Tips for Planning an At-Home Family Movie Night with Your Foster Child

As a foster-carer, you know better than anyone how important it is to keep kids busy and entertained, but sometimes you need a little help. Planning an at-home family movie night can be a great idea, but there are some tips you can use to ensure it’s a huge success. Whether this is your foster child’s first movie night experience with you, or you just want to elevate the experience, here are some essential planning tips.

Why Stop at Just One Movie?

The first tip is to erase the notion that movie night needs to be just one movie. If it’s a rainy dreary day, why not make it family movie day and enjoy a couple of options together? There are no rules, so remain flexible and leave it up to your foster child to decide what they feel like.

Picking a Movie Should Be a Shared Effort

That leads us to the next tip, which is that picking the movie should be a shared effort. Perhaps you can take turns picking the movie, or you can go through the list of options together. This is a great opportunity to learn more about your foster child, asking if they have a favorite movie, favorite genre or even a favorite actor/actress. This is a great way to make them feel included.

As agencies such as fosteringpeople.co.uk stress, it’s important for foster children to feel comfortable and welcomed into the home, so including them in decisions is a great way to achieve just that.

Create a Home Theatre Environment

Now it’s time to set up the room for movie day or night. Ideally, you want to aim for a cinema vibe, giving it a more authentic look.

Here are some of the tips you can use:

1. Make the room as dark as possible by using blackout window coverings.
2. Ensure there are no distractions in the room.
3. Ensure everyone has a comfortable place to sit with a clear view of the television.
4. Use throw blankets and pillows for extra comfort.
5. Make sure there are places to put beverages and snacks so that they are within reach.

Snacks and Beverages Need to Play a Big Part

One of the best things about watching a movie in the cinema is the snacks and drinks you get to have. No family movie night is complete without a selection of cinema-worthy snacks and beverages. When choosing what to serve, opt for items that are easy and relatively mess-free so that everyone can remain focused on the movie, not on the food.

Some great child-friendly movie snacks include:

• Popcorn
• Crisps
• Bite-sized cookies
• Veggies and dip
• Mini muffins
• Brownies

If time allows, you can even make some fun movie-night-friendly snacks rather than choosing prepared options.

Chances are that movie night at home will be such a hit that your foster child will want it to be part of the routine. You can work your way through a list of must-watch movies and create memories together.

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