Light’s are dimming, and the room is growing silent as everyone in the giant room awaits the sound of the giant screen in front of them reminding them to please silence their phones while remembering where the exits are in case of an emergency. A few sounds will be recognized as someone grabs a handful of popcorn, or somebody else opens up a bottle that they snuck into the theatre. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Due to COVID, however, there has been a constant opening and closing of movie theatres making it hard for people to enjoy that sensation. Theatres like AMC Orchard 12, AMC Brighton 12, AMC Westminster Promenade 24, and others have reopened.

Needless to say, as nice as it is that movie theatres are open again and people can go and enjoy that movie theatre experience, there are still families who are hesitant to leave their house. That doesn’t mean that you can lose out on those fun experiences though. You can easily turn your living room into the perfect movie theatre place with a few easy steps. 

Step 1: Figure out what you want your setup to be and where: 

When creating an at-home movie theatre one of the key parts to the perfect movie night and an at-home movie theatre is knowing what you want your setup to look like. Whether that means sitting outside curled up underneath the night sky, in a fort created by the family, in a tent, on the couch, or spread out across the floor with blankets and pillows surrounding you. Figuring out what you want your setup to look like and where you want it to be is a great start.

Step 2: How are you going to be showing your movie? 

Up next is figuring out how you want to show your movie. Whether it’s by taking a shoebox, your phone, and a magnifying glass or taking an actual projector there are lots of fun ways to show your film. If you’re going for an oldies themed night then a projector and projector screen may be the better way to go (A perfect way to show a film if you’re watching it outdoors). If you feel like staying in then you can simply just use a tv or you can create a teepee tent-like space and take a projector to show the film on the walls of the teepee. Whatever way you want to show your film is completely up to you. Just know that it doesn’t matter what you use. It can be by using a projector, tv, laptop, phone, phone, and magnifying glass, etc. The options are endless and so much fun. 

Step 3: Get your snack bar ready! 

One of the best parts about movie theatres is the snack bars. The snack bar is full of kid’s favorite drinks, candies, and most importantly popcorn. When trying to create an at-home movie theatre for the perfect movie night a snack bar is necessary. It’s really easy to do too. Whether you use the kitchen counter, a table in a tv room, or an empty shelf that’s long enough. Anything will work. Once you have your shelf gather all of your snack bar items. You can get some sodas (or juice boxes), candy (my personal favorites being jolly ranchers, sour patch kids, starbursts, and Swedish fish), some other fun foods like pretzels or chips, tortilla chips + queso, and of course the popcorn. Then set it up on the shelf by the tv room and your set for the night. 

Step 4: Figure out what movie you’re going to be showing 

One of the biggest parts about a movie night is figuring out what movie you’re going to be showing at your movie theatre. It can be a new movie, an old classic movie, a semi-recent movie, or even just a good movie that you found online. I highly suggest going for more recent movies or recently added movies to whatever streaming service you use. Those normally have the best movies. Or if that doesn’t sound like fun then going to your favorite classic movie is also a go-to idea that normally fits the night perfectly. 

Four easy steps. That’s all that it is and I promise it is worth it. Although it may at times seem like a ton of work (depending on how fancy or creative you get) ending the night with your at-home movie theatre is nice, fun, safe, and super relaxing. To top things off too you can make things even more fun by creating movie entrance tickets for family members to cash in before they enter the room or seating area. You can also buy classic movie theatre popcorn containers to make things even more fun. The best part, however, is that the creative ideas are never-ending. I love creating these types of things in my house and can’t wait to try out some more ideas with my own family.