We have re-discovered an old favourite video of mine, and it has been a huge success in our household: Mary Poppins. What is there not to love about a nanny who can make anything come out of her handbag and can clean up a childen’s room by clapping her hands?
It is such a great fluffy story with songs, dances, a good dose of animation and some great characters with really bad English accents (Dick van Dyke). The ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’ song is our favourite — the children love singing it and even attempting the dance (I think that song even won an Oscar as best song, back in the day).
One of our other favourites is The Sound of Music, and I think I am going to get Singin’ in the Rain and Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang next. If you have any other recommendations, do let me know. I have a bit of a soft spot for cheesy old musicals, and so do my daughters apparently!
– Emilie
Comments (24)
oooh, we are off to see Mary Poppins the musical this week (my sons first ‘theatre’ experience)….so excited!!!!
oh I love Mary Poppins!
The songs make you so happy and I could watch the film over and over…
I saw the musical in London and I normally do not like musicals… good idea… completely forgot to introduce her to my little ones…
I will check it out later because they are both sick, good to cheer them up!
We love this film too! Fun! Yes, we should get The Sound of Music to watch over Xmas — good point!
x
The great race (although a bit long and maybe for 7-year old and more) is another Christmas favourite. The same with “The world in hin arms”. But, in our case, “The sound of music” is second to none!
annie is an evergreen, as is grease and, moving down the timeline, mamma mia!
bed knobs and broomsticks!
Marry Poppins and The Sound of Music were my two most favourite movies as a child!! How fun that you and your girls are loving them. (I’ve been trying to get my boys into Marry Poppins for years now, but they think it’s ‘boring’. I guess I’ll have to wait until Ivy is big enough!!)
xo
my 4 year old daughter adores Mary Poppins, for a while she’d only respond to the name Dorothy from the wizard of Oz, her current favourite is Annie but will happy watch any of the old favourites…sound of music, chitty, bedknobs….The great thing about it is I don’t mind sitting with her and watching. Happy days.
We love it too! My son passed a chimney sweep in the Marais and he exclaimed It’s Chim-chim-in-eee! And the man stopped, looked down at him, and replied “Mary Poppins”!
Oh and not a musical, but seasonal is A Child’s Christmas in Wales.
most of the above plus grease and, in a more contemporary vein, mamma mia!
One of my favorites was definitely Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. How can you go wrong with a sister named Dorcus? Cute story and great singing/dancing.
ooo i love mary poppins! a friend of mine got to go to a broadway musical of mary poppins and i was so jealous. i recommend thoroughly modern millie (long but hilarious), hello, dolly!, the happiest millionaire, and calamity jane. these are some of my favorites.
I love Meet Me in St. Louis, especically around Christmas.
My 3 year old son absolutely loves Mary Poppins – his fave part is dancing along with the penguns in the animated scene. I can’t wait to take him to see it on the stage in Sydney next year. Bed knobs & Broomsticks, Wizard of OZ, Sound of Music & Chitty Chitty Bang Bang are the most watched movies when we have family movie night… But another great one is the King & I and then there is the old animated classics like Snow White, Alice in wonderland & the Jungle Book.
Thanks for the great recommendations, I will definetely check them out. There are loads I have never heard of like, for example, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Calamity Jane!
My 5.5 year old daughter loves Mary and Singing in the Rain. Going to introduce Sound of Music next year. Live on the classic oldies!
Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were my fav movies growing up! I can’t wait to watch them again with my son when he’ll be old enough. Another hit in our household was Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. You should check it out! xx
I forgot about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! My son is going to love that. I just googled Bed Knobs and Broomsticks. I can’t believe I missed out on that growing up.
Funny that Grease and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers were suggested in previous comments. My whole childhood was spent with watching these two and a couple of other musicals over and over again. Singin’ in the Rain is a great idea since the scenes in the movie are like cartoons. Other favorites are:
An American in Paris – Gene Kelly / Leslie Caron
White Christmas – Bing Crosby / Danny Kaye / Rosemary Clooney
Cover Girl – Gene Kelly / Rita Hayworth
The Court Jester – Danny Kaye
No issue with the whole – can’t be a good mother and support a woman’s right to vote – issue in MP?
I saw it again recently and was rather appalled.
Hey Karen,
I agree, Mary Poppins is definetely not PC, a lot of old movies aren’t. I do think that allusions to sufragette movement go over my kids heads and I have the feeling they will still grow up thinking that equal rights for woman and men are a good thing. I am hoping that what I am teaching them on a daily basis will outweigh a few viewings of Mary Poppins.
They actually really just like the singing and dancing and a nanny that can fly with an umbrella….
Weighing in a little late — although the subject matter is a little mature — the music is amazing – OLIVER! – the musical…with Mark Lester…amazing…
Laura, never too late to weigh in! Oliver rocks, I agree, I will never forget the scene: “please sir, can I get some more?”