If your growing boy or girl is a total movie fanatic, one of the very best ways to have an amazing a memorable birthday party for them is to turn your backyard into an outdoor movie theater.
Of course, the best place to start is to look for fantastic and affordable outdoor movie screen rentals in your area. After that, here are some fantastic tips to keep in mind from the planning stage, to the party, to cleanup and beyond!
So without further ado, here are the best tips to nail your kid’s outdoor movie night party:
Check the weather
This should go without saying, but any outdoor party planner need to keep weather in mind. The most successful outdoor movie night parties are going to be held on warm spring or summer nights. If it’s raining, you’re going to have to move inside. If it’s windy, you might run the risk of the screen deflating or – even worse – blow away!
A few days before the event, make sure to check the weather and temp for the time you are holding the party. If it’s not looking good, you might want to reschedule!
Have back-up equipment in case of faulty mechanics
Contingency plans for weather are one thing, but what happens if your speaker system or other equipment fails. For larger backyard events, you likely want to have some equipment for backup in place.
Major backups to consider is a backup DVD player or hard drive that holds the movie file, a backup projector, back up speakers, or if you’re truly worried you could even get a generator in case your electricity goes off.
Create a theme for the party
The only thing more fun that a movie night party is a themed movie night party! The obvious theme for any movie night is to simply follow the movie of choice. Are you watching Star Wars? Why not pass out little costumes or toy light sabers?
Are you watching a classic film? Maybe pass out fake mustaches, fancy looking drinks, and other mainstays of classic Hollywood.
Of course, if you do not want to follow the theme of the movie itself, you could always just attempt to recreate the feel of a movie premier in your own backyard. Get a red carpet, popcorn machine, with even some fake paparazzi to really put your kid and his or her friends in the mood.
Regardless of the theme, one super fun little touch is to print out tickets or get a roll of stubs to pass out. This will certainly give the movie night a special and unique feel.
Send invites well out in advance
When you and your child have compiled a well thought out guest list, make sure to send out invites and notice with plenty of time in advance. That’s especially true if you are planning and holding the party in the summer, as families often have plans for summer vacation.
The last thing you want to risk happening is if you set your party and are ready to go only to find that many of your desired guests are unable to come.
Another important aspect of the invite process is to really map out your backyard and make sure you have enough space to entertain the number of guests you want to host. Hopefully, this doesn’t mean you have to make any tough decisions when it comes to your invite list.
Remember, if you can, it’s always best to invite your kid’s entire class just so no one feels left out.
Encourage guests to bring their own blankets and cushions
Even if you plan on holding your event in the spring or summer, it can still get pretty chilly at night. In your invite, encourage your guests to bring their own blankets, pillows, or outdoor seats so that they can watch the film in warmth and comfort.
On top of that, them bringing their own stuff saves you tons of time in terms washing, drying and folding the tons of blankets you’ll have to use if no one else brings their own.
Place strategically placed trash cans
Just because your kid’s friends are great, doesn’t mean you should expect them to act orderly and respectful at the birthday party! While your passing out food, snacks and drinks make sure that you have strategically placed trash cans in your backyard.
This will obviously make your post-party cleaning a whole lot easier once the credits are rolling and the guests start to head home.
Check for dog messes
If you have a furry four-legged friend make sure the scan the backyard and surrounding areas for any messes on the lawn before you open your home to guests.
On top of that, it is smart to cut the grass before you have people over. Not only does it get rid of some critters that might be lurking out there, it will also feel a lot nicer to lay down blankets and pillows on the lawn on a bed of freshly caught grass as opposed to overgrown grass and weeds.
Always test your set-up the night before
Just like great party planner, you are going to want to do something of a test run the evening before. Of course, don’t run the test of the weather is not ideal and you run the risk of damaging your equipment. If that is the case, make sure to just run it the morning of the event. While the projector will not look the same in the day as it will at night, you will get a good idea for how well your equipment is going to run that night.
Use wireless equipment whenever possible
Having tons of cables is not only unsightly when it comes to entertaining guests, it is also kind of dangerous. If you invest in wireless equipment, you reduce the risk of your guests tripping over them.
On top of that, it is way easier to set up and take down wireless equipment as opposed to a ton of hdmi, aux, and other kinds of chords.
Good luck!
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