So you’re spending yet another night at home because of the pandemic. You’ve played games online, reconnected with family and friends via videoconferencing through your Consolidated Communications wireless Internet connection, and watched all of your favorite shows you had recorded on your DVR.
What’s next? How about kicking Family Movie Night up a notch with these suggestions? With a little bit of creativity and your Consolidated Communications TV package, you can turn another night of quarantine into positive memories for your kids.
Create a Multiplex Movie Theater Right in Your Home
Today’s multiplex movie theaters give visitors 10 or more movie choices and fun treats like popcorn and ice cream. Bring the excitement home by creating a movie theater ambiance in your home.
1. Decorate your living room.
Have your children create a fun marquis listing the movie titles. They can use your wireless internet with Google Slides to create a list of movies for the whole family airing on Cable TV or On Demand right now, along with movie posters for each selection.
Print homemade movie posters and hang them on the wall. If your kids are more crafty than techie, have them draw the posters. Get creative!
2. Transform your kitchen into a concession stand.
Let the kids decorate paper lunch bags to hold popcorn. Set out a selection of snacks on the counter and choose one family member to work the concession standing, handing out popcorn and snacks.
3. Dress the part.
If the whole family has been living in pajamas, sweats, or yoga pants, it’s time to get dressed. Back in the 1930s, people dressed in formal wear to attend a movie showing. (Remember Annie and Daddy Warbucks in the original 1982 film Annie?) You don’t need to go to this extreme but pulling on jeans and a clean t-shirt — the kind of outfit you’d likely wear if you were actually taking your kids to the movies — will make you feel a lot better.
4. Hand out “tickets.”
Once the family has agreed on a movie from the copious selection advertised on your family room wall, hand out homemade tickets. Grab your snacks, choose your seats, turn down the lights, and enjoy the film!
Bring the Fun Outdoors
Are you lucky enough to have a home projector? If you do, it’s a great time to bring the party outdoors. Attach a white or light-colored sheet to your garage door or the back of your house, wherever you have enough room to sprawl on the lawn, blankets, or lawn chairs. Connect your projector to your Consolidated Communications wireless internet connection to stream movies with TVE apps, like Showtime Anytime and HBO Max.
If you don’t have a projector, you may be able to make a projector using your smartphone, a shoebox, and a few other items you might have around your house. Your kids probably won’t be able to manage this one on their own, though. They will need some adult guidance as sharp tools are involved.
Creativity and Learning Make Movie Night More Fun
Planning an over-the-top family movie night not only gives your kids something fun to do during the pandemic, but you can also incorporate lessons to keep their minds sharp. For example, have the kids set prices for the concessions, collect money (fake is just fine), and count change.
Your kids will love the creative activities leading up to the main event. Depending on how meticulous your kids are and how many movie posters they create, the project could keep them busy for a few days. Younger children, especially, will love the chance to “play movie theater,” serving up snacks and taking tickets from the grown-ups. It will be something they remember long after the coronavirus pandemic is behind us.