It’s #MovieNightFriday and its spooky season so why not pair the two right? Now this movie can be hit or miss based on each kid, if your child doesn’t like spooky, well I would skip this one. You can also just use this film at any time of the year. There is no must that it has to be only Halloween or Christmas.

Now you are probably wondering how I am planning on spinning this into a lesson beyond the crafts and cooking aspect like I always do. *P.S. I will be adding more down below* Anyway, this movie is a great example for a behind the scenes lesson (Movie Lesson). The Nightmare before Christmas is a Stop – Motion film.

Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames is played back. Any kind of object can thus be animated, but puppets with movable joints (puppet animation) or plasticine figures (clay animation or claymation) are most commonly used. Puppets, models or clay figures built around an armature are used in model animation. Stop motion with live actors is often referred to as pixilation. Stop motion of flat materials such as paper, fabrics or photographs is usually called cutout animation.

Now understanding that, you can challenge your kids to create their own little movie by creating a story, setting it up and the older kids can work on editing too.

Crafts

Make Jack Skellington Ornaments 2 Ways! – Ruffles and Rain Boots

“We made these awesome Jack Skellington ornaments to add to our Disney inspired Christmas ornaments this year–they’re so fun and super easy, too!” – Sarah

15-Minute Jack Skellington Halloween Makeup – Happiness is Homemade

“Sawyer decided in June that he wanted to dress up as Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas for Halloween, so when a box of Tulip® Body Art® Face & Body Paint showed up on our doorstep a few weeks ago, he couldn’t wait to do a test run of his makeup. I have done full-face Halloween makeup on him several times before, so I know that in order to avoid a case of the squirmies and be successful, our makeup application time needs to be limited to 15 minutes or less.” – Heidi

Menu

Jack Skellington Pull Apart Cupcakes (with Video) – The Soccer Mom Blog

“These easy Jack Skellington Pull Apart Cupcakes make the perfect Halloween party dessert! Movie-inspired Nightmare Before Christmas cupcakes are a must for fans of the classic film!” – Stacey

How to Make Jack Skellington Cupcakes – Hispana Global

“The Nightmare Before Christmas let us know Jack Skellington is the patron spirit of Halloween, so it’s only appropriate to celebrate this holiday with cupcakes that honor him. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of Tim Burton’s film, kids (and grown ups!) will love this unique treat, which also provides the perfect decor for any Halloween tablescape.” – Jeannette

Pepperoni Pizza Pockets – Dinner at the Zoo

“These homemade pepperoni pizza pockets are a great make-ahead meal or snack. Serve them with a side of marinara sauce for dipping!” – Jacque

Jack Skellington Mickey Ear Cupcakes are the Spooky Season Cupcake! – Ruffles and Rain Boots

“These easy Jack Skellington Mickey ear cupcakes are a fun way to make both halloween cupcakes and also spooky Christmas cupcakes – best of both worlds!” – Sarah