Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. And as much as I would have loved to whisk him away somewhere or skip town together, this just wasn’t the year for doing it. Instead, he elected to spend a quiet day at home watching endless football games before enjoying dinner out as a family.
One of the highlights of the day, however, was a gift that our kids put together with a little help from me: a movie for dad that combined video tributes with still photos and meaningful songs. I think even our children were misty after seeing our lives on the screen, lifted up with songs that croon of love and lifetimes.
If you’re looking for something meaningful to do for someone you love (Valentine’s Day is a month away!) ~or~ if you need a fresh way for your kids to show you what they’ve learned in school, movie making is an option that deserves a second look.
Here’s how we did it:
- Using my new Sony Bloggie (no, I’m not getting paid to recommend them!), we videotaped each member of the family speaking a tribute to dad. I asked each child different questions that would help them share specific memories; for example: “Share a small moment that was meaningful between you and daddy”, “What’s the funniest story your dad’s ever told you?”, “What’s the most fun you’ve ever had outside with daddy?”
- After videotaping eachother, we uploaded the video and dropped it right in to iMovie. MAGIC! The kids took it over from there and added still photos from my iPhoto collection, specifically looking for pictures of daddy.
- Last came transitions and music.
- And honestly, with the exception of a couple of snags, our kids did it all!
- Have your child recap your latest history unit: videotape him acting out the main points, google search images that support the story, and add sound effects to enhance it all.
- Videotape your child doing a new math problem, explaining each step. Add still slides in between as visual reminders. (#1: Look for a common denominator…#2: calculate your new fraction by multiplying the numerator…etc.)
- Film a science experiment. Stop frequently to record predictions and take measurements. Add those predictions as still slides that your child puts into words.
- Record her playing her instrument, using still slides to announce the song title and composer. Google search an image for the composer and add that to a slide as well.
Best of all, incorporating technology and giving your child the green light to create will inject the mundane with a bright flash of fun. They’ll be begging to show you what they know…and how much they love you.
How can you imagine yourself using movie-making in your home or schooling?
