Outdoor Movie Birthday Party Ideas

4 Movie Night On A Camp

In addition to bonfire and singing competition, you can take the joy of your camping with a kids outdoor movie night.

How To Create It:

1- Select a suitable place for camp and movie set up. You can also do a camp out on your patio.

2- You can set an actual tent out or just make a DIY tent with blankets and sheets.

3- Order pizza and treats.

4- Enjoy the movie with the bonfire.

What Do You Need To Create It:

• Bonfire
• Pizza

Use Strategically Placed Trash Cans

You would like to think that your guests have respect for your backyard. If your friends are anything like mine, then thats not always the case. But make things easier for them with strategically placed trash cans so they can dispose of food and drink properly without it being dropped on the floor.

Choose The Right Outdoor Projector To Suit You

With so many products on the market, its never been more confusing as to what you should buy. If you need help in deciding then Ive put together a guide which helps you in choosing the right outdoor projector to suit you and your needs. Go read that guide here: Make Sure You Choose the Right Outdoor Movie Projector.

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Choose A Classic Or Crowd

The best movies for playing at outdoor movie nights where you have a wide variety and number of guests are the classics that everyone knows or is familiar with. Backyard movie nights are a social event, and people will be talking and catching up with each other. Playing a movie that the guests dont necessarily have to pay 100% attention to, and one that everyone should already know will always work well. For ideas on what to watch, read my guide to the top 10 best movies to watch outside.

Keep Your Outdoor Movie Projector Well Maintained And Clean

It is so important to keep your outdoor projector clean and properly maintained. When playing movies outside you expose your equipment to risks such as wind, pollen, and dust. Maintenance is essential, so get into a habit of regularly cleaning the filters and lens after each use. This will reduce the potential for lasting damage or overheating.

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Box Cars Are A Great Idea For Kids And Adults Alike

Every drive-in needs a car, so get some huge cardboard boxes, cut them out from the top, and DIY them into a car. Decorate it to your heart’s content. Make an activity out of it, one that you enjoy with your friends, family, or children. Put your pillows and blankets into these boxes, and just snuggle in. You could use these faux car boxes after the drive-in party as well. Keep them in mint condition and reuse them for the next party or when your kids have a sleepover.

Buy A Red Carpet For Your Guests To Enter On

For a truly immersive outdoor movie night experience how about a red carpet? I bought a cheap one on Amazon for the guests to arrive on, leading down to the seating area. I even had my kids sat at the end in a cardboard ticket office so that they could collect the customized invites from our friends and family.

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My Favorite Outdoor Movie Night Party Ideas And Elements From This Fun

• The cute movie marquee lights
• The cute mini pies and pie toppers
• The sandwiches wrapped in newspaper and tied with twine
• The cute black and white striped cake
• The cute smore bar
• The darling food labels and tags
• The cute popcorn and treat bar
• and MORE!

Custom Invitation, Paper Printables, Tags, Food Picks, etc. : CK FirebootsKraft Paper Salad Boxes: WebstaurantStoreWhite Paper Food Cups & Lids: Webstaurant StoreSalad Dressing Cups & Lids: Webstaurant StoreB& W Striped Popcorn Boxes: Party CityGold Foil Thank You Cards: Gartner Studios via Target

Outdoor Movie Party Details:

This is what Ashley said about planning the party-I have been dying to throw an outdoor Movie Party for a few years now. My best friend, Amber, was turning 30, so what better excuse?! I was going for a mix between backyard picnic and glam. So you see a lot of gold, yet, a hay bale couch as well. We combined etsy purchases with DIY projects to help manage the amount of time spent preparing for the party.

My husband created the movie screen with some help from Google and his own ingenuity. It turned out better than I ever could have imagined! We watched Big the birthday girls favorite movie from her childhood.

Love Karas Party Ideas? Keep up with the latest party ideas, FREE party printables, tutorials, recipes and more by following !

Perfect Backyard Movie Night Birthday Ideas

With the weather outside as hot as its been this year, we decided to host an outdoor backyard movie night for the girls birthday party. That way we could beat the heat and instead enjoy the warm summer evening.

The girls decided to show the Peanuts movie and I thought Id give a vintage look to all the decorations. The decorations matched the movie beautifully and we had a wonderful time.

We learned a lot and Ive put together all these backyard movie night ideas so you can plan a wonderful outdoor theater in your own backyard and make it a memorable night for all your guests.

This post may contain affiliate links.

But I couldnt have put together this complete movie night themed party without the help of my Ultimate Birthday Party Planner. Its the best tool to plan any party without stress.

You too can use this wonderful resource for all your future parties by downloading it just once! I designed it after many years of researching how to plan the best party ever and much trial and error!

From invitation, decoration, crafts, games, party favors, and even how to set up outdoor screens, I hope this post will guide you to plan your own epic movie night birthday celebration:

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Set Up A Fire Pit Or Camp Fire

An open outdoor fire always goes down really well with guests. If its a little bit cold that night it can provide some much-needed warmth, lets you roast marshmallows, and if theres just the two of you, adds a lovely romantic feel to proceedings. If you want more ideas on how you throw a romantic outdoor movie night, then for some ideas I put together recently.

Movie Night Ticket Invitations

We sent out giant vintage-style movie ticket invitations to the delight of all the girls friends. Also included with the invitation is a standard-sized replica ticket that your little doorman can collect on the day of the party. Heres a link to the ticket template. Its now available in 3 colors . Your guests will be super excited to receive such a fun invite.

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Tip #: Popcorn Popcorn Popcorn Are A Must Have For An Outdoor Movie Night Party

You cannot have a movie night party without serving some delicious popcorn! The funny story about Valentina and Alinas movie night party was almost none of the kids ate the popcorn! They started throwing the popcorns at each other . The next thing we knew, it was an epic popcorn fight among the kids! Haha! It was so many popcorns all over the place! However, if your movie night party is for older children, teenagers, or adults, most people will eat the popcorn while enjoying the movie!

Awesome Outdoor Birthday Party Ideas For Kids

Its finally hot in Minnesota where my family lives, and Im loving the rays. My kids have already been invited to several birthday parties, and there will be many more. While a pool party is the standard go-to for keeping kids cool while they celebrate the birthday kid, there are so many other fun outdoor birthday party ideas. And having a party in your yard solves the problem of not being able to fit 20 kids in your house. Kids can go totally crazy outdoors! Its also usually much cheaper than having to pay for a venue.

Here, Ive rounded up 15 awesome outdoor birthday party ideas for the kids that dont require a pool.

• 1/15

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Tips For Setting Up Successful Outdoor Movie Parties

Outdoor movies are always a fun and exciting way to connect with friends, family, and neighbors, or to celebrate any special occasion. But planning them can feel a bit intimidating. You want to make sure everyone has a great time, and for that, you need to be set up for success! Luckily, I have 10 Tips for Setting up Successful Outdoor Movie Parties for you . Read on for all of the tips, and to see how we set up a Star Wars-themed outdoor movie party for my son Harrisons birthday several years ago.

P.S. After you read the post, for a one-stop shop for everything you need to create your own outdoor movie experience!

As a blogger, I sometimes receive compensation and/or products in exchange for my styling and crafting services. I also may earn a small commission from any sales that result from affiliate links on this page. As always, all project ideas and any opinions expressed here are my own. For further information on our disclosure policy please check out our disclosure page.

Remember To Relax & Have Fun

Outdoor movies are about having fun. If youre stressed out and worried, that will soon transfer onto your guests. Try to relax and remember why you planned this night in the first place it was to catch up with people, have a good time, celebrate an event, or bring your community together. If youre stressed, mistakes will happen. Relax and have fun and the rest should follow.

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Buy The Highest Lumen Rating That You Can Afford

Lumens are something that can confuse buyers of outdoor movie projectors, but thankfully Ive put a guide together for you to help you better understand what to look for when choosing a projector. In simple terms though, the higher the lumens, the brighter the image so it could be the difference between starting your party earlier or later before nightfall. Lumens can also dictate how large your projected image is. So my advice, buy a projector with a high a lumen rating as you possibly can.

10 Swimming Pool Movie Party

You must be looking for a entertaining, however, different movie night ideas for your little ones. So whats about watching a movie while swimming in the water?

How To Create It:

1- Set up movie screen at a suitable distance from water.

2- Decorate the environment with some fairy lights.

3- Place snacks and juices near the pool. So kids can grab it while staying in the water.

4- Help your kids with swimming accessories like swimming tubes.

What Things You Need For It:

• Movie screen with a projector.

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Outdoor Movie Night Seating Ideas

For an outdoor movie gathering, making sure that there is a nice setup where the guests can sit and relax to enjoy the movie is SO important. For our outdoor movie night birthday party, we made sure to set up a cute picnic area and included picnic tables for the girls and their friends to sit and enjoy the dinner, as well as be comfortable while watching the movie.

Dont Be Limited By Your Dvd Selection

You dont have to watch movies via a DVD player these days. Modern outdoor movie projectors are compatible with a wide range of video and media playing devices. The types of devices you can play movies from through a projector include laptops, smartphones, tablets, hard disks, USB sticks, flash drives, and online streaming services.

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There Are A Few Seating Options To Choose From When It Comes To Planning Your Outdoor Movie Night:

1. Pillows and blankets

Tossing a few pillows and comfortable blankets around your yard is a quick and easy way to provide your guests with a place to sit.

2. Patio furniture

Another simple option for outdoor movie night seating is to arrange your patio furniture in front of the screen.

3. Bring your own seats

And if you donât think youâll be able to come up with enough seating for all your guests in your yard, asking your friends to bring their own seating is another simple option.

Invest In A Decent Outdoor Projector Screen

Youve already spent money on a decent projector, got a movie, sent the invites out, put together a sound system, arranged seatings, and organized food so why would you not invest in a decent outdoor movie projector screen? The movie will only be as good as your projector and screen. If on a budget I recommend inflatable screens or standing ones, both of which you can buy cheaply. Take a look at these recommendations if you want some guidance on whats best to buy for your money.

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Backyard Movie Night Food Ideas So Your Guests Wont Go Hungry

Youve lined up a movie, you have the projector ready, a screen put-up, and seating arrangements are complete. All you need now is a selection of friends and family to turn up and you should be ready. Or are you?

One thing that is often overlooked when planning a backyard movie night, or outdoor movie party is the food. The food can be your chance to put a great touch on the event, with a snack selection that will keep your guests wanting to come back for more.

Now the great thing about backyard movies is that you arent constrained by the limits you might have such as in a movie theater or cinema. Its also not like going to a public outdoor movie where theres only so much food you can take in your car, carry with you, or order from the available food outlets.

In most cases, your kitchen should only be a short distance from your backyard, meaning you can provide food and snacks that are not only unexpected but also offer a truly unique experience possibly even being themed to the movie itself.

There Are Three Basic Components To An Outdoor Movie Theater:

1. Projector

The first thing youâll need to show your movie outdoors is a projector. If youâre in the market for a new projector, look for one that is compatible with your favorite streaming device, allowing you to access all your favorite services right on your projector.

2. Screen

Once you have your projector ready to go, youâll need a screen to project the movie on. You can purchase a screen specially designed for outdoor movies, or make things simple and just project the movie onto the side of your house or garage. Hanging a white sheet over the side of the building will ensure the movie looks great as it plays.

3. Speakers

Even if your projector has a built-in speaker, itâs a good idea to add a few Bluetooth speakers around the viewing area to ensure everyone watching the movie can hear the sound as well. Small wireless speakers are a great option because they can be place discreetly throughout your yard without being in the way.

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Consider Your Pets And Animals

If you are going to have people coming and going during the evening, then consider the impact this could have on your pets. If you have a dog, you might need to shut them in the house so theres no chance of them escaping through a gate if left open by a careless guest. At the very least, make everyone aware if you do keep animals, and any considerations they might need to take to ensure no mishaps.

How To Host An Outdoor Movie Party

Drive-in movie theaters are about as common as rotary phones, but my family is fortunate to have one within easy driving distance of our home, and we frequent it often during the summer months.

Theres something fantastically retro about watching a movie outside in the dark, snacks in hand. Almost every drive-in theater has a classic concession stand where you can purchase popcorn, candy, and more modern treats like poutine, or you can bring in your own, like we often do, and eat picnic-style while watching your film.

This summer we want to bring our love for the outdoor movie to our own backyard by throwing a movie-viewing party for our kids and their friends. Heres how to host your own outdoor movie party, if youre so inclined:

1. The Set Up

There are four main items required to screen a movie outdoors:

• Screen or large white wall
• DVD player or laptop
• Projector
• Speakers

Very few people have projectors at home, but many have access to one via work. Alternatively, you can rent them from your local audio/video store for a reasonable price. Once you have the items you need, you can set them up in low-light area and scatter blankets, pillows, and lawn chairs on the ground in front of the screen/wall for easy, comfortable viewing.

2. The Movies

For full-length films, there are plenty of options. Some great choices for family-friendly, summertime picks with mass appeal include:

3. The Invites

4. The Concession Snacks

Happy movie viewing!

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