Today we have a guest post by Corinne Jacob from Alternate Tutelage. Enjoy!
What makes Disneyland the happiest place on Earth? A big part of the experience, especially for kids, is seeing the characters and places from their favorite movies come alive. The Disney-Pixar relationship ensures that most great kids’ movies make it to this world-famous amusement park. But of course, there are some incredible animated movies that will never find their way to the magical world of Disneyland. The fierce DreamWorks dragons and their trainers, the party-loving Madagascar friends and the legendary kung fu warriors are just some of the movie characters that kids the world over adore, yet few will manage to meet them in person. DreamWorks does not yet have a dedicated theme park to its name, and the few themed lands and rides that they do have in amusement parks around the world pale in comparison to the scale and fame of Disney’s attractions.
So what options do young fans have? Do they just have to accept the fact that they can never get up close and personal with a few of their movie heroes? In real life, maybe. But that doesn’t mean that kids will never be able to hobnob with the likes of Hiccup, Toothless and Po. In fact, kids get to do much more than say hello and take a couple of photos – through various incredible games, your kids can actually go on amazing adventures with their favorite animated movie characters! And here’s the really cool thing – some of them even include learning games as an integral part of the game!
If your kids would like to meet and play with the characters from famous kids’ movies, here’s where they can do so.
“The LEGO Movie Press Kit” by Masked Builder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“The LEGO Movie Press Kit” by Masked Builder is licensed under CC BY 2.0
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Game – Named ‘School of Dragons’, this is an MMO virtual world where your child can adopt a pet dragon (with new dragons from the movies and the TV shows added regularly to the game), teach it to shoot fire and fly, meet and interact with other Vikings, and go exploring around the world on the dragon’s back. Players also interact with Hiccup, Astrid and several other people from Berk while completing missions around the virtual islands. Mini-games include dragon racing, fishing and farming. Many of the missions and several of the mini-games are based on school-level science skills and concepts. The game is free to play, with paid membership and in-game purchase options. Kids can play the game on a browser, a mobile device or even on Facebook.
The LEGO Movie Videogame – This fun game is based on the storyline of The LEGO Movie, involving the movie characters and incorporating movie clips to provide the storyline for the game. Players get to take on the roles of Emmett, Vitruvius and Wyldstyle as they complete various tasks and try to defeat Lord Business. The storyline and the LEGO environments are sure to delight fans of the movie or the toy. The game encourages critical thinking and logical thinking skills and the storyline encourages creativity. Kids can play on a console or an iOS device. The app version is nearly as good as the original and much cheaper, though it requires a large amount of free space on the device and includes optional in-app purchases.
World of Madagascar – This is another great MMO virtual world, featuring the characters from the movies Madagascar and Penguins of Madagascar. For fans of Rico, Private, Skipper and Kowalski, this game is sure to delight. Players get to join these sleuths on top secret missions to save zoo animals from the evil Dave and his henchmen. Kids can explore locations from the various movies and play mini-games around the world. They also get to meet other movie characters, use special spy devices designed by Kowalski and interact with the other players in the game. World of Madagascar is a browser-based game.
The Amazing Spider Man Game – This console game is based on the movie of the same name, though it acts more as an epilogue instead of using the same storyline. Kids play as Peter Parker, the masked vigilante with special spider-like abilities. Situated in virtual Manhattan, the game involves saving innocent people from criminals of all kinds. Being able to jump off skyscrapers and swing gracefully through the air is incredible fun for both kids and adults. Some parents may dislike the fighting that is an integral part of the game. However, Spider Man only fights villains and there is no gore or death involved. The game is rated T (Teens) for “mild language, mild suggestive themes and violence”.
Not comparing such games to Disneyland or anything, but you can’t deny there’s something special about having great online adventures with the characters you love from the silver screen.
Do you play such games? Which ones are your favorites?
Author Bio:
Corinne Jacob is a wannabe writer who is convinced that kids learn best when they’re having fun. She is constantly on the lookout for new and exciting ways to make learning an enjoyable experience. Corinne loves all things that scream out un-schooling, alternative education and holistic learning.
