The Pink Panther 2 + What's Priceless in Your City = Kids Off The Couch

The Pink Panther has slinked his way into a new generation of fans, and our kids loved seeing Steve Martin reprise his role as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2 (opening nationwide on Feb. 6). When a thief called "The Tornado" steals priceless treasures from all over the world, the infamous Clouseau -- sidelined as a meter maid to stay out of trouble -- is asked to join an international Dream Team of sleuths. Desperate to impress his fancy colleagues (including Andy Garcia and Alfred Molina), Clouseau nearly loses the one girl who actually admires him (Emily Mortimer) in a globe-trotting caper that will put a grin on your family's faces. The international intrigue gave us a perfect opportunity to create local intrigue of our own -- what would a sophisticated thief steal in Los Angeles? We put together a Tornado's Hit List of invaluable objects -- both precious and iconic -- and took our families to see our own local treasures. From a Van Gogh's masterpiece, to our favorite hamburger in town, we enjoyed a day of inestimable value! (Click here for more about the film and for ideas about creating your own family's Hit List.

Read Any Good Movies Lately!

From Page to Screen 2009

The 2009 calendar is replete with book adaptations for all ages. We've scoured the press so you can put a stack by the bedside and be ready for some witty criticism when these tales hit the big screen.

IN THE THEATERS:
Inkheart
The book by Cornelia Funke was our daughter's favorite book, bar none, when she was in sixth grade. Does the movie do the book justice? Read, watch and compare!
The Tale of Despereaux
Released over Christmas, the lovely animated movie based on the Newbery Medal winner, is another of our family's favorite books. Kate DiCamillo's books (Because of Winn Dixie and Tiger Rising) are great for elementary aged kids (and their parents).

COMING SOON:
Coraline (Feb)
Neil Gaiman's stories lean toward the macabre, and this animated adaptation looks pretty spooky to us. Gaiman's latest book, The Graveyard Book just won the Newbery Medal; a macabre riff on Kipling's The Jungle Book, the movie rights have already been snatched up, so get reading, book fans!
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July)
Many folks think book six is one of J.K. Rowling's better yarns, so get ready to see the characters grow up a bit more... and, for this film to take over the summer. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sept)
A sweet, early reader book with wondrous illustration, we are excited to see what becomes of this as a movie.
Cirque du Freak (Oct)
Popular with elementary school boys, these books are about a boy who goes into training with a Freak Show vampire - turns out, Twilight doesn't have the monopoly on vampire stories -- or teenage girls! From director Paul Weitz.
Where the Wild Things Are (Oct)
All bets are off as director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) takes on Maurice Sendak's classic tale.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Nov)
Roald Dahl's fabulous tale will be brought to the screen as an animated tale by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) and include talent such as George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Bill Murray.

FOR TEENS AND ADULTS:
The Soloist (April)
Steve Lopez's true story about a reporter who befriends a homeless man who is an extraordinary violinist stars Robert Downey, Jr.
Angels and Demons (May)
Tom Hanks stars in Dan Brown's sequel to The DaVinci Code.
My Sister's Keeper (June)
Teens and sophisticated tweens are ready to handle Jody Picoult's complex issue books - this one is about a girl whose body has been used to keep her sister with leukemia alive; with Cameron Diaz.
Julie and Julia (Aug)
Great book about a young New Yorker who sets out to cook every recipe in Julia Child's famous cookbook, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.
New Moon (Nov)
More of the wildly popular teen vampire tale from the author of Twilight, with same successful cast.
Sherlock Holmes (Nov)
Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law star as the detective and his sidekick. Time to pull out some of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories!

Diane and Sarah
Founders, Kids Off The Couch

Mrs Doubtfire + Comedy Club For Kids = Kids Off The Couch

A Stand Up Guy

Our kids were schooled on Mary Poppins as the practically-perfect nanny, and have suffered through many a quirky babysitter over their tender years. But nothing prepared them for the hilarity of Robin Williams posing as a prim Scottish nanny in Mrs. Doubtfire. Our kids wanted to know everything about Williams, right back to his origins as Mork from Mork and Mindy and his first appearance on Happy Days. We wanted to give them a sense of how Robin Williams got his start, so treated them to a day at a Kids Comedy Club. Our city's version features young performers doing improv sketches, and our children loved watching kids their own ages showing off their material. Like the real deal, not every joke hit, but our fans didn't care -- they were eager audience participants, and on the way home, starting trying out their own jokes on the most forgiving of audiences, mom and dad. Knock, Knock! (Click here for kid's comedy venue near you.)

Bringing the Inauguration Home!

Inauguration 2009 + National Day Of Service

As President-elect Obama takes the oath of office next Tuesday during the 2009 Inauguration, parents of every political affiliation have an opportunity to talk with their children about democracy and civics. This election marks a turning point in American history for lots of important reasons, including how the youth in this country turned out to vote in record numbers. We're seizing the chance to get the next generation of voters -- our kids -- interested in the democracy they will inherit. We've created conversation starters for kids of every age: from discussing civics issues with older kids (the language of the Oath of Office, the peaceful transition from the past administration) to talking about First Family issues with younger children (will Malia have a Facebook profile, can Sasha go on sleepovers?). To watch history in the making, we will tune in on Sunday night for HBO's We are One concert on the Mall (on a free feed), watch our new President take the Oath of Office on Tuesday and watch Nickelodeon's kid-friendly coverage later in the evening. Finally, to really give our kids a hands-on lesson in how one person can make a difference, we are joining in Michelle and Barack Obama's challenge to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of social justice by participating in a National Day of Service. To make it easy, we link you to a website that lists service activities in every zip code, like donating blankets or volunteering at a food pantry. Join us!

Click here for a link to find volunteer activities in your area, information about media coverage of Tuesday's Inauguration and the We Are One concert, and a list of questions to help turn the Inauguration into a homespun civicis lesson at the dinner table.

The Tale of Despereaux + Cooking Minestrone with Kids = Kids Off The Couch and IN the kitchen!

Recent bone-chilling weather has had a homey influence on our New Year's Resolutions, which include warm family meals and reading books by the fire. The new animated film The Tale of Despereaux (still in theaters), adapted from one of our favorite read-aloud books by Kate DiCamillo, stars an intrepid sword-wielding mouse who seeks to lift a kingdom's ban on soup. Inspired to spend some time cooking with our kids, we sought out a kid-friendly Minestrone recipe from Caroline Styne, a Los Angeles restaurateur and mom. The secret ingredient? Kids in the kitchen! With Caroline's expert tips, our kids were shopping and chopping, stirring and spicing up a broth made of local, seasonal vegetables. A perfect recipe for family fun on a blustery day. Click here for Caroline's tips for cooking with kids, learn her recipe for Minestrone and read why this film isn't really G-rated.

Kids Off The Couch's Favorite Family Films of 2008

Happy Holidays from Our Couch to Yours!

It's time to eat, gift and be merry with the family so here's our own Top Ten list of new DVDs that are worth purchasing for your home library. Wrap and enjoy!

For Younger Viewers (Rated UR, G and PG):
August Rush - Sweet tale of an adopted boy who reunites with his parents when he runs away to NYC to explore his own musical talents. (PG).

Enchanted - Disney sends up the princess genre in a delightful story about an animated princess who drops into contemporary NYC and has to learn to navigate the real world. Guess what? She still gets her prince. (PG).

Kung Fu Panda- With gorgeous animation, and lots of martial arts, this film reminds us how fun it was to watch the Olympics last August. (PG).

The Red Balloon - The french classic about a boy who chases a balloon around Paris was finally released on DVD this year. Lyrical film making at it's best (G).

For Older Viewers (Rated PG-13 and Beyond):
Into the Wild - The adaptation of Jon Krakauer's true tale of a teen who takes off into the Alaskan wilderness is directed by Sean Penn and co-stars Twilight's Kristin Stewart. (R).

Iron Man - An excellent, comedic action film about a comic book hero comes to life with a surprisingly great performance by Robert Downey, Jr. (PG-13).

Man on a Wire - Riveting documentary about a rogue tightrope walker who strung a wire between the Twin Towers and completed a dazzling feat. (PG-13).

Persepolis - This graphic novel turned film is a stunning visual account of a Iranian woman's politicization. (PG-13).

12 Angry Men - The classic Henry Fonda tale about our justice system is one of the best films every made. One juror believes in the innocence of a man whom the other 11 jurors think is guilty. (NR).

Under the Same Moon - A woman leaves her child in Mexico as she seeks work in California, but the boy runs away from home to find her. We like this for it's sympathetic depiction of the trials of immigration.(PG-13).

The Visitor - An older man bonds with an illegal immigrant couple who are squatting in his NY apartment, but helps them when the man teaches him to play the drums. (PG-13).

Thanks for reading our e-mails throughout the past year and for sharing our newsletter with your friends. We wish everyone a happy, and healthy, 2008; you'll hear from us next in the New Year!

Diane and Sarah

Kids Off The Couch

Contact Us: info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Greening The Holidays Contest!

Getting Eco-Friendly + Spending Less Money = Making The Holidays Meaningful

What does a Green Holiday mean to us? Trimming the budget and tree at the same time. Here are a few of our personal solutions -- which we hope will inspire you to share great ideas with our KOTC community and win a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

KOTC IDEAS: (1) Wish Trees -- Inspired by Yoko Ono's Wish Trees, we're asking everyone to write wishes on hang tags and tie them to our Christmas tree or pile them around the Menorah. (2) Recycled Gift Wrap: We're keeping old newspapers, pulling out all those half used paint sets, and going to town on personalized wrapping paper. Our kids are using twigs and berries from our yards to decorate their packages.

Diane's Idea: This year, I am trying new kind tradition - a gift of special time. Each member of our family is asking another for a regular date doing something together. I will ask my teenager for a cup of tea study break once a week, Grandma wants to play a Scrabble game once a month with her grandchildren, Dad (this is a tough one) will request 9 holes on the golf course every two weeks.

Sarah's Idea: The adults in my extended family pick Secret Santas to reduce the stress of shopping for 20-odd relatives at the holidays. It also reduces the amount of silly ties and bad sweaters in the closet. (In fact, one terrible tie does get shuttled around each holiday, showing up as a gag gift in a different stocking each holiday). This frees us up to buy one well researched and thought out gift for a sister, or brother in law and leaves time to play Santa for every adorable, deserving niece and nephew.

Please share your Greening The Holiday ideas with us and win a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card! If you're not already a member of Kids Off The Couch, please sign up here – it's free. Then leave your "Greening the Holidays" suggestions below in the comments section of this Blog posting and you will instantly become eligible to win a $100.00 Amazon.com Gift Card. (US Residents, 18 years and older only please.) Our winner will be chosen on December 19th, 2008. We will also be publishing some of our favorites on the Kids Off The Couch website and sending them out next week all over the country with your name as the Author.