Pixar’s “La Luna” + Glow-in-the-Dark Moon Puzzle
Pixar: 6 min | Puzzle DIY: 15 min | Play: 10 min
In honor of the upcoming Solar Eclipse, (and all things lunar!) we’re kicking off our Disney + Craft series. The idea is super simple. Watch the short film together, then do the family craft paired with it. First up, is Pixar’s La Luna + Glow-in-the-Dark Moon Puzzle.
Who doesn’t love an animated short film? My husband and I have a cherished date to see the Oscar-nominated Short Films every January. This year, you’ll find us cozied up at the E Street Cinema, (of Landmark Theaters), popcorn in hand. Now that we have kids, we love Pixar short films at home, especially at the end of a work day. So we created fun family crafts that can be squeezed in before the casserole dings in the oven. Ok! Let’s get to it. La Luna!
Part 1: Watch La Luna
Official Trailer
La Luna is a coming-of-age story about a boy, his father and grandfather, who have the beautiful task of raking the stars on the moon every night.
Buy $2-3: iTunes | Google Play | YouTube | Amazon
Click to view Trailer #2 on YouTube
Part 2: Make Glow-in-the-Dark Moon Puzzle
La Luna is based on creator Enrico Casarosa’s childhood and love of the moon. “Is it made of cheese? Of milk? A hole in the celestial mantle?” Well, the moon may not be made of cheese, but we can make it from glow stars!
You’ll Need:
3 packs of Glow Stars 150-ct (I found these as cheap as $3.67.)
Sharpie King Size or black Jumbo crayon
8 Chinet Dinner Plates
flashlight
D.I.Y.
Puzzle Play
Bring (charged) glow stars inside and set aside. Shuffle the moon plates and stack.
Each player must:
- Lay out the plates to match the moon diagram.
- Scoop stars into the white shapes. Have fun! Rake, sweep, toss.
- Quickly re-charge the stars with flashlight.
- Turn the lights off and GLOW TIME!
Make a Solar Eclipse
A bit about La Luna
I love La Luna. It’s just so beautiful. It is unique to other Pixars for its pastel and watercolor textures, giving the film a handmade quality. According to creator Enrico Casarosa, he wanted to “bring the warmth of human imperfections back into his world.” Almost more beautiful than the look, is the coming-of-age story, rich with Italian influences. The characters pull from Casarosa’s childhood and curiosity for the moon. The boy, Bambino, has “big eyes and a round, full moon head.” The father and grandfather bicker in an "incomprehensible...Italian-flavored language" as a nod to Italian cartoonist Cavandoli. The music is homage to classic Neapolitan music. La Luna, is a timeless short film with a genius twist. A must-see!
(Full Interview here with creator Enrico Casarosa.)
Fun facts about the Moon!
Sources: Science Kids, NASA
- The first person to set foot on the Moon was Neil Armstrong.
- The Moon orbits the Earth every 27.3 days.
- The average distance from the Moon to the Earth is 238,857 miles.
- The surface of the Moon features a huge number of impact craters from comets and asteroids that have collided with the surface over time.
- The moon stabilizes Earth's wobble.
- The Earth’s tides are largely caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon.
- The moon rotates once on its axis in about the same time it orbits Earth so the same side faces us at all times. In fact, we didn't see its far side until a spacecraft got there in 1959.
Happy Moon-raking!
