So, you’re organizing a movie night. Lucky you!
No … Really. I’m being serious.
Just think of all the birthday party concepts your kid could have asked for that involve too many kids hyped up on too much sugar all running around as if they’ve had V8 engines installed.
When it comes to a movie night, if you get creative with your setup – the rest is easy. Do it right and all party guests will feel like mini superstars … then sit down, zone out for an hour or two, stuff their faces with fancy food and before you know it, it’s home time!
Plus, it’s way less expensive than having to trundle 10 kids to a cinema, where you’d spend the whole time in the dark wondering if you’d lost a kid or if any had exploded from popcorn consumption.
Here are some tips for turning a movie party in the backyard into a grand affair that kids will adore:
Setting up
1. Find a projector
It doesn’t matter if you already own one, borrow one from a friend or rent one for the evening … you cannot host a movie party without one. It doesn’t matter how big your TV screen is (unless you legitimately have a cinema room in your house, in which case, stop reading this section and just use that), pulling your television outside just won’t provide the movie-going atmosphere you’re looking for.
2. Pick your spot
Before you get too gung-ho with decorations and preparations, decide what is going to act as your screen – everything else will centre upon that.
If you have a plain outdoor wall, project it there. Otherwise, fashion a screen out of a sheet – be it on a clothesline or hoisted up creatively by two poles and string.
3. Choose a theme
Personally, I can’t think of anything more adorable than a makeshift drive-in movie theatre. You build each attendee their own ‘car’ out of a cardboard box, then fill it with pillows and let it become their realm for the evening. It’s particularly great if your kid is a budding rev head.
Alternatively, ‘Hollywood’ is another great option. You can lay a red carpet for guests to parade in on – you could even make a mini Walk of Fame by dotting the carpet with cut-out stars that have all attending superstars’ names in them!
If you want a more relaxed slumber-party vibe, it’s even easier – just strew your lawn with blankets and as many pillows, beanbags and cushions as you can lay your hands on. And if you’re thinking even that sounds like too much effort – just have a ‘comfy box’ with all the things kids will need to create their own cosy move-watching spaces.
Image from Babble.com.
Whatever theme you choose, you’ll be able to find some suitably cute movie munchies to match the atmosphere.
Feeding the masses
There is plenty of fun food that goes hand in hand with a movie night. Popcorn, pizza, hot dogs, milkshakes, choc tops … they’re all delicious, and best of all they’re easy to make! If you have the equipment on hand you could even make fairy floss!
You could set up a fun food station that lets everyone fill up their own movie-food popcorn bag:
Or prepare individual trays before hand to prevent kids from scoffing EVERYTHING.
Image from Etsy page: LolaLovesAParty.
Choosing a movie
Kids don’t care about a film’s history, or about how legendary and ground-breaking it was for 1982, or how totally awesome Marty McFly is.
Nope. When choosing a film, the key is to keep it super-duper, fresh-off-the-big-screen contemporary. Take a look at the latest kids’ releases and pick from there. If you’re worried about the rating of content, ask other kids’ parents for their thoughts, or scope out the content online on a website guide like Common Sense Media.
You can also check Australian classification guidelines here.
Realistically though, your kid will tell you what THEY want … And what a birthday boy or girl wants is law. Just go with it, sit back, relax and enjoy.
