Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself.  Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

Let’s face it,  your children just don’t have the same appreciation for movies as you and I did when we were kids.  I’m referring, of course, to those of you born before DVRs, DVDs, VCRs and video on demand.  Rose was shocked to learn that if we wanted to see a film made especially for kids we had to actually wait for one to come to the theaters. We couldn’t just be-bop down to Premier Video or the Redbox in front of Kroger when we had a hankerin’ for a flick.  Movies for kids on TV were few and far between, too. The only one we could count on for sure was The Wizard of Oz every spring. Ah, but when we finally did get to see that re-release of Cinderella in the theater it really was a magical sensory experience. There was the smell of popcorn (actually popping in a popcorn machine), the feel of the big, floppy, plush seats on our bare legs and the wonderful scary, exciting feeling of being in a pitch-black theater before the film began.  Sure, Cinderella is a classic, but to us in our heightened moviegoing state, it was breathtaking.

Here are a couple of picks that will help you recapture a little bit of the moviegoing magic. The first is at Studio Movie Grill. Yes, there are posher, cooler places to catch a flick, but what I love about SMG is its cozy, fun atmosphere and attention to quirky kid’s fare. Case in point: this weekend’s screening of The Beatles’, Yellow Submarine. To be perfectly blunt, your kids just won’t get it if you watch it at home, but in a dark theater with everyone singing, “We all live in a yellow submarine! Yellow submarine! Yellow submarine!” they’ll likely remember it forever.

If you really want to make a splash of the moviegoing experience, you absolutely MUST go to the Brazos Drive-In in Granbury. Granbury is a cute, little town about 45 minutes southwest of Fort Worth. You can make a day (and night of it) exploring the town square and the city beach and then head over to the Brazos about dusk. When we were there last spring, everyone came in by the carload – at $20 a car, the more you can pack in the better – and set the lawn chairs up or hung out on the tailgates. The funky little concessions building has screen doors that slap shut like your grandma’s house and a porch with metal lawn chairs where you can relax and enjoy the good weather.  But here’s the best part: Brazos makes its popcorn fresh in a real old-fashion popcorn machine. The smell of it wafting through the night air beats the pants off  movie night at the multiplex.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 7-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about your time at the movies or clue us in to your ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].