Family Movie Nights
Mar 08, 2022
5 THINGS YOU NEED FOR THE PERFECT AT HOME FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
When you take the family to the movie theater you have to contend with inflated ticket and snack prices, sticky floors, and potentially distracting movie-goers. So, planning a movie night at home obviously has its perks. You’ll get to skip the lines and the over-the-top ticket costs and snuggle up in the comfort of your own home—you can even pause the film for bathroom breaks! Here are five things that will allow you to pull off the perfect family movie night.
The right flick.
You can’t have movie night without the perfect movie so the first thing you should do is pick a movie that your entire family is going to love. If you have kids, and they are old enough, let them vote on the film to watch. If they’re too young to cast a vote, make the selection yourself or with your significant other. When choosing for the whole family try to find a kid-friendly film that will also appeal to the adults in the room, like Toy Story or Shrek! No kids? The selections are endless!
A slew of snacks.
Next, come up with the evening’s menu. You can go about this one of two ways (especially when kids are involved): 1) Make it a special treat and enjoy dinner in front of the TV! Whip up a a family favorite that the kids can enjoy in the living room while watching the movie. For dessert – microwave popcorn and/or movie theater candy, or 2) You can go about dinner in the usual way (i.e., in the dining room) and then, for the movie, line up a fun selection of movie snacks a few hours later. Snacks can be any family favorites – cheese & crackers, veggies, chips, etc.… But if all else fails, you can’t go wrong with classics like popcorn and M&Ms!
Extra pillows and blankets.
Another benefit of “going to the movies” in your own living room? You’re not confined to a squeaky movie theater recliner! Have everyone grab their favorite pillow, stuffed animal, and/or blankets and bring them out into the living room to make things extra cozy. You can even get into your jammies a bit early and really embrace the at-home movie night. And if everyone ends up snoozing in the living room? Impromptu sleepover!
Admission tickets.
If you really want to get into the home movie theater spirit, go all the way! Print out or make admission tickets for entrance into the “theater.” Other fun things you can do: purchase special popcorn bowls, have the kids make a movie poster beforehand, or play a game to guess the movie selection!
A basket for devices.
To really enjoy the evening adopt a no-device policy for your movie night. Avoid any potential fights among your pint-sized movie-goers by collecting phones and tablets before they can become a problem. Silence or power down the devices and then stow them away in another room until the movie is over. This will allow for everyone to just enjoy the movie and snacks and provide optimum family time! Enjoy!!