With so many of us staying at home more recently, it’s the perfect time for having family movie nights. Want to make it extra fun? Check out these 9 kids movie night ideas to put a smile on your kiddos’ faces and enjoy an evening together at home!
With the stay-at-home orders still active in our state, movie nights have become a regular family activity. We decided to turn our TV room into a movie screening party for my kids and their friends.
9 Kids Movie Night Ideas
1. Go all out with movie decorations!
Try shopping your local party store’s online site. We found an amazing package of movie-themed decorations for only $10 on Amazon. We surrounded the TV and decorated our refreshments table to make it look super festive. We also purchased popcorn bags so that each child could have their own, like in a real movie theater.
2. Or consider a theme night!
Instead of the standard movie decorations, you can also consider a theme night. We did a “Cool Runnings” theme night at our house recently where we watched the movie, had tropical Jamaica-themed decorations hanging up, and enjoyed Jamaican jerk chicken for dinner!
3. Create the right atmosphere.
When it comes to an at home movie night for the kids, we’re all about making it casual and comfy. We told kids they could even come in their pajamas if they wanted to. Make sure to have blanket and pillows available so that everyone can get comfortable.
4. Think about the number of kids and seating.
This is more for the future when friends can come over again. If you’re inviting friends of your kids over, remember not to squeeze in too many. You want the kids to be comfortable.
They typically need a bit of wiggle room. We brought down extra pillows and a few extra chairs so that everyone had a seat without blocking the view of anyone else. Obviously the right number of kids to invite depends on your personal preferences and the size of your living room or family room!
5. Let the kids vote for the movie!
At this kids movie night, we selected 3 current popular kids movies and had them vote for their favorite. The winning movie was our feature for the night, as though they were at a big Hollywood award show.
Other times, we’ve pulled out some of our own favorite movies from childhood – hello, Hocus Pocus and Toy Story! – and let them vote from those. It’s always fun to give yourself a chance to reconnect with that inner child too. 😉
6. Make a Popcorn Mix-ins Bar!
We created a fun popcorn mix-in bar – super easy to put together and since each kid can customize their popcorn, everyone can find a snack they love. For a more adult version, I created the mix below with peanut butter cereal and strawberry powdered almonds. It’s so good!
Here are some kid-friendly ideas for your popcorn mix in bar:
- Mini marshmallows
- Gummy bears
- Skittles
- Pretzels
- Candy coated chocolates
- Mini peanut butter cups
- Chopped up kit-kat bars
7. Play dress up.
If you’ve got little kids, you can add to the excitement with this kids movie night idea – have them dress up in line with the movie! Watching a super hero movie? Make a fun cape for your little one to wear before the movie starts. Is it a sports-themed movie? Have them dress up in their favorite sports gear. A princess flick? Your daughter can put on her favorite fancy dress!
Obviously the older kids probably won’t go for this – but it’s great for preschool and early elementary age bracket.
8. Plan a read-and-watch.
As your kids get older, consider having a plan for a monthly read-and-watch. First, your child reads the book that the movie is based on. Then it’s time for the family movie night! After, you can chat about which was better – the book or the movie. (Even as an adult, I still love doing this!).
We did this for Harry Party, How to Train Your Dragon and The Hunger Games, now that they are both teens.
10. Combine movie night and game night.
Movie nights are fun and game nights are fun, but combining them can be the best! 😉 Think about making a “movie bingo” board to go with a great kids movie, and your kids can check off scenes or phrases as they hear them.
Thanks for “popping” over and reading about our kids movie night ideas. Have any other ideas or kid movie night experiences?
you can never go wrong with getting decorations for under $10 😀
Great idea 🙂 I love movie night with my nieces or nephews. Great fun 🙂
Absolutely adorable! I can’t remember the last time I hosted a movie night for the kids. Although a movie night with friends would be okay too for the ideas here! I so love the popcorn mixins corner!
we love movie nights! what a fun way to spice it up a bit!
I don’t yet have kids…however I live for a great movie night with friends =) I am going to use these ideas for my next girls night in!
I don’t yet gave kids…however I live for a movie night with friends =) I will be using these ideas for my next girls night in!
My favorite movie is the lion, the witch and the wardrobe!
My favorite movie is Romeo and Juliet
What a great and fun idea! Cherished memories for you and your kids for sure.
I really like the idea of kids having a say in the movie night feature! LOVE the candy mixed in with popcorn too.
Steel Magnolias is my favorite movie.
Oh my gosh! I love the dress-up idea! I have two little girls who would love that 🙂
My favorite movie is The Princess and the Frog
Love the Movie I am Wrath
Amityville horror is my favorite movie. Any old one but scary good
I love sound of music and princess diaries.
I love the idea of decorating since our days are so monotonous it really can make any day into an occasion!! Also great movie snacks are key – popcorn with lots of salted butter for the win!
This is a great idea. I don’t really have one favorite movie.. there are so many good ones. One of my latest ones we rented I love is Bohemian Rhapsody.
One of my favorite is Pretty Woman
Fight club, and last samurai.
I like the Notebook.
The wedding singer is my favorite!
the wizard of oz is my favorite movie.
I love The Princess Bride
Titanic
My favorite movie is Usual Suspects. Never saw the ending coming!
A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand!
My favorite movie is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie
my favorite movie is Pretty woman
of all time? That’s a tough one cause I love so many. I’ll go with Schindler’s List though, that’s the one that stuck with me.
All time favorite movie is The Shining – talk about suspenseful!
My favorite film is Annie Hall.
my favorite movie is Star Wars
My favorite is the original The Stepford Wives. I know it has a reputation for being really cheesy, but I just love it.
Cute idea!! I love my musicals.. Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia, etc..and Cary Grant movies the very best!!
I love The Lion King.
Probably Pretty woman.
My favorite movie is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I have lots of favorite movies. I would have to say whichever one I’m watching at the time.
This looks like so much fun! One of my favorite movies is The Notebook.
Thank you!
My favorite movie is Jurassic Park.
My favorite movie is Pretty Woman.
I’ve loved Hook since I was a kid!
To Kill A Mockingbird is a great movie!!
Favorite movie- hard to choose but one of my favorites is the original “The Notebook” based on the book by Nicolas Sparks with James Gardener.
elf
A favorite is 2001: A Space Odyssey.
About Time! I could watch it every day!
My favorite movie is Adventures in Babysitting.
I love the Sound of Music.
My favorite movie is the notebook
My favorite movies are White Christmasz Saving Private Ryan, and Dallas (1950)
It’s so stupid, but my favorite movie right now is Superbad! I think the terribleness of the movie as a whole makes it enjoyable to watch!
I love Frozen! 🙂
My favorite movie is Yours, Mine and Ours – the original version with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball.
Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid
Favorite movie? How about three: “West Side Story”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and the original “Star Wars”.
Great ideas! We’ll have to use some of these as a family! One thing we did last weekend was tent camping in our backyard and we had the laptop with us and enjoyed watching Funniest Home Videos before going to bed. Just mixed up the routine and our three young boys loved it.
My favorite is the original version of The Producers with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.
The Labyrinth with David Bowie is my favorite
Titanic!
It’s t really hard for me to pick a favorite but one is Ever After (1998).
Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite movie.
You can’t beat a great movie night at home! One of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music
My favorite movie is American Beauty
My favorite movie is Steel Magnolias
My all time fave movie is Dirty Dancing
Jurassic Park is my fav
My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.
Pretty Woman is my all-time favourite movie!
Don’t really have one
Titanic is my favorite movie.
My favorite is West Side Story.
This is such a hard question! A lot of times I just say Alien because I wrote a huge paper on it in college, and it really made me appreciate it more.
My favorite movie is Titanic.
To watch with the kid? Frozen or Tangled. We both love them & watch them all the time these days.
MY favorite movie is Grease. 🙂
I love Bridesmaids.
My favorite movie is Casablanca
The Last of the Mohicans is my favorite film.
One of my favorite movies is Dirty Dancing.
I don’t really have one favorite movie. One that I love is The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I would say both Dirty Dancing and Ghost are my favorite movies.
My favorite movie is Ghostbusters. Thanks for the giveaway.
The Notebook
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie 🙂
My favorite movie is The Great Race
The Shawshank Redemption has always been a favorite of mine.
I still love Steel Magnolias.
I love all types of movies especially horror. Love cuddling on the couch with hubby and watching them. We recently watched The Lodge and it was really good.
I really love the movie Life As a House!
my favorite movie is Murder By Number!
My favorite movie is Some Like it Hot. It always makes me laugh.
Thanks for the contest.
I like the movie War Room.
I love the Color Purple
My favorite movie is Forrest Gump.
The Princess Bride! And like a million others lol
Gone in 60 Seconds. I love the cars ^_^.
Pride and Prejudice.
I love the holiday movie It’s A Wonderful Life
My favourite movie is Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone.
I like Murder on the Orient Express.
My favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama.
Empire Strikes Back is my favourite movie.
I love the classic The Shop Around the Corner.
Gone With the Wind 🙂
the notebook is my favorite.
My favorite movie is Arthur….the original with Dudley Moore. I hate the sequel and refuse to even watch the remake.
Training Day is one of my favorite movies.
My favorite movie is 12 Angry Men.
The Goonies is my favorite
I have 3 favorite movies: The Color Purple, Imitation of Life, and The Notebook
Favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama.
10 Things I Hate About You
My all time favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama. It is the perfect mix of comedy and romance shaken up.
I love Legally Blonde and Pretty Woman.
I love the movie Sense and Sensibility.
My favorite movie is Toy Story 4.
Now and Then is one of my favorite movies.
My favorite movie is Tombstone. I love all the actors!! I never get tired of that movie.
I like A Beautiful Mind.
My favorite movie is Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.
I really don’t have “favorite” books or movies. I like the Pink Panther series, and the Harry Potter movies.
Favorite move is Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing
Original Star Wars is my favorite.
One of my favorite movies is The Departed.
my fav movie is lord of the rings (trilogy)
i would have to say my favorite movie is ” Fast and furious “
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
My favorites are Ghostbusters and Twister.
There are so many good ones out there…mine include many but one of my favourite’s is “Memphis Belle.” I think it was 1988? Great true story.
My favorite movie is Pride & Prejudice, with Elf as a close second…if not a tie. Thank you for the chance to win!
Tangled is my favorite movie.
Kids love movie night ?
I love the breakfast club
Star Wars is my favorite movie.
The Hobbit is my favorite movie, had a lot of fun scenes.
My favorite all-time movie is The Wizard of Oz.
I love Its a wonderful life
My favorite movie is “A Christmas Story”.
The Princess Bride!
The original Footloose is my favorite movie 🙂
Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite.
One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz. I never get tired of watching it.
For some reason- I cannot find your Instagram page. I clicked on the link and your icon but it says “Page Not Found.’ I hit enter before this happened so please disregard the entry. I tried.
Forrest Gump is my favorite movie
I love Singin’ in the rain.
The Riddick series!
One of my favorite movies is Ever After.
Infinity War is my favorite movie
This would be a fun idea for my family!
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie.
I would say Bicentennial Man.
My favorite movie is Star Wars.
My favorite movie is The Sweetest Thing.