Hosting an Awesome Outdoor Movie Night

Movie theaters (cinematic adventures as one of my friends so cleverly calls them) have been a go-to, family fun idea on Friday and Saturday for many couples and families – including ours. The buttery popcorn, Snowcaps chocolate candies, Junior Mints, Red Vines and of late, the reclining seats, are all part of making the outings memorable.  During the summer months, however, our family likes to take movie night to the next level. We’re big fans of having and hosting outdoor movie nights. Not that our outdoor movie nights are Pinterest worthy or anything, but we’ve done this a time or ten. From our experiences, we want to offer some advice for making your own outdoor movie night everything you hoped and more!  

Tips for Awesome Outdoor Movie Nights

1. Choose the Right Time

Watching a movie outdoors requires you to wait until the sun goes down. Besides, in summer months, you’ll want the cooler temps of the evening for comfort. I recommend having everything set up right before dusk. The daylight is needed for setting up, but the darkness of night is needed for the movie.  Do a sound check, run your power cords, and get everyone gathered and ready before guests arrive.  Knowing you have a two hour movie ahead of you, try to start around 8:00 or 8:30pm. You don’t want to be starting at 9:30 or 10pm since after the movie you’ll still have to clean up. And because you’ll finish late, it may be best to have  little ones already in pajamas already. Sometimes even us adults are in our pajamas too.

2. Invest in a Screen and Projector

A good ole fashioned sheet or the side of a building can make a decent movie screen, but the picture quality won’t be great. Buying a movie screen will make the experience that much better and having your own projector makes it easier too (no having to borrow and return one from school like I used to have to do). Screens are actually sold pretty cheap these days and a lot come with tripods to set them up on.  I know some sites sell inflatable screens, but I am not a fan. I find the blowers to be too loud and it takes away from the sound quality of the movie – especially if it’s an older movie where the sound isn’t great already.  You’ll want to store your screen and projector in a safe, dry area where they can’t get too hot, too cold, or wet.

3. Don’t Skimp on the Treats

Set up a concession stand with your variety of snacks. Yummy treats make every experience better.  This doesn’t have to cost much. Hit up your local dollar store for candies. They have most of the same boxes of candy you’ll see at the theater – except they’re only a dollar (woo hoo).   For bigger events, you can find popcorn machines, cotton candy machines, and snow cone makers online for fairly reasonable prices. I see a lot advertised in Black Friday sales papers too. We put these to use a lot for outdoor movie nights. Of course, microwave popcorn does the trick too! Since you’re already outdoors, consider using a fire-pit for s’mores, campfire banana boats, campfire cones or hot dogs to top off the experience.  A small outdoor kiddie pool makes a great substitute cooler for keeping drinks cold. We have a metal tub that we use for keeping refreshments and Otter Pops cool.

4. Invite the Neighborhood

Have fun with invitations and create little movie stub tickets (you can use a stack of old business cards for this).  Send them out to neighbors and take them at the entrance to your backyard. It’ll add to the excitement of the experience, and of course you’ll admit those who forget their tickets.

5. Create Great Sound

You’ll need a decent speaker. Our family uses a Block Rocker Mini Amp for sound to drown out the noise from crickets, frogs and a couple of chatting adults. Make sure you have all of the right cables needed. As I said earlier, you’ll want to run a sound check before all of your guests arrive. Better yet, check everything a couple of days in advance so that you have time to fix any problems. Be sure to check with any next door neighbors to be certain your noise level isn’t disturbing them or keeping them up late at night (and of course, invite them to join you).

6. Set up Comfy Seating

Comfort is key! There are a variety of seating areas. Some people put out sheets or blankets and toss out throw pillows to lay on. You can always set up lawn chairs or stadium chairs for those who do not want to sit on the ground. I have even seen some people with portable hammocks or blow up mattresses set up in the yard. We also have a giant bean bag chair that we drag out. In most cases the ground will be damp, so we like to put down a tarp if using blankets, sleeping bags or our cloth bean bag.

7. Theme It

I love a great themed party! A quick Internet or Pinterest search yields a ton of ideas. Here are a few I thought were fun. Show The Sandlot and have everyone wear their favorite baseball jersey. Serve cracker jacks or peanuts to guests. Or play Dumbo and serve circus foods like cotton candy and corn dogs. Watch Dr. Doolitte and have guests bring their favorite stuffed animal while you serve animal crackers as a snack. If you really want to get fancy, make it an Oscars themed night and put out a red carpet. Have someone taking photos of guests as they arrive. Whatever flick you pick, make it a crowd pleaser. Even if your guests have seen it a thousand times, it’s new and exciting to watch it under the stars.

8. Get Charitable

Apart from the cost of the snacks, outdoor movies aren’t much of a financial investment. Consider joining with neighbors and friends to choose a charity or needy family you want to support. Charge a small admission to be donated to the charity later. Put out multiple movie options and let people vote with their dollars on the one they want to watch by putting money into buckets. The movie that raises the most money wins! At the end of the night, count up all donations and announce how much is going to support a local family or charity. 

9. Glow For It

While you’re picking up candy at the dollar store, pick up some glow sticks. Hand them out to kids as they arrive and let them make them into bracelets and necklaces. Glow sticks are just enough light to be fun in the dark without shining too brightly and taking away from the night time ambiance.  *** Have you ever hosted an outdoor movie night or attended one? What was your favorite part? What would you add to my list above? Here’s to a five star movie night,