The Jungle Book - Kids Activity Sheets

THE JUNGLE BOOK is such a classic Disney animated movie because its transcends generations when it comes to people appreciating this 1967 portrayal of Rudyard Kipling's book for providing good quality family friendly entertainment.  It's not just the telling of the tale through Walt Disney Studio's reputed animation but also its upbeat musical soundtrack that enhances the movie watching experience.  I have a great memory from being a young kid of the whole audience joyfully singing along together The Bare Necessities while seeing a showing of THE JUNGLE BOOK at the movie theater.  It always puts a smile on my face now as a parent seeing my children parade around the room to Colonel Hathi's March or dance around the room like monkeys to I Wanna Be Like You when our family watches THE JUNGLE BOOK on DVD.  It's nice to see your children appreciate something as much as you did when you were their age. THE JUNGLE BOOK is definitely a movie that any family with young kids should have in their home video collection.

Based upon how fond my family is of THE JUNGLE BOOK it peeked my interest to see that Disney is releasing a new live action version of the film arriving at movie theaters across the United States on April 15, 2016.  While this new movie will differentiate from the original by lacking its cartoonish musical charm it is promising some impressive special effects that will seamlessly blend live action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments.  Hey and it has got Bill Murray voicing Baloo so you have to appreciate that! From looking at the trailer, I'm looking forward to checking out this new adaption of THE JUNGLE BOOK when it arrives at the movie theater.



Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), based on Rudyard Kipling's timeless stories and inspired by Disney's classic animated film, THE JUNGLE BOOK is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who's been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he's ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don't exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: FIRE.

While you are awaiting spring weather to arrive here are some fun THE JUNGLE BOOK activity sheets to help keep kids amused these last few weeks of winter courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Studios.  Just download and print to enjoy:





THE JUNGLE BOOK will be rated PG.  For more information about the movie, visit movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016

Disney's 2015 Movie Lineup is Blockbuster Gold

This is the year to buy Disney stock because 2015 is when their brand acquisitions over the last decade are coming together for a stellar movie lineup that is as good as gold filled with blockbusters that may generate record profits for the company.  Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars will be combining with classic Disney brands (Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and TomorrowLand) that will have people young and old excited to go to the movie theater throughout the year.  I'm both excited by all these movies and a little concerned about just how much lighter my wallet is going to be if my family actually goes to all the movies at the theater we want to see...and as great as digital downloads or DVDs can be they still don't match the thrill of viewing a blockbuster on the big screen.  So with no further delay, here's the 2015 list of feature films from Disney:

STRANGE MAGIC - January 23 (Touchstone Pictures/LucasFilm)

"Strange Magic" is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Popular songs from the past six decades help tell this animated tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion.

McFarland USA - February 20 (Walt Disney Studios)

A cross country coach in a small California town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders.

CINDERELLA - March 13 (Walt Disney Studios)

A live-action retelling of the classic fairy tale about a servant step-daughter who wins the heart of a prince. This is the number one movie my six year old daughter wants to see this year.

Monkey Kingdon - April 17 (Disney Nature)

It has become a tradition for Disney to release a nature themed movie around Earth Day and this year's topic is monkeys.  Monkey Kingdom is a documentary that follows a newborn monkey and its mother as they struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON - May 1 (Marvel)

This might have been the most anticipated movie of the year until word came out that a new Star Wars movie would be coming out.  Sorry Marvel but this will still be a huge blockbuster.  In this sequel based on the characters from Marvel comic books, when Tony Stark (Iron Man) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it is up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

TomorrowLand - May 22 (Walt Disney Studios)

This movie is still pretty shrouded in mystery but is based on the TomorrowLand section of Disney's theme parks and stars George Clooney.  Here's the synopsis:  Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.

INSIDE OUT - June 19 (Disney / Pixar)

This animated film tells a story from the perspective of the emotions inside the mind of a little girl.

Ant-Man  -  July 17 (Marvel)

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

THE JUNGLE BOOK - October 9 (Walt Disney Studios) 

A live action telling of the classic story of an orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.  The Disney animated version of this movie is a favorite of my kids so you know we'll probably be going to see this as a family outing.

Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller - October 16 (DreamWorks Pictures)

Directed by Steven Spielberg this movie produced by DreamWorks Studios is being distributed through Disney. It tells the tale of an American lawyer recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR - November 25 (Disney / Pixar)

After a traumatic event unsettles a lively Apatosaurus named Arlo, he sets out on a remarkable journey, gaining an unlikely companion along the way - a human boy.  This is the move my son really wants to see this year.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - December 18 (LucasFilm)

This of course is the movie that I and millions of other fans are looking forward to 2015 with each of us wondering if this will be a hit like the original trilogy or a flop like the prequels that followed. For those of you who may have been hiding under a rock for the last year or so this new movie is a continuation of the saga created by George Lucas set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983).

So that's the Disney movie lineup for 2015. What do you think?!  Have fun at the movies this year my friends ... I know my family and I will be having a blast!