How to Plan a Family Movie Night

So... you want to know the secret? To bring the family together for fun? To plan a party of sorts without the struggle? Well, know you will know! This is a tutorial on how to plan a family movie night!

Step 1: Pick a movie

Well, this is an obvious step. Pick a movie that your family loves. There are four types of movie nights. The family movie night where the entire family can watch the movie, such as Up or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The second is an adult movie night, where the younger kids don't care to watch such as The X-Files or The Hunger Games. The third is a girls movie night where the younger kids AND guy don't care to watch such as Bride Wars and A Walk to Remember. Forth and finale movie night is a guys movie night where the girls AND younger kids don't care for such as Cowboys vs Aliens or Real Steel.

Step 2: Start Planning the Food

This is the fun part! Okay so start thinking about the food they eat in the movie or the food related. A food related would be fish sticks for Finding Nemo. Food eaten in the movie would be pawsicles for Zootopia. Another idea is to make a food pun. This would be Charlie Brownies for The Peanuts Movie. Now on a menu, we usually have one main dish, a side or two, a drink, and a dessert.

This is a menu I created for our Maze Runner Movie Night.

Now to make the menu, go to Microsoft Word and add a border that reminds you of the movie. Find a popular or a favorite quote, split it in half, and place a picture in between. This website, DaFont, has hundreds of free fonts including popular movies.

Step Three: Games and Crafts

I have a harder time with the games than anything else. Most movies don't have any games mentioned in them so you have to create one. Over time though you realize that the games are all played similarly. This is then when the creative part happens. The good news, crafts, and coloring are another option. For example, a Phineas and Ferb family movie night can have an inventing contest while Robin Hood has archery. Try to think of an event in the movie that CAN be made into a game or a craft.

Step Four: Decorations

Okay, I take it back for the games being the hardest part. Decorations are a nightmare. To be honest, I don't have any advice for this step. Look on Pinterest or the internet for parties. Use the main theme rule, if a certain theme such as a farm for a Barnyard movie night. If it's summer in the movie, try beach towels and a beach towel. If the year is in the 1920s, decorate it all in black and gold.

Step Five: Tickets

Yay! An easy step! Here is a barcode you can use

On Microsoft Word, flip it and write out 

*(Family's Name) Family Movie Night Presents*

(movie name)

You can also add a picture underneath. Copy and add a few to a page. Here is a picture of tickets

Step Six: Research

Most movie nights or parties are copied from other people. These ideas are just reused over and over again. But they can also be a help. Yes, it has been done, but it may be the only idea you can come up with. Nobody has on the internet an Ice Age party, but everyone has done a Jurassic Park party. The Ice Age family movie night will have to be completely made up by you. The Jurassic Park family movie night, on the other hand, has plenty of ideas and is quite easy. Also look at the theme. Ice Age is all snow, so a snow game, such as a paper snowball fight, could work.

Here is my Pinterest Family Movie Night board. It has a ton of ideas for popular movies and lesser known ones. Movie Night Board

Step Seven: Put it all Together

Now it's time. The decorations are up.  The food is made and the menu is placed up. Games are waiting to be played and pages to be colored. While you finish each step and it may seem you don't have a lot, it will look amazing when it' s all put together. Now, remember, this movie night is for YOU too. Relax and enjoy! 

Notes from Naomi