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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!

Family sitting on couch in front of TF for movie night

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.

Decoratiosn hanging from the ceiling for a movie night for kids

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!

Family sitting on couch and smiling on movie night

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!

Closeup shot of popcorn mix spilling out of plastic cup on its side

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!

Kids dressed up as super heroes

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.

woman and girls playing games

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?

Overhead shot of popcorn spilling out of pop corn box on its side

Don’t forget the popcorn!

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  1. Hannah Chase says:

    My favorite movie is The Sweetest Thing.

  2. Julieh says:

    My favorite movie is Star Wars.

  3. Cassandra D says:

    I would say Bicentennial Man.

  4. Dana M. says:

    The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie.

  5. Sand says:

    This would be a fun idea for my family!

  6. AEKZ2 says:

    Infinity War is my favorite movie

  7. JanD says:

    One of my favorite movies is Ever After.

  8. Diane Estrella says:

    The Riddick series!

  9. Jenn says:

    I love Singin’ in the rain.

  10. BILL HOFF says:

    Forrest Gump is my favorite movie

  11. wen budro says:

    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.

  12. wen budro says:

    One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz. I never get tired of watching it.

  13. DanV says:

    Raiders of the Lost Ark is my favorite.

  14. Shayna Brookman says:

    The original Footloose is my favorite movie πŸ™‚

  15. Danielle Day says:

    The Princess Bride!

  16. Philip Lawrence says:

    My favorite movie is “A Christmas Story”.

  17. kathy pease says:

    I love Its a wonderful life

  18. Debbi Wellenstein says:

    My favorite all-time movie is The Wizard of Oz.

  19. Cindy Merrill says:

    The Hobbit is my favorite movie, had a lot of fun scenes.

  20. Hesper Fry says:

    Star Wars is my favorite movie.

  21. Anita Jude says:

    I love the breakfast club

  22. Starr says:

    Kids love movie night ?

  23. Breanne says:

    Tangled is my favorite movie.

  24. Charity Cram says:

    My favorite movie is Pride & Prejudice, with Elf as a close second…if not a tie. Thank you for the chance to win!

  25. andie says:

    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.

  26. jennifer stapp says:

    My favorites are Ghostbusters and Twister.

  27. shawna says:

    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

  28. Amy Nick says:

    i would have to say my favorite movie is ” Fast and furious “

  29. Daniel M says:

    my fav movie is lord of the rings (trilogy)

  30. Alona Y says:

    One of my favorite movies is The Departed.

  31. Richard Hicks says:

    Original Star Wars is my favorite.

  32. Julie says:

    Favorite move is Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing

  33. Debra Branigan says:

    I really don’t have “favorite” books or movies. I like the Pink Panther series, and the Harry Potter movies.

  34. Heather Dawn says:

    My favorite movie is Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.

  35. Jillian Too says:

    I like A Beautiful Mind.

  36. Karley Moore says:

    My favorite movie is Tombstone. I love all the actors!! I never get tired of that movie.

  37. Carolyn Daley says:

    Now and Then is one of my favorite movies.

  38. Kristin McCall says:

    My favorite movie is Toy Story 4.

  39. Jeanna Massman says:

    I love the movie Sense and Sensibility.

  40. Audrey Stewart says:

    I love Legally Blonde and Pretty Woman.

  41. elizabeth miller says:

    My all time favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama. It is the perfect mix of comedy and romance shaken up.

  42. Danielle says:

    10 Things I Hate About You

  43. Jessica says:

    Favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama.

  44. Nolani says:

    I have 3 favorite movies: The Color Purple, Imitation of Life, and The Notebook

  45. Elaine says:

    The Goonies is my favorite

  46. Jessica W. says:

    My favorite movie is 12 Angry Men.

  47. Erika P. says:

    Training Day is one of my favorite movies.

  48. Jill Miller says:

    My favorite movie is Arthur….the original with Dudley Moore. I hate the sequel and refuse to even watch the remake.

  49. beth shepherd says:

    the notebook is my favorite.

  50. Mafalda V says:

    Gone With the Wind πŸ™‚

  51. Linda says:

    I love the classic The Shop Around the Corner.

  52. Ed says:

    Empire Strikes Back is my favourite movie.

  53. Tiffany S says:

    My favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama.

  54. Antoinette M says:

    I like Murder on the Orient Express.

  55. Kimberly R says:

    My favourite movie is Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone.

  56. Linda G says:

    I love the holiday movie It’s A Wonderful Life

  57. Daniela says:

    Pride and Prejudice.

  58. Gone in 60 Seconds. I love the cars ^_^.

  59. LB says:

    The Princess Bride! And like a million others lol

  60. Julie Waldron says:

    My favorite movie is Forrest Gump.

  61. rochelle haynes says:

    I love the Color Purple

  62. Vicky D says:

    I like the movie War Room.

  63. Sarah L says:

    My favorite movie is Some Like it Hot. It always makes me laugh.
    Thanks for the contest.

  64. Allyson Tice says:

    my favorite movie is Murder By Number!

  65. Lauren Becker says:

    I really love the movie Life As a House!

  66. donna porter says:

    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.

  67. Sherry says:

    I still love Steel Magnolias.

  68. Elizabeth Tarlow says:

    The Shawshank Redemption has always been a favorite of mine.

  69. My favorite movie is The Great Race

  70. Jan Lee says:

    The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie πŸ™‚

  71. Francine Anchondo says:

    The Notebook

  72. Bernie Wallace says:

    My favorite movie is Ghostbusters. Thanks for the giveaway.

  73. Ginger Hafer says:

    I would say both Dirty Dancing and Ghost are my favorite movies.

  74. Janie McGaugh says:

    I don’t really have one favorite movie. One that I love is The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

  75. Katie Bellamy says:

    One of my favorite movies is Dirty Dancing.

  76. Debbie P says:

    The Last of the Mohicans is my favorite film.

  77. Howard G says:

    My favorite movie is Casablanca

  78. Lisa says:

    I love Bridesmaids.

  79. Nina Lewis says:

    To watch with the kid? Frozen or Tangled. We both love them & watch them all the time these days.
    MY favorite movie is Grease. πŸ™‚

  80. Cheryl B says:

    My favorite movie is Titanic.

  81. chelsea w says:

    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.

  82. Kyona Sirico says:

    My favorite is West Side Story.

  83. Susan Smith says:

    Titanic is my favorite movie.

  84. Luc says:

    Don’t really have one

  85. Erin N says:

    Pretty Woman is my all-time favourite movie!

  86. Natalie says:

    My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.

  87. heather s says:

    Jurassic Park is my fav

  88. cheryl s says:

    My all time fave movie is Dirty Dancing

  89. polly says:

    My favorite movie is Steel Magnolias

  90. paige chandler says:

    My favorite movie is American Beauty

  91. Stacey Carter says:

    You can’t beat a great movie night at home! One of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music

  92. Linda K says:

    Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite movie.

  93. Sarah says:

    It’s t really hard for me to pick a favorite but one is Ever After (1998).

  94. Darlene Carbajal says:

    Titanic!

  95. shannon d citrino says:

    The Labyrinth with David Bowie is my favorite

  96. Cynthia C says:

    My favorite is the original version of The Producers with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder.

  97. 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.

  98. Charles Kelley says:

    Favorite movie? How about three: “West Side Story”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, and the original “Star Wars”.

  99. roy gruss says:

    Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

  100. April Morin says:

    My favorite movie is Yours, Mine and Ours – the original version with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball.

  101. Edye says:

    I love Frozen! πŸ™‚

  102. Lizzie Myers says:

    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!

  103. Meredith says:

    My favorite movies are White Christmasz Saving Private Ryan, and Dallas (1950)

  104. Azeem Isaahaque says:

    My favorite movie is the notebook

  105. Del says:

    I love the Sound of Music.

  106. KariLorr says:

    My favorite movie is Adventures in Babysitting.

  107. Victoria Scott says:

    About Time! I could watch it every day!

  108. Clem says:

    A favorite is 2001: A Space Odyssey.

  109. bn100 says:

    elf

  110. Rae Nelson says:

    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.

  111. Susan Christy says:

    To Kill A Mockingbird is a great movie!!

  112. beleebi says:

    I’ve loved Hook since I was a kid!

  113. Casandra LaMonaca says:

    My favorite movie is Pretty Woman.

  114. Donna L says:

    My favorite movie is Jurassic Park.

  115. Jackie says:

    This looks like so much fun! One of my favorite movies is The Notebook.
    Thank you!

  116. Kim Avery says:

    I have lots of favorite movies. I would have to say whichever one I’m watching at the time.

  117. Karina says:

    My favorite movie is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

  118. Maureen says:

    Probably Pretty woman.

  119. Lisa says:

    I love The Lion King.

  120. Mya Murphy says:

    Cute idea!! I love my musicals.. Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Mamma Mia, etc..and Cary Grant movies the very best!!

  121. Tracy Robertson says:

    My favorite is the original The Stepford Wives. I know it has a reputation for being really cheesy, but I just love it.

  122. Lisa Ellison says:

    my favorite movie is Star Wars

  123. David Hollingsworth says:

    My favorite film is Annie Hall.

  124. Barbara Montag says:

    All time favorite movie is The Shining – talk about suspenseful!

  125. Kristen Joiner says:

    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.

  126. wendy hutton says:

    my favorite movie is Pretty woman

  127. Ann Fantom says:

    Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie

  128. Penny Knowlton says:

    My favorite movie is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

  129. Teresa Warner says:

    A Star is Born with Barbara Streisand!

  130. Barrie says:

    My favorite movie is Usual Suspects. Never saw the ending coming!

  131. Jennifer says:

    Titanic

  132. Robin M says:

    I love The Princess Bride

  133. Melissa says:

    the wizard of oz is my favorite movie.

  134. Derek Jennings says:

    The wedding singer is my favorite!

  135. shelly peterson says:

    I like the Notebook.

  136. Calvin says:

    Fight club, and last samurai.

  137. Margaret Smith says:

    One of my favorite is Pretty Woman

  138. Dana Rodriguez says:

    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.

  139. Amber says:

    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!

  140. Renee Summerhays says:

    I love sound of music and princess diaries.

  141. monique s says:

    Amityville horror is my favorite movie. Any old one but scary good

  142. Ken Ohl says:

    Love the Movie I am Wrath

  143. Nerlande says:

    My favorite movie is The Princess and the Frog

  144. Lizzie Myers says:

    Oh my gosh! I love the dress-up idea! I have two little girls who would love that πŸ™‚

  145. Liz Mays says:

    I really like the idea of kids having a say in the movie night feature! LOVE the candy mixed in with popcorn too.

  146. Felicia says:

    What a great and fun idea! Cherished memories for you and your kids for sure.

  147. Brittany Y says:

    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!

  148. Brittany Y says:

    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!

  149. Brianna says:

    we love movie nights! what a fun way to spice it up a bit!

  150. Elizabeth O. says:

    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!

  151. Claire says:

    Great idea πŸ™‚ I love movie night with my nieces or nephews. Great fun πŸ™‚

  152. andi says:

    you can never go wrong with getting decorations for under $10 πŸ˜€

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