How to Plan a Movie Themed Family Night

I love a good movie, especially an adventure. I like being transported to another time and place for few hours. There are some movies that I can watch again and again, like Lord of the Rings; yes, I admit that I am a nerd. Sharing my love of these movies with my kids brings me joy. When we started doing family nights regularly many years ago, some of those movies naturally lent themselves to a movie themed night. For us dressing up in archeologist gear and venturing out on a scavenger hunt to find a treasure brings the adventure to life.

You can make your movie family night simple, or you could go all out. My son, Zachary, and my daughter, Emma, have put together some epic Harry Potter family nights. Other favorites include Indiana Jones, Marvel, and, of course, Star Wars!

Here are some basic guidelines for putting on a movie themed family night:

Pick a favorite movie
Dress up like one of the characters
Come up with creative dinner ideas related to the movie
Choose movie themed games/activities
If there is time, (or if you do not have the energy to find an activity) watch the movie

Here is an example of Star Wars themed family nights we have done:

My family each chose different characters to dress up as. Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi are characters that have shown up in our house. Over time, we have collected clothing or costumes that have been transformed as best we can. Check with thrift stores for some inexpensive options to add to your outfit.

While living in Portland, I was excited to find a cookbook at the library called The Star Wars Cook Book: Wookiee Cookies and Other Galactic Recipes. One night our Star Wars family night dinner included Boba Fett-Uccini and for dessert, Wookie Cookies.

After dinner, our family has participated in games or activities related to the movie. One year, my son Zachary set up a Star Wars scavenger hunt, where we had to search for the Death Star plans, fight Storm Troopers, and finally, face Darth Vader. You could also test your knowledge with trivia from the movie or play a board game such as, Star Wars Monopoly or Star Wars Risk-you have a lot to choose from. Another idea would be playing Star Wars charades and Pictionary.

To conclude the night, we sometimes break out one of the movies and watch together with popcorn (or you could sip on some Hoth Chocolate).