You don’t need your passport to enjoy a piece of Europe this summer. The newest Pixar movie, Luca, follows two young sea monsters — Luca and Alberto — disguised as human boys exploring a town in the Italian Rivera.
Luca and Alberto learn a lot about the human world where they meet a new friend, Giulia, who’s training for the Portorosso Cup Triathlon. They decide to team up to win the grand prize, but along the way, they learn some important lessons. Here are some to discuss with kids.
- Challenge yourself. Throughout the movie, Luca and Alberto use the phrase, Silenzio Bruno!, to help fight the negative thoughts and be brave. Luca is hesitant to try new things but with Alberto’s help, he learns to be confident. Help your kids understand that it’s OK to be scared, but they still have the will power to do amazing things.
- Accept others. Luca and Alberto are forced to be humans on land due to the town’s fear of sea monsters. In reality, the sea creatures are scared of the “land monsters” that hunt them. Acceptance is a valued lesson that we continue to teach our children and how it’s never OK to treat others badly who are different than you, or witness it from a distance.
- Find friends who support you. Luca, Alberto and Giulia form a special friendship when they train for the triathlon. They learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and more importantly, they know how to help when someone’s in trouble or down.
Movie-inspired activities
Now that you’ve watched Luca, try out these screen-free activities with your kids.
- Eat trenette al pesto. Didn’t that pasta made by Giulia’s father look amazing? Now you can re-create at home with this easy recipe from the movie’s director.
- Create your own triathlon. You don’t have to swim, eat pasta and bike for this activity! Get creative and make a triathlon that your whole family enjoy. Here are some ideas with our indoor obstacle course guide.
- Learn about astronomy. Luca first think that stars are fish until Giulia teaches him about astronomy. Become fascinated with the subject like Luca by visiting a planetarium near you. In Chicago, we have Adler Planetarium.
- Treat yourself to gelato. We’re so ready to eat all the Italian food after watching Luca. Some of our favorite Chicagoland gelato spots are Black Dog Gelato and Sweet Home Gelato.
- Discover deep sea monsters. Are you kids fascinated by sea monsters now? Learn about cool sea creatures in the darkest ocean depths with this Scholastic guide.
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.
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