Fat cat has appetite for attention

The neighborhood kids are putting on a play. As they rehearse in your backyard, you hear squabbling. Your son is demanding that he deliver all the funny lines, or else he'll quit. Since he refuses to share the spotlight, he gets booted from the production, and instead makes fun of the other kids as they practice their lines.

If your kids are too competitive when it comes to getting attention, the newly released film Garfield can help them learn to let others in the limelight. Then, as a family, play our fun flashlight game “Spotlight Squeeze” to bring the lesson to light!

Based on the popular comic strip, the movie features lasagna-loving Garfield (voice of Bill Murray), who is the cat's meow to his owner, Jon (Breckin Meyer). Everything Garfield does revolves around Garfield —from having total control of the TV remote to tricking neighborhood animals into stealing milk for him.

Garfield 's life takes a turn when Jon, in order to win the heart of his veterinarian (Jennifer Love Hewitt), adopts a puppy named Odie. For the first time in his nine lives, Garfield is forced to share his home and Jon's attention.

Garfield does everything he can to make Odie's life miserable, even though the puppy treats Garfield like a friend. When Garfield locks Odie outside one night, the pooch runs off and becomes lost. When Jon gets worried, Garfield realizes he went too far and puts his selfishness aside to rescue Odie before the situation becomes a cat -astrophe.

Family Activity: Spotlight Squeeze

After talking about Garfield 's need to always be the center of attention, play “Spotlight Squeeze” for some family flashlight fun!

Share!

Start off by talking about what made Garfield 's life great at the beginning of the movie—from freshly baked lasagna to unlimited lap time. Take turns sharing what you believe are the best things in your life. How do your friends and family make you feel special?

Share some things that worried Garfield when Odie moved in. How did Garfield 's life change? How did the tubby tabby treat his new roommate? If you were Odie, how would Garfield 's actions make you feel? What could Garfield have done to befriend Odie?

Ask your children about times when they had fun being the center of attention. Then ask whether they've ever refused to share the spotlight. How can our experiences be even better when we have someone to share them with?

Play!

Materials needed:
Flashlight
Boombox
Upbeat music

The object of “Spotlight Squeeze” is to make sure each player remains in the spotlight at all times.

Choose one person (preferably the parent) to be the flashlight holder. Stand at one end of the room, with the players standing at the other end against the wall. Put on an upbeat song and turn off the lights.

Switch on the flashlight and point it toward the players. The light's circumference should be big, since it's being shown from across the room. Yell out a command, such as dance, hop, twist, or do-si-do. Change the commands every 15 seconds or so.

As the song plays, the flashlight holder walks closer and closer to the players, making the light's circle smaller and smaller. The other players must figure out how to somehow follow the commands and share the spotlight, no matter how small it becomes. By the end of the song, the light should be as small as possible, and no doubt the players are giggling as they try to do the movement while their pinkie fingers or big toes still fit in the light.

After doing the Spotlight Squeeze, your kids will learn, just like Garfield, that sharing the spotlight can be enlightening!