How to Make Family Movie Night Fun

Making a movie night fun is easy. Simply provide a comfortable atmosphere and include all your family members in movie night preparations and activities. Follow these tips to have your fun family movie night go off without a hitch.

Instructions

1. Pick a day that every member of your family has free. You don't want to leave anyone out of movie night or force someone to participate in the movie night if he or she has a previous engagement elsewhere. Planning ahead at least one week in advance helps ensure that everyone will be happy with the night's activities.

2. Find a comfortable spot from which to watch the movie. Be sure to make enough room for your entire family. Your family should have space to move around and change positions while watching the movie. Put lots of pillows in the space.

3. Check TVs, DVD players, speakers and other sound systems. A technical glitch can ruin the movie experience.

4. Gather snacks. While there are many healthy options available to movie viewers at home, it's not a crime to offer your family some sweet treats while enjoying a film. Candy, buttered popcorn, soda and other types of junk food are considered part of the traditional movie-viewing experience. If you are concerned with offering too much of these treats to your family, simply watch the movie after an easy, filling, healthy meal. Your family will be less likely to overindulge if their bellies are already full.

5. Involve every viewer when choosing movies. A simple vote can help you decide what movie to watch. Chances are that if you choose the film that the majority of viewers want to see, your family movie night will be successful. If you have a family movie night every week, let a different person choose the night's viewing as it comes.

6. Turn off phones and other distractions.

7. Break from routine. Do something so that movie night stands out from other nights. For instance, throw a theme party.

8. Schedule a short intermission period. Let your family members attend to their needs during this period and regroup for the second half of the movie.

9. Discuss the film after it has finished. Share your interpretations with each other. You may be able to learn a lot about each other and the film you just watched. The interpretations may even be another source of entertainment during family movie night.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider watching a second, more mature movie after the youngest children have gone to bed.