When Family Entourage got invited to the recent launch of Ice Age: Collision Course, Mei Ling of course brought her son. But since daddy had to work that day, we decided to bring grandpa, “Pop Pop,” because he loves learning and science. All three of us had a blast learning about the science behind the movie. In this Ice Age movie, Scrat continues his pursuit of the elusive acorn. It catapults him into the universe, where he accidentally triggers a series of cosmic events that threaten the Ice Age world. His friends, Buck, Manny, Ellie, Sid and Diego must now work together to save everyone from a global disaster.

Upon arriving at the Discovery Cube in Orange County, the group was greeted by Ice Age’s Scrat. We had a dance party with him! Check it out on our Instagram. The group was given a behind the scenes look at the making of the film including a clip on the DVD with scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson who breaks down the science of space travel. Director Galen Chu explained to attendees about how the story artists put all of the individual scenes together for what they call a “color script.” Different colors depict certain emotions or themes. Chu shared why they chose certain colors.

Guests were also taught by one of the story artists how to draw Scrat and a professor from UCLA shared about the geology behind the movie. We got to touch and feel real rocks from space. Afterwards, attendees got to explore the Discovery Cube and interact with the Science of Hockey exhibit and Mission Control. We loved getting to be a goalie. We put on safety gear while a virtual hockey player skated on the ice and shot pucks at us. Our favorite part was exploring Mission Control. It was a great way to learn more about the science behind a movie and interact with different aspects of it.

Ice Age Collision Course is now out on DVD

Here are some fun ways to bring Ice Age Collision Course to life:

1. Take an ice skating trip. Grab your family or group trip and go ice-skating. Gather a group of friends, teammates, classmates, co-workers or family and head to a local indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink. If you have a large group consider calling the rink to see if you need to make reservations. Some rinks even offer lessons during open skates for beginners. Afterwards, grab a cup of hot chocolate or a meal together. Having fun planned activities enable a group to grow closer to one another, which as a family or small group provide a space for deeper conversations when necessary.
   

   Learning about the science of ice hockey

2. Have a snowball fight! There doesn’t need to be snow on the ground for there to be snowballs. Break up into teams and build snow forts with pillows, blankets and other soft materials. Then take white athletic socks and roll them into themselves. We’ve also seen it done with paper towels, but we like using something we already have and can reuse. Plus, it could be a fun incentive to having the family help fold laundry. Then commence snow ball fight!
3. Have a snow day. There doesn’t have to be snow or ice on the ground to have a snow day. Part of the fun of a snow day is doing things you don’t normally get to do. Have everyone in the family or group suggest activities to do. It can be baking a special dessert, playing a board game, or doing a craft. Then to create the mood of a snow day, play different winter or Christmas movies. Some of our favorites include the Ice Age series, Home Alone, White Christmas, and Mighty Ducks. Wear your pajamas or a cozy sweater, turn up the fireplace and sip some hot cocoa for your snow day.
4. Have an ice cream party. You can make the ice cream together as a family. There are lots of great recipes on the Internet. We once made a dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free ice cream and didn’t tell guests until afterwards. They loved it and couldn’t tell the difference. Or you can buy your favorite flavors and toppings and make ice cream sundaes.
5. Do a teambuilding activity. The characters in Ice Age had to work together in order to meet their goal and overcome adversity. It might be something as simple as building a snowman together as a family or you might want to do a challenge course. Pick something that will be a challenge for everyone, but don’t pick something that everyone finds too hard and wants to quit. After the challenge, take time to encourage one another as a family and share what you learned. Did someone emerge as a leader? Did someone help someone out in a time of need? Take time to read about the body of Christ and how we all need one another in order to function. Ask the group what they think it means and what gifts they think that they have. Have the group share what talents they see in others.

5 Ways to Bring Ice Age Home!