Creating A Fun And Meaningful Movie Night Tradition

Andrew: Regular guest Katherine with another post. This is part of our exploration into using screens as part of meaningful family time. She has a master’s in educational technology and is my go-to source for parenting advice. You can learn more about her tech philosophy here. Hope you enjoy!

Family movie nights are a fun and cherished tradition in my house, so much so that my 3yo asks me every night if it is in fact, “movie night.” It’s fun to see him light up that one time per week when his 1-in-7 chance works out. 

We’ve found that this weekly tradition gives us all something to look forward to, bond over, and helps spark conversations. It even leads to some random song outbursts.

Finding a Screen Time Flow

For our family, we’ve found that we have a more harmonious household when our kids (currently 3 and 6) have screen time in predictable patterns. For us, this cuts down on tantrums and disappointment but also creates excitement and anticipation. I like to think it helps with delayed gratification, too. The best part of our weekly flow is that we have clear no-screen days when they don’t even bother asking because it’s just not something we do on Thursdays or Sundays.

Thinking about flow and age-appropriate content, I’ve shared my thoughts on choosing Family Movie Night content below, including what we’re currently doing for my household of kids ages 3-6. Some families might add a special themed snack or activity to go with their selection, but honestly, my young kids get super excited for the same bowl of popcorn and couch snuggles we do every week.

Here are our family’s tips for ages 3-6, but we’ve also curated some tips for ages 6-9 and 9-12.

Our Movie Night Tips for Kids Ages 3-6 

• Our Favorite Shows And Movies:

  • Shorter films or multiple show episodes (25-50 minutes).

  • Something that might be conversation-provoking or exciting for the adults involved while still being age-appropriate is great!  

  • Shows we like

    • Doc McStuffins (Disney+)

    • Daniel Tiger (PBS Kids)

    • Bluey (Disney+)

    • Gabby’s Dollhouse (Netflilx)

    • Great British Baking Show (Netflix -a little more involved for the 3yo but the 6yo is super into it)

  • Movies we’ve watched in parts: 

    • Cars (Disney+)

    • Coco (Disney+)

    • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 -original version)

• Creating Meaningful Connections:

  • Incorporate brief discussions before and after the movie (e.g., "What did you like about the story?" "How did the character feel when…?" “What was a funny part?”). 

  • Grab some library book versions of your favorite movies or shows, bad accents welcome. 

  • Start a playlist of your favorite songs from the shows. Great for long car rides! 

• Keep a Flow:

  • Try to keep movie nights consistent (same night each week, for example).

  • Anticipate if you’re going to have a date night or a disruption to movie night and explain it ahead of time so you can reschedule or offer movie night with their caregiver.

Hope this inspires your own family movie night tradition!