9 Movie Night Movie Ideas for Kids

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 move night movie ideas for kids 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. With everything that’s been happening, it seemed like the perfect way to get “out” without actually going out.

9 Movie Night Movie Ideas for Kids

Sure, you can have a movie night just sitting on the couch, but why not really make it fun! The following ideas make movie night feel like a night out at the movies – maybe even better!

1. Go all out with movie decorations!

Try shopping at 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 movie night 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 blankets 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 superhero 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 brackets.

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.

Try These Movie Night Movie Ideas for Kids

Movie nights are always fun, but we can make them even better by going the extra mile. It’s more important now than ever. Give these movie night movie ideas a try and take your movie night to the next level. Everyone will have a blast!

Thanks for “popping” over and reading about our kids movie night ideas. Have any other ideas or kid movie night experiences?

Don’t forget the popcorn!

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