula. If you love watching the beautiful hula in the movie, learn some hula basics in this YouTube tutorial from iHula Hawaii.
- Take photos with a disposable camera. Seeing Lilo use a film camera seems like a blast from the past. Why not show your kids what life was like before camera phones? They’ll get a kick out of a disposable camera.
- Make your own lei. You can learn more about Hawaiian traditions with this lei craft, inspired by the children’s book, The Gift of Aloha.
- Listen to Elvis Presley. Lilo is a big Elvis fan. Play some of The King’s biggest hits with the “This Is Elvis Presley” playlist on Spotify.
Have a Watch This, Do That idea you want to share with our readers? Send your idea to editor@chicagoparent.com with your suggestion for a movie. We’d love to share your idea on ChicagoParent.com.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
This article originally published on Sept. 23, 2020. It also appeared in Chicago Parent’s January/February 2021 issue.