How to Host a DIY Movie Night
min read
Backyard – The Place to Be!
Backyard, garden, courtyard, patio, out back…whatever you call it, we believe it’s the perfect place for family fun and togetherness. It’s the ideal place to kick off your shoes, have a water fight, feel a warm summer breeze and listen to the sound of your kids laughing.
We believe the backyard should be celebrated! And so we set out to find awesome activities for the summer that you can host, we wanted to share our favourite... Backyard Movie Night, a fun and cost effective way to entertain the entire family without having to pack up the car.
1. Logistics
Look at the weather forecast. Consider when the sun sets. It will need to be dark outside to properly enjoy the movie. We suggest just after sunset.
If you really want to go all out, create a guest list and send invitations, getting the kids to help create a guest list and send out the invites.
2. Movie Screen
Although you can certainly rent a movie screen for the night, a king sized white sheet also works perfectly. Attach it to the inside or outside of your Springfree Trampoline, depending on the number of guests you have. You can also use the same technique on a wall or fence if you don't have a Springfree Trampoline (yet).
3. Audio Visual
This sometimes can be the only complicated bit to movie night and we recommend you test the set-up ahead of time to avoid the kids getting cranky.
First, you’ll need to find yourself a projector, you can pick one up starting from around $100 for a basic model. Then you’ll need to grab the laptop and connect it to the projector. Set up the projector a few feet away from the movie screen and elevate from the ground if viewing outside your Springfree. If you're in your Springfree, you will just need something to raise it up a bit. Make sure the path right in front of the projector is clear so everyone has a good view. If you’ve chosen to use a laptop, you can use the laptop speakers for sound but we recommend attaching external speakers for a better experience.
4. Movie Selection
We are lucky enough to have a plethora of movies available online, so choosing the movie is less about what is available and more about understanding the audience. Will it be mostly younger kids or older kids in the audience? Will everyone want to watch something current vs a classic favourite? Even the time of year could dictate - are you feeling a Christmas theme or summer theme? Work out the criteria and that will help you narrow down your options. You could also provide three options for the guests to vote for on the night.
5. Snacks
Snacks are an essential component of a perfect movie night. If you are going to have a few guests, a good idea could be to provide them their own little snack 'bowl' to stock up for the movie.
In terms of snacks to have on offer, popcorn is a given. You can make it healthy, keeping it plain or you can indulge for a special occasion using toppings such as salted caramel, butter or even melted cheese! You could have a variety of options for guests to choose from.
Other snacks could include:
- Summer fruits
- Cheese & crackers
- Crisps
- Energy Balls
- Sweets & chocolate
- Peanuts
6. Seating & Decor
No backyard movie night would be complete without a few final touches!
Add fairy or festoon lights around the backyard or on your Springfree Trampoline to create a whimsical and magical atmosphere.
For seating, if you're going to be off the Springfree, you can set up a few comfy chairs in a traditional cinema structure, or alternatively, lay out a few bean-bags, rugs, loungers casually on the lawn. But if you are going to be on the Springfree, a few pillows, cushions and rugs should do the trick.
Create added coziness with a few blankets and stuffed toys (for the littlies).
Good luck and we hope you have many wonderful movie nights this summer - we'd love to see your setups, so share on socials tagging with #springfreesummer!
