Ok, sure, Mary Poppins can teach your kids about resiliency, and finding joy in little things like feeding birds, and how to use your imagination.

But this movie is basically the governess you didn’t know your kiddos needed. It’s 2 1/2 hours jam-packed with history, math and the arts. Let me explain.

We watched the movie last night and OH, HOW FABULOUS IS JULIE ANDREWS?! She’s practically perfect in every way.

The boys LOVED every minute of this delightful film. Which is a relief because just 6 months ago, my oldest was ANTI-MOVIES.

Of course, I sang along and quoted all the lines. And then found myself working the remote overtime, pausing every 20 minutes to EXPLAIN WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON. Like: What is that telephone thingy they keep using? And what’s a chimney sweep?

Mary Poppins has got it all

And this brings me to why it’s time to let Mary Poppins homeschool your kids. Because this movie has GOT IT ALL.

My recommendation: keep your remote handy and pause as you watch. Arm your kids with chalk so they can make their own sidewalk art. Ask them to learn one of the dance numbers and perform it live in the front yard for the neighbors. Have them draw a picture of their favorite character, detailing the costume down to the details on the hat. Or write an essay to answer a few of the following questions that I’ve nicely organized by teachable topic.

This should get you through at least 1 week of homeschooling.

History

1. What was Women’s Suffrage and why were women willing to go to jail for it?

2. What’s a canon?

3. What’s a fox hunt?

4. What happened during the Boston Tea Party?

5. Who is King Edward?

6. Why is no one driving a Ford F-250?

Math

1. Why does your money double when you put it in the bank?

2. If you start saving money at age 5, will you have enough money to buy a railroad at age 60? (Do you even want to buy a railroad?)

3. How much is a tuppence worth?

4. What’s a run on the bank?

Culture Studies

1. London is the capital of which country?

2. What’s a Constable?

3. What’s an Admiral?

4. How do you pronounce the River Thames?

5. What’s a pound?

6. Can you point out Big Ben on the flyover of London?

Science

1. What kinds of trees grow on Cherry Tree Lane?

2. What happens when you make a chalk drawing and it starts to rain?

3. What’s your hypothesis as to why each spoonful of sugar looks and tastes different?

4. Why is gravity important?

5. What makes a kite fly?

Literature

1. Who’s the author of the books the movie is based on?

2. What’s the difference between fiction and nonfiction?

3. What do you think “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” means and how is it spelled?

4. Do you notice any books in the nursery?

5. What is the relationship between Mary Poppins and Bert?

6. What kind of transformation does Mr. Banks go through during the movie?

7. Why do you think Mary Poppins leaves?

8. What do you think will happen if she returns?

The arts

1. What instruments make up Bert’s one-man band?

2. Can you whistle?

3. What materials do you need to make Bert’s long chalk stick?

4. What kind of fancy camera tricks did the movie makers do so the cartoon people can talk to the real people?

5. Can you dance like a penguin?

6. What instruments are the cartoon band people playing?

7. Who’s your favorite character in the movie and how can you dress up to look like them?

8. How did Irish clogging and tap dancing inspire the dance of the chimney sweeps?

9. Which song is your favorite and can you sing it?

10. What’s the musical theme that the orchestra revisits throughout the movie?

I could go on, but you get the idea. And when it’s time for a break, kick the children out the backdoor with a bag of bread. To feed the birds.

What do you love best about Mary Poppins? Share below or comment on Facebook at MothersRest.

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