Selecting the movies
Select the movies according to age and interest. The movies should be age-appropriate and focus on subject matter that the children will like. Ask the child or children what kind of genres they enjoy. If they choose ghost stories, drama or action stories, then find movies that match the genre.
Ask your children if there are specific movies they'd like to watch. Get some suggestions from your own kids rather than chasing around after everyone else who will be coming. While there is a risk that some kids will have already seen the movies, if you get a bunch of movies for the kids to choose from, they'll come to their own arrangements about what they're happy to watch, either for the first time or again. Ask about two nights ahead of the movie night. This will give you plenty of time to decide which movies are appropriate and to get hold of them.
Write down the movies suggested. Head down to the DVD store to borrow the DVDs directly. Alternatively, rent the movies through your online provider or TV services provider, making payment, etc. as required by that service. If the movie night is a long one, get at least two different movies, and preferably a few more, so that there is some choice. For a single movie, make an informed choice based on asking your own kids and get only one or two choices so that there isn't fussing all night about the movies that were missed out on.
Arranging the movie watching space
Prepare the movie area. Clear away unnecessary furniture and anything the kids might try to bounce off or could potentially break or hurt themselves on. The less stuff in the room or space, the better. Assign at least one of the children to help clean up the area. Assign another to kitchen duty, such as bringing food in on a tray, etc.) Have someone be responsible for checking that the DVD player, etc. is in good working order. If using home DVDs, have this person check that the DVDs are clean and playable. If ordering food for the party, do this ahead of time.
Place plenty of comfortable items in the room. This might include beanbags or large floor cushions. It should also include small cushions, pillows and blankets for the kids to arrange however they wish.
Prepare some snacks. Don't go overboard here, as kids will keep eating if there is a lot of food and they don't need it. However, a few nice snacks will go down a treat. Provide small bowls of a few candies, some fruit slices, nuts if nobody is allergic, popcorn and home baked cookies. You'll also need some drinks. Ensure easy access to water (as much as they want) and maybe one or two small glasses of juice or soda. If the kids are also eating over, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. make easy choices and can be made healthily or vegetarian if needed. Keep sugary snack servings small.
Settling down to movie night
Have the children choose the movies. Show them the pile of movies they have to choose from and ask them to choose together what they want to watch. Stay around to monitor the voting process, to avoid any upsets. If consensus cannot be reached, suggest that the kids vote. Whichever movie gets the most votes is the movie that is watched first, and so on.
Ask the children if they are comfortable and if they have everything they want or need. Let newcomers know where the bathroom is, and provide flashlights if the lights are to be dimmed and the switches hard to find.
Insert the movie. Let the kids start watching it, then you can tiptoe away and relax in another room. It's a good idea to remain within earshot. Complaints about anything can escalate quickly when kids get tired, and adult intervention may be needed.
When the first movie is done, repeat and enjoy until bedtime or home time.
Comments
0 comment