Ohana Means Learning: A Hawaiian Unit Study Inspired by Lilo & Stitch

Bring the magic of Lilo & Stitch into your homeschool with this Hawaii-inspired unit study. Dive into culture, science, and ʻohana with activities for grades 4-8 (& their siblings)!

Lilo & Stitch has been a long-time favorite in our home, so when the new live-action movie came out, we couldn’t wait to see it. We actually watched it for the first time this May while on a Disney cruise — ah, the best movie theater! As we enjoyed the film, I was reminded of our family’s three years stationed in Hawaii, and I couldn’t help but start pulling together ideas for a mini unit study.

This collection brings a little bit of Hawaii (and a little bit of Stitch’s playful chaos) into your homeschool with hands-on activities, books, documentaries, movies, science, history, geography, and more.

Quick Start Guide

As you scroll, you’ll see all sorts of ideas. I’ve included such a variety so that you can really choose what’s best for your family. If it’s too much or you’re overwhelmed by getting started, here are three ideas. Do these only, swap one out, or use them to start building the rest of your unit.

1. Saltwater Science – Show how salinity affects buoyancy with a quick kitchen experiment. (See: Ocean)
2. Google Maps Hawaii Tour – Explore the real-life places behind Lilo & Stitch without leaving your couch. (See: Hawaii)
3. Family Interviews – Interview a grandparent or family friend. (See: Hawaii)

How to Create Your Own Mini-Unit

Not sure where to start? From quick-and-easy to all-in deep dives, here’s how to make a Lilo & Stitch–inspired study work for your homeschool style.

Mini-units were on heavy rotation in our homeschool until last year. Even when they didn’t tie into the curriculum. Or a specific subject. Sometimes, we did them as a sort of ‘morning basket’ start to the day. Or as a post-lunchtime activity as we eased back into schooltime. It would all depend on the topic, the schedule for the day, and how deep we were digging.

I love mini-units because, as homeschoolers, we have the freedom to explore a topic just because.

“I’m sold. But where do I start?” Fair question.

1. How deep do you want to go in your unit?

• Keep it Light: Go through each main topic and choose 1-2 items from each. Set aside 15-20 minutes each day for a week to complete the activity.
• A Bit Deeper: Choose 2-3 items from each main topic, 30-45 minutes a day for a week, or keep it 15-20 minutes for a couple of weeks.
• All In: Pick as many items from each topic as you have time for. Alternatively, choose one topic, do all of the ideas, and add some of your own.

2. What do you & your kiddos enjoy doing?

One of the reasons we enjoyed mini-units, I think, is because I was careful to only add the kinds of activities that we enjoyed. If everyone hates art, don’t do it! Love videos? Choose a video or two for each day.

3. Do you want to add anything outside of your school day?

I think it’s an added layer of fun when we can add recipes, a movie night, or even a field trip to our unit.

At the bottom, I’ve listed movies that have some type of tie-in (location, theme, etc). I also added some recipes & movie snacks.

4. Schedule it.

I’m great at making plans, terrible at executing them. Get your plans marked down in your planner, on your calendar, ask your kids to remind you. Whatever you need to do to get it done!

One last thing.

Your kiddos are having a blast at the zoo or deep into some art project. And, next thing you know, you’ve spent 20 minutes explaining the ethics of zoos, the dying process of the Middle Ages, or the geography of habitats. Maybe your kids have that far-off look on their faces. Maybe you have to look far to even find them because they ran off three minutes into your diatribe.

If there’s one thing homeschool parents know how to do, it’s how to make a big to-do about things. Guilty as charged.

Resist the temptation. A read-aloud can just be a read-aloud. A movie night movie can just be a movie. Etc., etc, etc. I’m not suggesting that you never make connections or go deeper. Just…don’t do it always. It can suck the fun right out of it.

Dive Into Learning

Explore the mysteries of the sea—from glowing creatures to swirling currents.

Go down, down, down. Explore what lives at each level of the ocean. (All Ages)

Ocean Acidification Lab: Place seashells or chalk in two jars – one with water (or water + salt), one with water & vinegar. Observe it over the next few days to compare rates of dissolving. Older kids can write a lab report, younger kids can draw the results.

Bioluminescence Exploration: Research bioluminescent organisms. (Older Kids)

Marine Food Web Challenge: Research the Hawaiian marine food web & energy transfer. (Older Kids)

Ocean Currents: Fill a baking dish with water, add a few drops of food coloring, then blow gently with a straw or use a fan, similar to how the wind affects the ocean. For your older kiddos, have them research the Pacific currents & their effects. (All Ages)

Saltwater Science: In three different containers, add different levels of salty water. (Salt will dissolve better when the water is warmed first.) Add small toys, small foods, etc., to each container and observe how salinity affects buoyancy. (All Ages)

Out-of-This-World Alien Encounters

Get a little weird with DNA experiments, DIY alien creations, and even a hunt for “meteorites” in your own backyard.

Are you an alien? Extract your DNA at home. (Or extract the DNA of strawberries.)

Create your own alien. Using clay/playdough, scissors & paper, or the can of recyclables, create away! Then, go through those scientific systems to categorize the alien. Is it an herbivore or a carnivore? Nocturnal? Does it desert-dwell or flourish in a lush rainforest?

Can you find a meteorite? Gather up some rocks and do an easy test to see if any of them are from outer space. There are two methods: one involves only water & a bucket, the other involves more math.

A few more resources

• Planetary Defenders (75 minutes) — A NASA film about asteroid detection & planetary defense
• Explore NASA’s Space Rocks — Choose from Apollo 11 rocks or meteorites of various origins
• Asteroid vs. Meteor — A NASA article for younger kids

Stitch Meets Newton

Blast off with rockets, parachutes, and experiment with Newton’s laws.

Help Stitch escape. Use a balloon rocket, stomp rocket, or bottle rocket to experiment with propulsion.

Help Stitch land safely. Let your kids design their own egg drop to test parachute design. (We’ve used Matchbox cars, plastic figurines, etc., in place of the eggs.)

Explore physics. Learn about Newton’s Third Law of Physics. Here’s a kid’s video, an explanation with a bit more detail, and one that would be great for teens.

And Newton. Check out this mini-bio (4 minutes) or a longer biography (20 minutes).

Celebrating ʻOhana

Celebrate the heart of Hawaiian culture—family, traditions, and togetherness.

Learn about ohana. A true sense of community & welcoming of children was one of my favorite things about living in Hawaii. Here’s a thorough (but easy-to-read) look at what ohana really means.

Create a family tree. Who’s in your family? Find a way to incorporate friends-like-family & other important people into your family tree.

Traditions. What traditions does your family have? From the silly to the serious, make a list. Go deeper and have your kids create a book or slideshow using photos or hand-drawn images. Older kids can write up the details.

Discover Hawaii

Volcanoes, maps, hula, music—bring the islands into your homeschool.

Explore the geography of Lilo & Stitch. Open Google Maps, switch to street view & visit the real-life places that inspired Lilo & Stitch.

Build a model of an island or volcano. Use paper mache, clay/playdough, etc. Or, go with the classic baking soda + vinegar explosion.

Draw a volcano. Here’s a basic tutorial that everyone could put their own spin on. Follow it up with a video or book about how volcanoes can create islands.

Create a map of your own tropical island. Use your favorite art supplies (or go digital) to design your own island. Don’t forget towns, roads, palm trees, and plenty of wild (alien) life.

Learn about hula dancing. Do you know the history of hula & why it was used as a form of storytelling? Or what it takes to become a champion dancer? Or how (and why) the hula & native languages are being preserved?

Give your hips a chance at hula dancing. Search to see if you’re lucky enough to have classes in your area. Or try a simple hula dance at home.

Learn about Hawaiian music. Learn about various forms of traditional music, how the Hawaiian steel guitar changed American music, or take a deeper dive with teens to learn about Hawaiian music & colonialism.

Listen to your elders. One of my most-loved projects we’ve done in our homeschool was the year my kids each interviewed each of their grandparents using the Great Thanksgiving Listen from StoryCorps.

Live(stream) from Hawaii

If you come to our homeschool, you’re likely to find some kind of livestream showing on our TV. It could be the beautiful bears of Alaska, a view of New York City, or some other animals. Or, perhaps, something from Hawaii.

• Maui & Haleakala
• Oahu’s North Shore & Waimea Bay
• Kilauea volcano (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park)
• Honolulu beach & ocean view
• Telescope from Mauna Kea
• Another ocean & beach view

Movie Night, Island Style

Grab your popcorn (or Dole Whip!) and settle in for family films that connect to Lilo & Stitch & spark learning long after the credits roll.

• Moana (Disney) – Polynesian culture, voyaging, and mythology; all ages
• Finding ʻOhana (Netflix) – Hawaii, adventure, treasure hunt, siblings; all ages
• The Endless Summer – Classic surfing movie; teens
• Kubo and the Two Strings (Netflix) – Japanese, family, storytelling; all ages
• The Descendants – Hawaii, family, culture; teens
• Whale Rider – New Zealand, Polynesian culture, family; teens
• Contact – aliens, space; teens
• Soul Surfer – Hawaii, surfing, family; all ages
• Blue Hawaii – military, Hawaii, classic Elvis movie; all ages
• Tora! Tora! Tora! – military, Hawaii, Pearl Harbor

Lilo & Stitch Movie Night Snacks

1. Pineapple Paradise Whips: Try this pineapple whip recipe (a nod to both Hawaii & Disney parks). Or buy Dole’s version in the freezer section of your grocery store.

There are lots of ‘Dole whip’ copycat recipes on the internet, if that one isn’t to your liking. Don’t like pineapple? Search for an orange version instead.

2. Make Stitch’s Blue Galaxy Punch: Blue sports drink + lemonade or lemon-lime soda. A scoop of vanilla ice cream for a ‘floating island’ could be a fun addition.

Alternatively, try these mocktail & cocktail ideas.

3. Experiment 626 Popcorn Mix: Add blue & green versions of your favorite candies (M&Ms, gummy worms, etc) to a bowl of popcorn. Maybe pretzel sticks, too, for ‘antennae.’ Macadamia nuts would add an extra Hawaiian touch.

4. Surf’s Up Fruit Skewers: Thread pineapple, mango, kiwi, and strawberries onto skewers.

Hawaiian-Inspired Topics

While I’ve provided you with a variety of ideas, there are so many topics you could explore. If you want to come up with your own activities, Pinterest is a great starting point. For documentaries, I always start on PBS because I know their shows are of high quality. (Netflix is awesome, but some documentaries….lean more fictional than factual!). Then, see where Google takes you.

• Waves & how they work
• Oceanography
• Volcanoes
• Seafarers
• Celestial navigation
• Leprosy & Molokai’i
• Japanese farmers
• Plants & animals of Hawaii