If you’ve ever wondered what toys do when they’re alone, this Pixar classic has sparked children’s imaginations by bringing toys to life. In Toy Story, Woody is the sheriff in Andy’s room. But, everything changes when a brand new space figure, Buzz Lightyear, becomes the new favorite toy and Woody gets jealous.
As Woody clashes with Buzz (who thinks he’s a space ranger, not a toy), they end up left behind at a gas station. Now they need to get back to Andy before his family’s moving day. The toys learning to work together is one of the many lessons kids can learn from Toy Story. Here are a few others:
- Don’t act jealous. Woody is not happy when Andy gets Buzz as a birthday gift. But his jealousy leads him and Buzz into some trouble. When new things happen in your life, it’s important to accept the changes and try to react to them with a positive attitude.
- Teamwork is important. In the movie’s theme song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” Randy Newman sings: “We stick together and can see it through.” Think of the green army men in the beginning of the movie who don’t leave a man behind. Woody and Buzz soon learn that they need to work together in order to get home.
- Believe in yourself. Buzz Lightyear’s catchphrase — “To infinity and beyond!” — teaches us that anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it. Buzz was able to fly (or more like fall with style) in order to land in the van with Woody.
Movie-inspired activities
Now that you’ve watched Toy Story, try out these fun themed activities for kids:
- Assemble straw rockets. Build a spaceship like Buzz with this easy DIY project shared by our sister magazine, Metro Parent.
- Make “There’s a snack in my boot!” desserts. Use your favorite chocolate pudding recipe, chocolate cookies and gummy worms to recreate these delicious pudding cups.
- Mix together alien slime. This glow-in-dark slime recipe was inspired by Toy Story‘s adorable green squeak toy aliens.
- Build a potato head. Here’s a free printable board game where the first person who builds Mr. Potato Head wins.
- Play “The Claw” game. You can play the classic claw machine at home with a twist. All you need are kitchen tongs. Preschoolers will love to remove toys from a bin and older kids can participate in a claw relay race.
Have a Watch This, Do That idea you want to share with our readers? Send your idea to editor@chicagoparent.com with your pitch for the show and the activities. We’d love to share your idea on ChicagoParent.com.
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