Does your town host a movie in the park during the summer?

The event has become so popular in the last few years, that it seems most small towns to large cities host something similar. This summer, we decided to take our family for the first time. The park was screening Disney’s Frozen – the movie of our house – so it seemed like a safe bet that the kids would be interested.

A few tips to make the event easier and a little extra-special:

Haul everything in a wagon

(or stroller or something!)

This was huge. We loaded our radio flyer wagon in the back of our minivan and loaded it down with everything we needed. It was so easy to pull out at the park and wheel over to where the movie was screening. Especially since my husband and I needed our free hands to corral our excited children. Also, the distance from the parking lot to where the movie was being held was quite a walk. After the movie, we easily tossed everything back into the wagon and quickly left.

Pick up a pizza for dinner

The park we went to had concessions or I could have made sandwiches ahead of time, but pizza is a special treat and was more cost effective than the concessions. I ordered the pizza and we picked it up on the way to the park. With everything else I packed, it was nice not to fix the main meal. Plus, we hardly ever do pizza outside!

Pack a fun activity that relates to the movie. 

We arrived at the park about an hour and a half before the movie started to get a good place. After the pizza, the kids were getting a little antsy. I pulled out marshmallows and let the kids “build a snowman.” They instantly made the connection to the movie and loved building their snowmen.

Bring toys and special snacks

I packed some small toys similar to what we would normally take to a restaurant, like cars and small princesses. I also packed some gummy candy our kids never get.

Bring items to keep warm and make a “bed”

I packed several blankets, two pillows, and extra sweaters for all of us. We live in the mountains, so when the sun goes down, it cools off significantly. I noticed some people brought air mattresses, which was a brilliant idea. When it finally got really dark, my daughter loved looking at the stars.

I’m looking forward to more outdoor movies. I love that I don’t need to do any of the set-up with a projector and screen.