DIY Outdoor Movie Night
There's nothing quite like the excitement of counting down the days until movie theaters begin their summer lineup guaranteed to release the next iconic hit! It's impossible to not feel nostalgic when thinking of past summers hanging with friends and family after seeing classics such as Jurassic Park, A League of Their Own, Parent Trap, Legally Blonde, Princess Diaries, and Napoleon Dynamite, just to name a few! To celebrate the magic of summer, we believe an outdoor movie night is in order! And to make things stress free, because we all know "There's no crying in baseball" or in this case, planning a party, we've created a guide to help you capture the nostalgia of the season! The best part is that this investment can serve as entertainment value all year long!
DIY OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT
MOVIE EQUIPMENT - There are many options available for building an outdoor theatre with prices ranging from $ to $$$. We're going for the quality but reasonable setup! Here is a great option we have found for LESS THAN $150:
This kit includes:
- a projector
- screen
- remote
- and AV/USB/SD/HDMI/VGA/Headphone plug which allows you to play most media players on it like PCs, Macs, video games like PS3/Xbox, blue-ray DVD player, TV stick, Roku stick and mobile devices.
- In addition, you can add speakers depending on the size of your outdoor seating area.
SEATING - Grab blankets, pillows, and lawn furniture you already own and you're good to go! You could even bring out a couch or couch cushions to lounge on! Depending on the age range of your crowd, we have gathered several different options from blankets and pillows to comfy lounge chairs for older guests.
PRO TIP: We suggest placing a sheet down before blankets (unless they are actual picnic/beach blankets) in order to avoid grass, dirt, leaves, from sticking. This will save you from the headache of picking each piece out individually before washing!
LIGHTS, TABLES, POPCORN - Set the stage and frame the yard with twinkle lights! Nothing makes an outdoor gathering more magical and brings a touch of nostalgia than lights strung from the trees and giving just enough light at night! Also, a few tables for snacks and drinks will be helpful sitting beside blankets. Grab some you own or check out these amazing options:
SNACKS - Of course no movie would be complete with snacks! From the obvious choice of popcorn, to sandwiches, ice cream bar, and nachos, choose something that is easy to make, assemble, and doesn't distract from movie watchers. The sandwich spread can be preassembled on trays and toppings for ice cream in bowls ready to set out during the movie. To make popcorn simple, have a partner to help pop while you serve into bags or vice versa. Nachos only require a crockpot and a bag of chips. These are great ways to keep things simple but YUMMY! Grab a cooler for drinks and you're good to go!
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EXTRA ESSENTIAL ITEMS - With the freedom and adventures of summer, come...BUGS. But don't worry! We have you covered! We're linking all natural bug spray and citronella candles to keep you bug bite free!
