| Movies are intended to entertain, but they can be | | | | the movie before the designated night. Reading |
| so much more. With a little planning on your part, | | | | online reviews will help you choose appropriate |
| movie night can be a fun and educational | | | | movies for your family and give you an idea of |
| experience for your child. | | | | what the movie is about so you can plan |
| For a long time, our family has had a weekly | | | | appropriate snacks and activities. |
| "movie night" on Friday night. Family movie nights | | | | Often my children will have questions about the |
| are more structured than simply renting a movie | | | | setting or the characters. With a little planning, I |
| and letting the kids watch it. The point of a family | | | | find I am more prepared to answer these |
| movie night is to make it a simple but special | | | | questions and can even devise my own "lesson |
| event that involves the whole family. Set a movie | | | | plan" to go along with the movie we are watching |
| start time and take care of all chores before you | | | | that week. |
| settle in for the show. Sometimes my kids will | | | | A little more research will likely yield activity |
| even make special tickets and collect them as we | | | | suggestions or even entire lesson plans and study |
| enter the "theater". You can set a cinematic tone | | | | guides devoted to the movie. Using these |
| by preparing bowls of popcorn and other snacks. | | | | resources, families can prepare activities for |
| For added interest, make your snacks "match" | | | | before and after viewing the film. |
| the movie thematically. You could use family | | | | Depending on the film, our family might have a |
| movie nights to introduce foods the kids might | | | | pre-movie discussion about the film's setting and |
| not normally try. For example, you could whip up | | | | some background information. If we have found |
| a batch of "Turkish Delight" to go along with a | | | | some interesting activities based on the movie, |
| viewing of The Chronicles of Narnia, or you could | | | | we may schedule these for the following day. |
| introduce Indian bread and chutney while watching | | | | By expanding the movie experience, you and |
| Bend It Like Beckham. | | | | your children will learn so much more from time |
| Thanks to the internet, it is easy to learn about | | | | spent watching movies. |