Netflix to the Summer Dulldrums Rescue

With summer in its final few weeks and a hectic back-to-school season on the horizon, Netflix has been instrumental to keeping my kids not only entertained but educated this summer. Whenever we have downtime, which is often lately as both kids are home without camp or activities for the next four weeks (help!), we flip on Netflix, do an intensive search and find films that fits the edutainment bill.

Here are five of the films we’ve watched to beat the summer dulldrums this summer:

Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

I like to introduce my kids to films I grew up with, and Escape to Witch Mountain is one. It’s about two orphans with superpowers who try to avoid the clutches of a couple of schemers who are posing as loving relatives to exploit the kids’ abilities. It starred Kim Richards, Ike Eisennann and Eddie Albert. For kids aged 8 and up.

Dreamers (1985)

Dreaming of space travel, a teenage science whiz and his best friend create an interplanetary spacecraft in a homemade laboratory. This film featured some of the best young stars of the times including Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Dana Ivey.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Rick Moranis played an inventor who accidentally shrinks the kids and the results are hilarious. It was followed with a sequel.

An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars (2012)

This is my 11 year-old daughter’s addition to this piece: An up-and-coming gymnast is on track to make the regional competitive gymnastics team but off track in school, where she’s struggling to keep up. Believe it or not, the American Girl films are actually very good, more than you’d think.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007)

My kids are half English to we love British comedy. Rowan Atkinson plays the hapless Mr. Bean who takes a vacation on the French Riviera and becomes ensnared in an accidental kidnapping and a case of mistaken identity.