MOVIE NIGHT IS A GREAT FAMILY FUN ACTIVITY! ALSO INCLUDED HERE ARE MOVIE IDEAS FOR THE TWEEN AND TEEN CROWD!
Movie night with family is one of my favorite activities. I am always looking for ways to connect with my tween and teen. However, it is harder to find activities to engage them enough to spend a few hours together as they get older. One of my go-to activities for this is movie night! It is something that we all enjoy. The time together makes movie night a regular activity in our household. I try and do it a couple of times a month. If it is a busy season in our family, we try at least once a month. In addition, our family really enjoys going out to the movies (we have been playing catch-up since the theaters re-opened from the pandemic). But movies at home are great for rainy nights, or when we just need downtime in our own house instead of going out.
Firstly, why a movie night? Well, I like any activity that we are all together. I personally love the world of cinema and watching many different genres. Watching old movies and imagining what it was like to see them on the silver screen is something that I personally enjoy. Or inviting people for a “chick flick” night is great fun. Last year, we even had a Halloween-themed movie night with the grandparents. Above all, the common theme with family movie night is to be together. I love sharing old 80’s movies that I loved as a child with my kids. Similarly, discussing newer movies chosen by them. It is a conversation-starting tool, which is valuable with the teen and tween crowd. Activities like this are great for siblings as well. In other words, an all-over fun activity that can be tailored for all ages.
WHY KIND OF MOVIE NIGHT SHOULD YOU PLAN?
What are the best types of movie nights? Every type! In other words, you really can’t go wrong with this activity. Whether it is just your household with parents, siblings, friends, or your extended clan, go for it. All that you need is a feature presentation and some comfortable seating, and you are all set. After that, the biggest thing to consider in choosing the movie is your audience. We work hard to find appropriate family-friendly titles. This can be tough when you have children of varying ages. For instance, when the kids were younger, we stuck with the kid movies. However, with a tween and teen, I must look a little harder to find something that both age groups would enjoy. My goal for a movie choice is family-friendly and not too scary (for the 9-year-old). Therefore, think about who will be watching and go from there.
After that, other suggestions to make your family movie night great are the movie snacks (my kid’s favorite part)! There are unlimited things that you can do here. These themed nights are so fun, and you can do so many things with the snacks. For example, on our Halloween-themed movie night, we chose the film “Haunted Museum”. We had spooky drinks, made by drawing jack-o-lantern faces on our clear cups and filling them with Orange Crush, and topped with Trollies. Popcorn was topped off with Halloween candy. If there is no theme to the night, the traditional popcorn & candy is always a hit. In addition, other snack ideas include ice cream sundaes, Chex Mix, and appetizer night (meatballs, buffalo chicken dip, popcorn chicken, veggie tray, etc.).
Need more snack ideas? This video from Tasty Recipes has some very creative and delicious ideas!
Finally, the most important part! Family movie suggestions. There are so many to choose from. For instance you can do a series over a number of months, or just a single movie. Here are a few movies that were a huge success in our family:
MOVIE SERIES SUGGESTIONS (more than one movie)
- JUMANJI series
- NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM series
- STAR WARS series
- All MARVEL movies
- HARRY POTTER series
- BACK TO THE FUTURE series
- CHRONICLES OF NARNIA series
- HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA series
- SING – soon to be a series with part 2 on the way
- SECRET LIFE OF PETS series
- LEGO MOVIE series
- TOY STORY series
- SPY KIDS series
- HOME ALONE series
- SHREK series
- KARATE KID SERIES (and COBRA KAI for the older crowd because it has minor adult language)
- DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series
- CARS series
- THE KISSING BOOTH series
- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES series
- FRED series
- GOOSEBUMPS series
- INDIANA JONES series
- WRECK IT RALPH series
STANDALONE MOVIE SUGGESTIONS
- E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL
- THE BREAKFAST CLUB
- HOCUS POCUS
- THE SAND LOT
- DADDY DAY CARE
- THE LION KING
- KING KONG VS. GODZILLA
- JURASSIC PARK (if they like it, check out the rest of the series)
- ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
- DR. DOLITTLE (there are a few different versions of this)
- WONDER
- READY PLAYER ONE
- MONSTER TRUCK
- SABAN’S POWER RANGERS (the 2017 movie version)
- SIXTEEN CANDLES
- FREAKY FRIDAY
- SCHOOL OF ROCK
- THE PARENT TRAP
- HARRY & THE HENDERSONS
- PETE’S DRAGON
- WE BOUGHT A ZOO
- GOOD BURGER
- MR. POPPERS PENGUINS
Don’t want to stay inside? Better Homes and Gardens has a great article on how to make a very cool outdoor movie screen so that you can have a super fun outdoor movie night!
https://www.bhg.com/decorating/do-it-yourself/quick-and-easy-projects/diy-outdoor-movie-screen/
There are many movies to choose from. And many genres and types of films that you can always find something to watch. I have fond teenage memories of endlessly walking around Blockbuster looking to find a movie night choice. Now we scroll streaming channels. However, I still subscribe to a DVD service because I enjoy having access to the older movie options. I have been able to show my kids many childhood favorites using this service. If DVD’s are not your thing, there are many streaming or satellite/cable options. Above all, the main thing to remember is that this is family-time and together-time! Moreover, remember that movie night is an experience, not just a movie! In conclusion, make it fun with your movie, snacks, and throw in some movie trivia if you want to kick it up a notch. That is all that you need for a family movie night!
NOW THAT YOU KNOW ALL OF THE FUN THAT CAN COME WITH A MOVIE NIGHT WITH FAMILY, GET STARTED TODAY PLANNING YOURS!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE? IF SO, HERE ARE SOME OTHERS THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE!
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How to make a SAFE GAMING SETUP for kids!
Family Dinners – why you should have more!
Local Adventures – things to do for fun during COVID!
Family Traditions – Bridging the Past with the Future
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Great fun for the whole family! Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 33. Pinned!
Crystal Green says
I shoot to have a movie night with my kids at least twice a month. We often pick out a series to watch together and we spend time watching that series until it’s done several afternoons a week too. Movies are a huge source of entertainment in our home during the winter months after I get off work.
cbrooks0312@comcast.net says
That is an awesome goal! Sometimes it is hard to make the time for things but this is a great way to have family time!