Some millennial parents may remember growing up watching the classic ’90s movie, Space Jam, featuring basketball superstar Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes squad. Is the theme song stuck in your head now? Twenty-five years later, our kids can now enjoy a movie for their generation, Space Jam: The New Legacy.
The sequel now stars another NBA star, Lebron James, playing himself as he teams up with Bugs Bunny, Daffy and other iconic Looney Tunes characters in a high-tech basketball game. Lebron must win in order to save his son, who has been kidnapped by an artificial intelligence. Here are some important lessons from the movie to point out to your kids.
- Be yourself. Dom, Lebron James’ son in the film, loves coding video games. It’s his passion even if his father doesn’t approve. Remind their kids to not hold back on what makes them happy.
- Think outside the box. Lebron James seems so serious about the rules of basketball until he learns that’s not going to help his team win this basketball game. Instead, he learns from the Looney Tunes to let loose and do things in a new style. It’s OK to break away from a routine and not let the rules bring you down.
- Don’t push your kids. This is more of a lesson for us parents than for our kids. We sometimes don’t realize that we pressure our kids to follow our footsteps or dreams. But do we ever ask what our kids really want? Don’t pressure your kids to do something they don’t want to do, especially when it conflicts with our interests.
Movie-inspired activities
After watching Space Jam: A New Legacy, try these fun, kid-friendly activities inspired by the film.
- Read about basketball. If your kids are basketball fans, they’ll recognize players in the movie like Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Diana Taurasi. Learn more about basketball players with this children’s book, Basketball Legends Alphabet.
- Watch classic Looney Tunes. If you’re feeling nostalgic of your favorite childhood cartoons, you can watch Looney Tunes episodes on HBO Max.
- Play HORSE. In the movie, the players create their own style when shooting baskets. Have fun with your own basketball moves by playing a classic game of HORSE.
- Try some screen-free coding. Dom loves coding. Introduce your kids to coding without the screens by having them “code” their own Lego maze. Try this tutorial from Research Parent.
- Print out this Space Jam-themed activity book. The Space Jam movie released a free, printable book filled with kid-friendly activities including coloring pages, crafts, recipes and more.
Have a Watch This, Do That idea you want to share with our readers? Send your idea to editor@metroparent.com with your suggestion for a movie. We’d love to share your idea on MetroParent.com.
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