What to watch: Frozen
Where to find it: Disney+
Run time: 1 hr and 49 min
Best for ages: 3 and up
Why We Recommend Frozen
There is certainly no doubt that children love Frozen. It's been 7 years since this film was released and Elsa still seems to be the most popular Halloween costume among girls ages 3-5. Of course, my four-year-old daughter, Everly, is no exception. She can't get enough of Elsa and Anna. After years and years and years of hearing and seeing references to Frozen everywhere, I wasn't sure it would live up to the hype. But it has everything you could want in a Disney princess movie. Fun songs? Check. Magic? Of course! A silly sidekick? I dare you to not fall in love with Olaf. And best of all, it has more than one valuable life lesson that I appreciate my daughter being exposed to:
You can't marry someone you just met — I cringed when Anna got engaged to Hanz the night she met him. Is that really the message I want my little girl consuming? I was so relieved when she was immediately chided by Elsa and later by Kristoff for this rash decision. What a nice departure from some of the old school fairytale love stories like Cinderella and Snow White.
Don't be afraid of what makes you different — It is not only heartbreaking that Elsa is taught to hide her magic, it leads to a hazardous series of events.
The love between siblings can be the truest love of all — I cannot think of ever before seeing a children's movie or show that depicts true love, a typical fairytale solution to whatever conflict the characters are trying to resolve, as anything other than romantic love. But, isn't familial love just as important?
The importance of emotional regulation — Elsa's inability to control her powers throughout the movie is a great jumping-off point for a discussion on this topic. More on this below.
Frozen Activities for Preschoolers
Everly and I did two snow-inspired activities after watching Frozen. First, we had fun using pretzels and marshmallows to make snowflakes and snowmen. Later, we repurposed old plastic bottles to make a snow family.
Marshmallow Snowflakes and Snowmen
Estimated activity time: 20 minutes
Materials needed:
Large marshmallows
Small marshmallow
Pretzel sticks
Cotton swab
Chocolate syrup
Step 1: Since snowflakes have six sides, help your child put six pretzel sticks in a large marshmallow.
Step 2: Once the pretzels are in place, have your child add the small marshmallows to each of the sticks. The more they add, the more ornate their edible snowflake will look.
Step 3: Everly was much more interested in making a marshmallow snowman than she was in the snowflakes because she was more easily able to do this on her own. To begin, she put a pretzel stick through three large marshmallows one by one.
Step 4: With chocolate sauce and cotton swabs she painted a face and buttons.
Step 5: Lastly, we broke up smaller bits of pretzel to add arms and, since we were feeling extra silly that day, spikey hair.
Recycled Plastic Bottle Snowfamily
Estimated activity time: 5-10 minutes per snowperson
Materials needed:
Recycled plastic bottles
Glue (preferably a hot glue gun)
Googley eyes
Ribbon
Sequins, large rhinestones, or buttons (for the nose and buttons)
Note on materials: We used one coffee creamer bottle and three yogurt drink bottles. If you don't have white bottles on hand, you could start by having your child paint the bottles white, or you can fill clear bottles with cotton balls.
This activity was incredibly fun to do with Everly because of how open-ended it was. To start, all I did was supply the bottles and the eyes. Beyond that, she looked in her craft box and decided how she wanted to decorate each snowperson. When it came time to use the hot glue gun, I jumped in and assembled the pieces according to her creative direction. Best of all, we now have a fun new addition to our Christmas decorations.
After watching movies, I like to reinforce the moral or lesson with Everly by asking her questions to foster a discussion about what she saw. Here are a few bullets that apply after Frozen:
Why did Elsa freeze Arendelle?
Why did she get so upset?
Do you ever have big feelings that make you feel out of control?
What are some helpful things we can do when we have these big feelings?
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Tips on Helping Children With Emotional Regulation:
One of the main reasons we see young children throw tantrums is because they lack the communication skills and understanding to address negative emotions. A great way to help your kids cope with these big feelings is by helping them label their emotions. To do this, discuss with them when you are feeling sad, angry, or nervous. Describe what you are feeling, clearly labeling the emotion, and what caused you to feel it.
Then, model healthy ways to cope with these negative emotions. A few ways I do this is by taking deep breaths, going outside for a walk in the sunshine, dancing and singing to one of my favorite songs, or, when applicable, talking to the person who upset me.