The Surprising Effect The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Had on Our Kids

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The Surprising Effect The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Had On Our Kids:

(Thank you, LEGO for partnering with me on this review of the LEGO NINJAGO Movie. All the opinions stated are 100% – and my kids’!)

I had been scrubbing the pan with the baked-on semi-failed dinner for several minutes, when I realized that it was unusually quiet in our house. We have four boys… four boys should never be quiet. They should be loud. Usually someone is always crying, whining or complaining – it’s just the way it goes when you have what most people consider “a lot of kids.”

I turned down the music… still silence… nothing, nada. It was eerie. I pride myself on being one of those observant parents, but for a few moments, I wondered if the kids were even in the house.

I went upstairs. As I got closer to the second floor, I heard faint voices coming from Jacob’s room. He’s our oldest and he has the biggest bedroom of the four kids. The door was closed, which sent my suspicion into over-drive. What evil plans were they plotting in there?

Don’t tell them, but I eavesdropped on their conversation… because I am MOM!

It took me a few moments to realize what I was listening to… but once I did, my heart melted.

The kids, all four of them (ages 11, 8, 5 and 3) were playing with their new and old LEGO NINJAGO sets. Jordan (8), he’s normally the ring leader – so it was no surprise when I realized that he was playing the role of Lloyd, the green ninja – the star of the new LEGO NINJAGO movie.

Lloyd, or rather Jordan, said to one of the other ninjas “What is your ninja power, Jay? I know you don’t feel like you are good at anything in particular, but we ALL have something we are good at. EVERYONE has ninja powers. You just have to look within to find them!”… and then he dropped a line from the LEGO NINJAGO Movie: “Even if you are different you can do great things!”

I am not sure which one of the other kids was Jay… all I know is, I felt REALLY proud and happy – and I did a celebratory fist pump in the air… while I quietly went back down stairs and let the four kids play otherwise uninterrupted.

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The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Review:

I took the kids to see the LEGO NINJAGO movie the day it came out, which I normally never do. But I might have been a bit more excited to see this movie than any of the other movies we have watched lately.

The movie was GREAT, for so many reasons! Let me share a few of them, without revealing too much about the movie

It was age appropriate for a broad age-range, which made it suitable for a family like ours. I laughed as much as the kids did, sometimes even more. (I may even have shed a tear or two!)
It kept our kids’ attention from start to finish, which is critical when you take four kids to the movies by yourself!
The “action scenes” were so well made and fun to watch.
The LEGO builds were incredibly creative with lots of new and innovative features. After the movie, we spent a lot of time talking about which buildings and vehicles we would like to see as LEGO sets. (It always impresses me when I talk LEGO with the kids, they catch the fine details and the unusual builds.)
The movie touched on a lot of important topics and it sent a unified message about empowerment, self esteem, kindness, empathy.

Conversation starters after watching the LEGO NINJAGO Movie with your kids:

After the movie, as we walked through the parking lot (three times actually, because I forgot where I parked), the kids and I discussed the movie. Our conversation naturally jumped from one topic to the next. Before we knew it, we were engaged in an enjoyable and deep conversation.

I encourage you to sit down and talk to your kids after you watch the movie. There are several themes and topics in the movie that lend themselves perfectly to heart-to-heart conversations.

Snuggle up in a cozy setting and start a dialog about the things they learned from the LEGO NINJAGO Movie.

Suggested conversation starters:

(You can of course, drill further into any of these by adding your own follow-up questions.)

What was your favorite part of the LEGO NINJAGO Movie?
When the movie started, what did the shop owner tell the little kid?
1. (Answer: “You must forget everything you know, and see things in a new way.”)
2. What does that mean?
3. In the movie, who looked at things in a new way? Did it help him?
Who was your favorite Ninja?
1. Why did you pick that Ninja?
What was Lloyd’s elemental power?
1. What does that mean?
One of the last lines in the movie was: “Even if you are different you can do great things!”
1. What does that mean?
Which Ninja would you be?
1. What is your elemental power?
2. What does your inner-ninja look like?
Did you notice any bullying in the movie?
1. If so, who did it and why?
What can you tell me about Lloyd’s relationship with his dad?
What can you tell me about Lloyd’s relationship with his mom?
What did you think of the ending.

As you can see, there is not right or wrong answers to these questions. They are simply meant to start a healthy conversation between you and your LEGO NINJAGO fan.

Please let me know in the comments, your answer to one of the questions above.