Fun Night In: Movie Night!

With childhood comes many memories. Often the best ones resurface years later and that’s ok. It means they stuck and will likely bring back warm fuzzy moments that linger for a lifetime and continue for many generations. One tried and true form of a fun night is various movie features and marathons til midnight. For this generation, with DVDs and streaming, the options are endless as compared to a couple of decades ago. With those in mind let’s explore some ways to cozy it up further for cold or rainy nights of staying in!

Set the Scene

Using cushy comforters and blankets, spread out a “pallet” in front of the TV. This is the safe space for snacks and stretching out in comfort as the kids or entire family snuggle up and watch the show. Sounds simple, and it is. But it is proven to be a memory worth making!

Designating Directors

Don’t let disagreements get in the way of a great night! If you have more than one child, try doing “weeks”. This means each child rotates with it being their week to sit in the front seat on the way to school, choose a restaurant, get their meal first, etc., and in this case, choose the movies for the week. But how do you decide who goes first? Start with the oldest since they were here first!

Mix it Up

Though it is delicious, popcorn isn’t the only movie night treat! Since it is a tradition, start with popcorn as the base and add ingredients like dark chocolate-covered raisins, or peanuts, if there are no nut allergies. Mini pretzels, roasted almonds, and any other favorites will make a tasty trail mix to guide you to magical movie night memories!

Keeping it Real

Going to the theater is a fun outing but you can have a very similar, real experience at home. Stop by the Dollar Tree and pick up traditional red striped popcorn tubs or individual containers for the look. For realism, add to your cart the movie boxes of candy and turn your coffee table or kitchen island into a concession stand. For the scent, pop the corn! You’ll have a simulated movie theater in the convenience of your own living room!

Themes to Match the Movie

It adds an extra element of fun and excitement if you take a significant part of your movie and find a match to go with it. For example, during the Christmas season, watch Home Alone with a lovely cheese pizza or bring home Elf accompanied with spaghetti. Watching Willy Wonka with a chocolate bar for dessert is a must! Hotel Transylvania will pair well with garlic chicken. Set up an ice cream bar and watch Frozen. Finding Nemo with a side of fish sticks might be a bit too much, but you get the idea! Creating showtime duos will be a fun-filled game in itself and the whole family will have a blast matching up movies with edible sidekicks!

Keep the Options Endless

Have you ever heard “The Song That Never Ends”? This silly singing from long ago will drive mom and dad nuts eventually, but a movie supply that never ends will keep everyone smiling! Purchasing a lot of movies can add up in cost, so look into streaming to have endless options as close as your remote. There is another unique avenue to consider when your kids or grandkids are young…here you will find “101 Movies to See Before You Grow Up”.That is definitely enough to have you covered for years. Also, visit your local library and literally check out a movie for free!