10 Movies to Educate & Entertain During Black History Month

By Common Sense Media

January 15, 2024

Watch these Black history movies with your kids and learn as a family

These Black history movies for kids were hand-picked to give the 10 and younger set an opportunity to watch and learn about some of the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of the Black community. Watch these movies with your child to tap into important conversations you can have during Black History Month and throughout the rest of the year.

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World

March On! is a Black history movie for kids — Common Sense Media

This Scholastic Storybook DVD includes narrations of four children's books about the civil rights movement and Black history. It manages to explain how Black people were treated unequally in a way even preschoolers can understand on a basic level.

Recommended for ages 4 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Paul R. Gagne, Melissa R. Ellard
Scholastic, 2010

March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World

This is the uplifting true story of Janet Collins, whose dedication and determination led her to become the first African-American ballerina in the country to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. Narrated by Chris Rock, this inspirational film can teach kids a lot about the lingering effects of slavery and racism in Jim Crow America.

Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Saxton Moore
Sweet Blackberry, 2015

Garrett's Gift

Narrated by Queen Latifah, this short movie about Garrett Morgan is a great primer on the history of a famous Black inventor and on the fascinating places where ideas originate.

Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Karyn Parsons
Sweet Blackberry, 2007

The Journey of Henry Box Brown

The Journey of Henry Box Brown is an educational, uplifting short film that tells the true story of a former enslaved person who shipped himself to freedom in a crate in a harrowing 27-hour journey. It’s a perfect introduction to Black history.

Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Karyn Parsons
Sweet Blackberry, 2005

And the Children Shall Lead

This powerful drama provides a great way to open discussion with kids about racial issues. Direct and sensitive, it personalizes a portrait of America's arduous struggles to break free of racism.

Recommended for ages 9 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Directed by Michael Pressman
HBO, 1988

A Ballerina's Tale

A Ballerina's Tale examines the life and career of Misty Copeland, the first African-American principal dancer at New York's American Ballet Theater. Not only is Copeland a significant role model for any young girl who dreams of a career as a dancer, but she's also emerged as an important example for the Black community.

Recommended for ages 9 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Nelson George
Sundance Selects, 2015

Thunder Soul

Black history movies for kids — Common Sense Media

This documentary about one of the country’s top jazz bands in the mid-‘70s is full of inspiring messages and strong role models. The Kashmere Stage Band was an all-Black high school band from Houston that not only revitalized the predominantly Black school but also revolutionized the entire concept of the stage band.

Recommended for ages 9 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Mark Landsman
Roadside Attractions, 2011

Hidden Figures

Based on the nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures is the true story of three brilliant Black women who worked for NASA in the 1950s and '60s as "human computers.” This is a story that needed to be told—and it's told in a triumphant manner.

Recommended for ages 10 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Theodore Melfi
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2016

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titians is a Black history movie for kids — Common Sense Media

Remember the Titans tells the inspirational true story about the struggles and victories of a newly-integrated high school football team in 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s a deeply moving film about the courage of individuals and the power of sports to transcend perceived and ingrained differences.

Recommended for ages 10 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Directed by Boaz Yakin
Walt Disney Pictures, 2000

Woodlawn

Woodlawn is a faith-based drama inspired by true events at a Birmingham, Alabama, high school in 1973. The movie focuses on how a sports chaplain helped convert nearly the entire Woodlawn High School football team to born-again Christianity after it was desegregated, helping the players deal with racial strife on and off the field.

Recommended for ages 10 and older
Quality: 3 out of 5
Directed by Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin
Pure Flix Entertainment, 2015

Common Sense Media

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.

13 Fun Facts about George Washington to Share with Kids

by Amber GuetebierJanuary 14, 2024

President’s Day is a National Holiday that celebrates both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The official day is celebrated on the third Monday of February. From where he was born to how much education he had, read on for a few more fun facts about George Washington.

1. He was born on Feb. 22, 1732, at Pope’s Creek, Virginia

2. His family arrived in America in 1657 on a ship called the Sea Horse of London.

3. He was an excellent dancer.

4. He did throw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. The Potomac is over a mile wide, and silver dollars did not exist then. His grandson once said that George threw a piece of slate across the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, which is narrower.

5. He had no middle name.

6. The cherry tree story is just that: a story. The tale is that as a little boy, Washington chopped down a cherry tree in his family’s yard and told his father the truth even though it meant punishment. This story was fabricated by Mason Locke Weems, a bookseller who wrote the first biography about Washington (after George died in 1799).

7. George Washington had bad teeth and was afflicted with many dental diseases and pain, but his teeth weren’t wooden.

8. Washington’s white hair was not a wig, although he did powder his hair for the white appearance. Click here for a tutorial on how to rock the style.

9. He only had a grade-school level education.

10. George Washington never had any biological children.

11. A fun fact about George Washington is that he was the United States’ first mule breeder.

12. He was the first person to sign the Constitution of the United States of America.

13. His signature hairstyle was real hair. It looked white because he powdered it.

15 Cool Facts about Reindeer You May Not Know

by Amber GuetebierNovember 28, 2022

Looking for fun Christmas trivia for kids? These reindeer facts are just what you need

You know Dasher and Dancer and Comet and Vixen, but do you know that reindeer grow beards in the wintertime? We’ve rounded up some of the most fascinating, fun reindeer facts, just in time for Christmas. Looking for more trivia for kids? Check out our list here!

1. Rangifer tarandus is the scientific name for the animal we most commonly call reindeer. They are in the same family as deer, and there are more than a dozen subspecies.

2. In the wild, some reindeer travel more than 3000 miles in a single year.

3. In North America, reindeer are also known as caribou, although the current "taxonomic jury" is out on that all species of reindeer are caribou. Most people use the terms interchangeably.

4. Reindeer like it cold! They are native to Arctic and subarctic regions as well as tundra and boreal (read: snow, snow, snow!) to northern Europe, Siberia, and North America.

5. The indigenous people of Finland, the Saami, have more than 400 words for the food, tools, and other products taken from reindeer. Their word for reindeer, raingo, may be where the common name is derived.

6. Reindeer beards? In the winter time reindeer grow their facial hair long enough to cover their mouths, which protects their muzzles when grazing in the snow.

7. Male reindeer have louder calls than females. Males use a small pouch under the skin of their throats which they inflate to blast out a loud bellow.

reindeer pulling sleigh — Judith Prins via Unsplash

8. Reindeer grow new antlers every year.

9. For almost all kinds of reindeer, both male and female reindeer have antlers. Females shed their antlers when they give birth in the spring.

10. The Finnish Forest Reindeer, arguably the reindeer of Santa Claus fame, is the largest reindeer species. They are over 7 ½ feet long.

11. Finnish Forest Reindeer’s hooves have a special scoop that helps them forage through the snow for lichen and moss.

12. In warmer months, reindeer feast on grasses, mushrooms, and plants. In the winter they feast mainly on moss and lichen. Reindeer have a strong sense of smell, which helps them sniff out food underneath layers of snow.

13. In many cultures, Reindeer are used to pull sleds and sleighs. There's evidence of this dating back 7,000 years ago in Siberia!

14. Reindeer are covered in hair from their nose to the bottom of their hooves, which gives them a good grip in icy, snowy, and muddy terrain.

15. Reindeer travel in packs of 10 to several hundred. They generally follow food sources up to 1,000 miles, especially when it's tougher to find in winter.

Additional reporting by Taylor Clifton

12 Family Video Games You Can Play with Your Kids (That Are Actually Fun)

by Marcea CazelMay 12, 2022

Looking for a way to spend more quality time with your kids at home? If your kids are on their Nintendo Switch or Sony Playstation a lot, why not get in on the video game fun? Schedule a family night, and see who’s the best driver, dancer or athlete. It’s a great way to bond with your children and show them you’re interested in what they’re doing. Here are our top picks for family video games—we promise hours of fun!

Squishmallows on Roblox

In this game, you collect Squishmallows, complete mini games and customize your own Squishmallow-themed home. Parents and kids will all get a kick out of this family video game!

Gran Turismo

Gran Tourismo as a family video game — Gran-Turismo.com

Any parent who played Gran Turismo as a child is going to want to relive the game while playing their own kids. A racing simulation game, Gran Turismo is known for its graphics and the realistic nature of the cars in the game. Players can upgrade cars based on their wins and also participate in time trials. Grand Turismo is rated 'E' and available for PlayStation systems. The latest edition, Gran Turismo 7, is available now.

LEGO The Incredibles

The Incredibles for Ps4 as a family video game — LEGO.com

LEGO offers a variety of video games that are tied to kid-friendly movies. Since it's family game night, why not LEGO The Incredibles? Players choose to be superheroes or villains, and the game includes characters from other Pixar movies. LEGO The Incredibles includes puzzles and quests, leading them to a matchup with the game's biggest villain. The game was nominated for 'Fan Favorite Family-Friendly Multiplayer Game' at the 2018 Gamers' Choice Awards. LEGO The Incredibles is rated 'E10+' and is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Minecraft

Originally released in 2011, Minecraft has hundreds of millions of players, and those numbers continue to grow. A sandbox game, meaning that the characters have very few limitations and no set goals, Minecraft lets players mine blocks to construct different things. It's a great family video game for families who enjoy being highly creative and having flexibility.

Minecraft is rated 'E10+' and is available for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S.

FIFA International Soccer 21

FIFA 2021 for a family video game — Gamestop

Sports games are popular in the video game world and a great way for some friendly competition. Since soccer is a non-contact sport, FIFA International Soccer games have minimal aggression and physical hitting. Making it a great game for families. Released in 2020, FIFA 21 lets players play matches with soccer players from 30 official worldwide leagues. FIFA 21 is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5 and Xbox One, Series S/X and is rated 'E.'

Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D as a family video game — Nintendo

Super Mario is 35 years old, making it another game parents enjoyed as a child they can now play with their kids. A limited-edition game to celebrate Mario's anniversary, Super Mario 3D All-Stars puts three of Mario's greatest hits, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy, all in one package. Super Mario 3D All-Stars is rated 'E' and is for the Nintendo Switch.

Overcooked!

Who doesn’t have family members who love to cook or eat? Overcooked! lets players become kitchen chefs while facing a bunch of issues. Chefs have a limited amount of time to prepare meals (which makes the game even more fun), and there's a chef collaboration involved to get orders out on time. You can even play the game as the Swedish Chef from The Muppets. Overcooked! is rated 'E,' and it's available on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. You'll have to work together, but that's what makes it such a great family video game choice.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossings as a family video game — Gamestop

Winner of the Best Family Game award at The Game Awards 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fifth edition of the game. Players explore a deserted island while gathering food and items they need and eventually creating a community of human-acting animals. Younger children will find this not too hard to play, making it a great family video game. Animal Crossing is available on Nintendo Switch and is rated 'E.'

Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite as a family video game — Forbes.com

Remember how popular the Floss dance was a few years ago? The dance was made even more popular by Fortnite Battle Royale, where players land on an island and then forge for items to help them survive. The longer the game, the smaller the island gets. Fortnite Battle Royale is rated 'T' for Teen and is available for the Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 and PS5.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

Mario and Sonic Tokyo 2020 family video Game — Sega

Pairing Mario with fellow video character Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 lets players compete against each other in sports like swimming, gymnastics, karate and surfing. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is available for the Nintendo Switch and is rated 'E10+.'

Just Dance 2021

Any parent knows that their children think parents aren’t that exciting. Show your kids how cool your moves actually are with Just Dance 2021. Players imitate the dancer on the screen to one of the songs chosen and try to beat each other with the best score. It's a great way to interact with your kids and get everyone off the couch and moving. Available for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch and rated 'E.' This is the perfect family video game!

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

crash bandicoot family video game — Activision.com

Trying to make their way through different levels, Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco encounter crates, fruit and enemies while trying to achieve their end goal. Both characters roll their way to collecting gems and Quantum Masks to help overcome obstacles they encounter. There are two game modes to choose from, Retro Mode and Modern Mode, and there are competitive multiplayer modes. Crash Bandicoot 4 is rated ‘E10+’ and can be played on PlayStation, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.

—Marcea Cazel & Taylor Clifton

Finding the Best Baby Products Just Got Way Easier Thanks to Walmart

by Kenzie KramerFebruary 14, 2022

Becoming a parent means you’ll need to make hundreds of decisions even before your bundle of joy arrives. And if you think choosing a name is a challenge, wait until you get to car seats. You already know that Walmart has every parenting item imaginable, but now they’re making it even easier to find the perfect products for your family on Walmart Live—a shoppable livestream destination that lets you buy the items mentioned in just a few clicks!

Starting February 22, Walmart Live is teaming up with parenting experts to host Baby Days, a livestream event covering the products on every parent’s list. Get all of the details and set reminders for each livestream below!

February 22 at 2:00PM EST

To kick off Baby Days, Dancing with the Stars choreographer and dancer Lindsay Arnold is teaming up with Chicco to share her go-to bottles along with feeding tips.

February 22 at 3:30PM EST

Next up, hear from the Kurt Workman, the co-founder of Owlet, about their newest gadgets—including the Owlet Dream Sock Baby Monitor that helps you track and monitor your baby’s sleep trends.

February 24 at 11:00AM EST

On Thursday, Lance Bass and pediatrician Dr. Husain will be sharing their tips for new parents along with their favorite products from Pampers.

February 25 at 4:00PM EST

To wrap up the week, Tot Squad founder and Child Passenger Safety Technician Jen Saxton will be talking safety tips for car seats, sharing her car seat recommendations and answering questions from viewers.

Sneak Peak: LEGO Drops First Glimpse at VIDIYO Minifigs & More

by Karly WoodFebruary 18, 2021

It was only a month ago that The LEGO Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced an exciting new product: LEGO VIDIYO. Now, the brands are revealing even more details, including the first range of minifigs!

LEGO VIDIYO, a unique music video maker experience, is the perfect outlet for kids to express themselves creatively through music and play. The app uses a collection of BeatBoxes, Bandmates, BeatBits and augmented reality for endless combinations of kid-created music videos.

First in the lineup of products are BeatBoxes. To start, LEGO has launched six unique portable BeatBoxes that each hold a minifigure that coincides with a specific music genre, a scanning-stage, two special BeatBits and 14 random BeatBits.

Each BeatBox can hold up to 16 BeatBits and comes with a building plate that can be customized with LEGO tiles. The first six sets include:

43102 ‘Candy Pop’ in the Candy Mermaid BeatBox (Pop)
43103 ‘Pirate Punk’ in the Punk Pirate Beatbox (Punk)
43104 ‘Alien DJ’ in the Extra Terrestrial Dance Music BeatBox (ETDM)
43105 ‘Party Llama’ in the Party Llama BeatBox (Tropicon)
43106 ‘Unicorn DJ’ in the Unicorn DJ BeatBox (K-pawp)
43107 ‘Robot Break-dancer’ in the HipHop Robot BeatBox (HipHop)

You can also shop 12 Bandmates in a range of Mystery-Boxes! Each one comes with one special BeatBit and two random BeatBits. Bandmates can be added to your VIDIYO band and include:

43101 Bandmates: Red Panda Dancer; Cotton Candy Cheerleader; Shark Singer; Bunny Dancer; Discowboy Singer; Genie Dancer; Samurapper; DJ Cheetah; Ice Cream Saxophonist; Alien Keytarist; Banshee Singer; Werewolf Drummer

So what are BeatBits? They are 2×2 tiles that resemble album covers and bring an endless combination of audio and visual effects to your video making experience. Amp up your music video by scanning the BeatBits and change up your dance movies, background, effects and more. For the first year, there will be 130 BeatBits to collect and use.

When it comes to adding the tunes to your experience, you will have around 30 songs to choose from UMG’s global artists. Select from chart toppers, classics and your fave dance numbers from within the app, then seamlessly add to your video. The best part? Each song has been programmed to work perfectly with all the BeatBits!

You’ll need the LEGO VIDIYO app to get started creating videos. Head to the LEGO website to access options for both Android and Apple, and download it for free.

Once kids are in the app, they can choose the music, scan their LEGO minifigs and BeatBits and then bring them to life. From clothing, band names and album covers, each step is fully customizable and can result in a 60 second video. With over 1,400 unlockable elements, there is no end to your kids creativity.

Last but not least UMG label, Astralwerks, announced the signing of a new artist: a live action, human version of the DJ Llama minifigure from the Tropicon BeatBox. L.L.A.M.A is not tied to any one type of music genre and his debut single “Shake” will be released on Fri. Feb. 19. It features three-time GRAMMY winner NE-YO and Carmen DeLeon.

LEGO VIDIYO products launch on Mar. 1 on lego.com and at LEGO retailers. BeatBoxes will retail for $19.99 and Collectible Bandmates for $4.99 each.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of LEGO

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Don’t Call Her “Bossy.” She’s a Leader—& She Might Be a Budding Entrepreneur

By Brian Weisfeld

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

January 29, 2021

Ask a little girl what they want to be when they grow up and you’ll get a variety of answers, many of them similar—fireman, dancer, doctor, singer, pilot, maybe a mommy or a police officer. You’d probably rarely hear the word entrepreneur. You might hear CEO.

Not every girl will want to grow up and start her own business. But the skills and concepts kids learn from entrepreneurship at a young age can help prepare them for whatever path they choose in the future.

If you have a young girl in your life—a daughter, niece, sibling or friend—you may see certain characteristics that may make you think, “This kid is going to be in charge someday—of something.” Entrepreneurs come in all shapes, sizes, temperaments and personalities, of course, but many have similar traits in common.

If you spot these in a young girl, they are good traits to encourage and develop.

She’s a natural leader.

Natural leaders aren’t always just telling other people what to do, and even kids who seem shy may have leadership tendencies. Leadership attributes can look different in each individual. Your daughter may have a knack at assembling a team of people and getting a group project done. She may be able to easily identify someone’s skills and match them up with the perfect task.

Maybe she’s someone who marches to the beat of her own drum or would rather blaze her own trail than follow the crowd. All of these things point to signs that she’s a natural leader.

She’s willing to take risks.

We’re not talking about being risky for the sake of being a daredevil here—the kid who climbs the tallest tree at the park or wants to ski the black diamond runs before she’s ready is not going to necessarily start her own business by 17.

But a girl who’s not averse to starting conversations with adults, speaking her mind with confidence, talking in front of a group about her passions or spending money to make money (e.g. allowance money for lemonade stand supplies) may show signs she’s willing to step out of her comfort zone when there may be a payoff. In fact, taking a risk may be a lot more attractive to her than playing it safe.

She’s doesn’t label herself.

It’s natural for people to want to categorize themselves, kind of as a way to say, “Here’s where I fit in,” “I want to help people, so I want to be a nurse,” or “I want to work with kids, so I want to be a teacher”—these are normal things you might hear a kid say when asked what they want to be when they grow up.

Natural entrepreneurs may not think that way, however—they may not be looking for a place to fit in as much as a way to stand out. If your child hems and haws when she’s asked, “What do you want to be someday?” don’t take that as a negative sign. It could be that she wants to create her own place in the world.

She’s self-motivated and driven.

Maybe you rarely have to ask about homework because she often has it done before you even get the chance. Or maybe she took it upon herself to start learning a second language or some other skill simply because she’s interested, not because she has to.

Is her list of extracurricular activities longer than either you or she has time for? Natural-born entrepreneurs are often driven to go beyond the status quo and have ambition to accomplish and do more than what’s expected.

She problem-solves.

The Warren sisters—Lilly, Chloe and Sophie—started their company, Sweet Bee Sisters, when they realized that their parents’ beehives were not going to produce enough honey to sell, only enough for their family and maybe a few friends. Then they noticed the beeswax. Could that be worth something? They did some research, started producing lip balm, and have since expanded their product line to include lotions and sugar scrubs.

This is a perfect example of problem solving: Honey wasn’t going to make them much money, but another byproduct of the bees certainly could. If you know a young girl who thinks less in terms of “we have a problem” but more with the mindset, “let’s find a solution,” she may be born to be a business owner.

This isn’t an exhaustive list. And we’re not saying if your daughter doesn’t have these traits, she won’t be an entrepreneur. These are simply traits that might suggest you have a budding future business owner on your hands.

Nurture them. Encourage her. And let her know that, above all, she’s capable.

Sometimes that’s all a girl needs to hear to get the wheels in her head spinning with possibilities.

This post originally appeared on The Startup Squad.

Brian Weisfeld

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I've always built businesses, from a childhood gummy bear business to adult gigs at IMAX and Coupons.com. I founded The Startup Squad to help girls reach their potential and my book series, The Startup Squad, is published by Macmillan. I live in Silicon Valley with my wife and two daughters.

Dwayne Wade Reads Gabrielle Union’s Book to Kick off PBS KIDS Summer Read-Along

by Jennifer SwartvagherJuly 1, 2020

PBS KIDS partnered with Little Free Library for a collection of story time videos this summer. Through the collaboration, each special guest will read a children’s book and designate a location in the U.S. where a Little Free Library will be installed, complete with a supply of diverse books to make reading together more accessible for families across the U.S.

The series kicked off as NBA legend and entrepreneur Dwayne Wade read Gabrielle Union’s children’s book Welcome to the Party.

Other upcoming participants include Camila Alves McConaughey, Tim Gunn, Carla Hall, Anthony Ramos, Marley Dias, Boris Kodjoe & Nicole Ari Parker, with additional special guest readers added throughout the summer. The story-times will feature books with diverse authors and characters, as well as bilingual readings.

To encourage engagement and a love of reading while many families are spending much of their time at home, the ongoing PBS KIDS “Read-Along” effort gives kids and parents a place to come together and read-along with fan-favorite books every Mon. and Fri. at 12 p.m. ET.

Launched in March, PBS KIDS Read-Alongs have featured Michelle Obama, Kristen Bell, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush.

Additional upcoming PBS KIDS Read-Alongs will include Tad Hills and legendary ballet dancer and best-selling author Misty Copeland.

Each reading is livestreamed simultaneously on PBS KIDS’ Facebook and YouTube channel and remains available for viewing on demand on both platforms immediately following. Companion literacy resources for each “Read-Along” are available on pbskidsforparents.org. The full schedule is available here. Follow PBS KIDS on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: PBS Kids via YouTube

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“SCOOB!” Is Coming to Your Home This Friday!

by Jennifer SwartvagherMay 14, 2020

Looks like Friday night is movie night! Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the whole Mystery Inc. Gang are bringing the party to your house this weekend. Starting on May 15 SCOOB! will be available for a 48-hour rental via Premium Video On Demand for $19.99, or premium digital ownership for $24.99.

Families are invited to join the #ScoobMovieNight premiere event on Twitter starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Follow along on Twitter for the #ScoobMovieNight Premiere Event featuring cast, musical performances and exclusive clips.

Get your kids ready for the big night with this fun Party Pack and Activity Guide. You’ll find printouts, games, recipes and more. Plus, learn the #ScoobDance on TikTok from celebrity dancer, Jalaiah Harmon.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

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32 Ballerinas From Around the World Danced Together for COVID-19 Relief

by Jennifer SwartvagherMay 12, 2020

The arts community has been hit hard due to the coronavirus pandemic. Like other performing groups, ballet companies depend on ticket sales to stay in operation, but selling tickets is virtually impossible when all venues are closed for the foreseeable future. American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland and her former colleague, Joseph Phillips, launched Swans for Relief, a special video performance featuring dancers from ballet companies around the world.

Copeland and Phillips organized the event with help from the Entertainment Industry Foundation and seed funding provided by K Period Media. It is their hope that they will be able to raise money to assist ballet dancers struggling to pay rent and other living expenses while they are without a paycheck.

The 32 ballerinas featured in this special video performance represent ballet companies from around the world, including the US, Australia, the UK, South Africa, Norway, Russia, Cuba, France, the Philippines, Canada, Austria, Mexico, Denmark, and China.

A message from Copeland and Phillips reads, “We know that everyone’s circumstances are different, especially in these precarious times, but we would be so grateful to those who are able to donate, no matter the amount. If you are not able to donate, please consider sharing the link to this fundraiser so that it might reach more people who are able to give and share in turn. The arts are vital in bringing people together and helping us process the human condition, and in these very unusual times it is dancers who can truly use the support.”

While the video performance is free to watch, the campaign asks that supporters donate whatever they can on Swans for Relief’s GoFundMe page. Copeland and Phillips hope to raise $500,000, and those proceeds will be distributed to the relief funds of the participating dancers’ companies.

As the organizers explained on the GoFundMe page, “Art brings people together to provide a beautiful escape, and ballet in particular is a very unifying experience both on and off the stage, filled with history and imagination.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Nihal Demirci via Unsplash

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She’s a natural leader.

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She problem-solves.

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