How to have an outdoor movie night in your backyard

Have you ever wanted to re-live the experience of a summer night spent at a drive-in movie? A backyard movie event is the perfect chance to enjoy a movie under the stars with the kids  without even needing to leave the comfort of your own   backyard. Here is how to create an unforgettable movie event in your own backyard.

Pick the Movie

Once you decide on the type of event you want to host and the guest list, you can choose an appropriate film. If you are celebrating a birthday or graduation, let the honoree choose the movie. . If you are having kids at your backyard movie night, be sure to choose a family friendly movie.

Equipment need for outdoor movie night

The three crucial pieces of equipment needed to set up a movie night outside are a Projector, speakers and a screen.  Smartphone projectors are easily available today These days everyone has netflix  or amazon prime and you can stream in your backyard.   There are a number of equipment rental services available online, and many party supply stores offer rental services as well.

Or you can do if yourself   Make a screen for your outdoor movie event with a flat, king-size bed sheet or a white canvas tarp from Home Depot.  Just tack the top and bottom of the sheet to two long, thin strips of wood. Hang the sheet from the side of your home or garage, with the weighted sides positioned on the top and bottom. This will keep your screen from wrinkling and distorting the picture during the best part of your favorite film.

When you’re planning out your set-up, make sure you have extension cords, speaker cords and a table for your projector. The speaker cords need to be long enough that they extend back to the screen from the receiver. The extension cord should also be long enough to go from your home to the projector table.

Food for the backyard  movie night

It’s not movie night without food. You have several options here. You might make your movie night a potluck and ask everyone to bring a favorite movie snack to share, or you might provide snacks or a light meal like popcorn, hot dogs or movie theatre style candy.  You could keep the snacks simple or have a little more fun with it. Consider themed snacks to go with your film; chocolate to go with “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or a meatball  subs  with “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs”.

 

Outdoor seating 

There are several ways to set up the seating for your movie night. For kids, outdoor lawn  blankets or bean bags are a fun choice or even a sleeping bag   Adults can bring their own lawn chairs if you don’t have enough!

Whatever the size, theme or reason for your backyard movie night; taking the time to carefully plan the details, decorate and choose the perfect movie will help ensure your movie night is one that will leave you and your guests with special memories.