Family Movie Night Activity: How To Train Your Dragon

“300 years and I’m the first Viking that wouldn’t kill a dragon…”

Hiccup isn’t like the other Vikings. Just when he thinks there isn’t anything he can do right, he learns that there is a lot more to dragons than Vikings ever thought. Hiccup quickly finds out that training dragons might be easier than getting his father to see things his way. Gather everyone for a fun flick that will keep the whole family entertained. Enjoy the movie and these Family Movie Night Activities.

Movie Snacks:

*The dragons can really heat things up by blowing fire so serve up some of your favorite fiery foods for Movie Night dinner. Stick to spicy recipes like jalapeno burgers or smoking hot chili, or make Dragon Breath Blackened Chicken. You could always fire up the grill and make a whole meal with “Dragon Fire” ranging from hamburgers and hot dogs to colorful kabobs.
*If you want to eat like a dragon, then you’ll want to serve Fish. You could have salmon or cod for dinner or even fill up little bags with goldfish crackers and Swedish fish candies to munch on during the movie. Just remember…no eel!
*Make some round sugar cookies and let your family decorate them with dragon faces. Be sure to have plenty of different colors of icing and candies they can use for different features like sharp teeth or their piercing eyes.

Must Pause Moments:

*When Hiccup tries to find the Night Fury dragon that he hit, he wanders all over the forest before he finds it. Send your kids off to find the dragon in the “forest” by hiding a dragon toy, treat, or picture somewhere in your house or yard. Leave paper clues or a map like a treasure hunt, or get extra creative and make it look like a dragon was caught or crash landed near your place. Once they find the dragon, invite it to come watch the rest of the movie with you.
*The more Hiccup learns about Toothless and the contraption he’s made to help him fly, the easier it is for him to direct Toothless where he wants him to go. Have your family practice flying with you. Show them the four positions for Follow-the-Leader Flying; Position 1: Arms out straight up towards your head, Position 2: Right arm up, left arm down (to turn left), Position 3: Left arm up, right arm down (to turn right) and Position 4: Arms down straight, by your sides. Call out positions to your family (One, Four, One, Four, to flap your “wings” and position 2 or 3 to turn) as you fly around your living room, house and yard and see if everyone can get the hang of flying together.

Other Activities:

*Hiccup has a sketchbook where he keeps notes and pictures about his inventions and discoveries. Make your own sketchbook where you can draw pictures and write about all the things you find interesting. You could include things about your favorite animals, places that you love, movies you enjoy and other activities you want to do in the future.
*Before Hiccup showed everyone that dragons didn’t have to be feared, a shield was one of the most important things to have. Cut out cardboard shields for everyone at your Movie Night and let them decorate them so they are personalized and unique.
*Make paper airplane dragons by following this tutorial. Be sure to let everyone color them to look like real dragons and then fly them around your house. You could even have races to see who made the fastest or strongest paper dragon.

*LyndiLou* - Dragon Loving Movie Mom

Rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.;98 min; Directed By Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

How To Train Your Dragon

Young Hiccup lives among the rough and hearty Vikings, son of the beefy, manly chief. Unfortunately, he is skinny and tenderhearted and just can’t fit in or join in fighting the waves of pillaging dragons that plague the village. When Hiccup befriends a wounded dragon, he discovers the dragons’ secret nest and friendly nature and starts on a collision course with his mighty father who wants nothing more than to exterminate the troublesome beasts.

ClearPlay In Action!

This is an easy dragon ride for ClearPlay. The violence is cartoony and understated, and ClearPlay only cuts out a few minor language incidents.

Should I Ride This Dragon?…

I loved this movie! Pixar is the gold standard for computer animated filmmaking, and this DreamWorks production comes the closest I’ve seen to presenting Pixar-worthy storytelling and emotional depth. How to Train Your Dragon is witty and fun, an endearing coming of age story that both adults and children can enjoy. While not as artsy as Wall-E or Ratatouille, the kids will want to watch this one more than either of those films. A great ride!

Brian Fuller— ClearPlay BoneKnapper

Rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.;98 min; Directed By Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders