Festive Fridays: Movie Themed Birthday Party

Every year with my boys, the struggle is the same. Right after Christmas, we start the “what do you want to do for your birthdays” discussion. While they’ve chosen several different themes over the years, including some repeats, I have to say my favorite year was the year we did a movie party for my middle son. Movie themed birthday parties are a great way to cover entertainment for your guests without breaking the bank on elaborate venues and activities.

Location ideas

If you’re planning a birthday party around showing a movie, it’s easy to do that at home, if it’s something that is out on DVD, to save on paying venue costs. If you’re looking to watch a current release, most theaters offer party packages and often have a room where you can serve cake and ice cream. Also, ask your local theater about private screening rooms. Ours has an upstairs room with seating for 45 and capability to play a DVD on a large drop down screen and costs less to rent than a regular party package.

Invitation ideas

We created an adorable movie ticket invitation and had them printed out for our movie party. We’ve found that creating our invitation and saving it as an image, then having it printed on 4×6 photo paper is far cheaper and saves a ton of time over purchasing multiple packs of invitations and hand writing the party details.

Menu ideas

We kept things very simple for my son’s movie party. We ordered pizza to feed everyone, had juice boxes and waters to drink, served popcorn during the film, and then cake and ice cream afterward. If you use a movie theater for your venue, often they will include popcorn as part of your package. For some extra fun, purchase mini popcorn boxes or check out the dollar store for reusable plastic ones that can double as favors.

Favor ideas

While my son requested the standard junk-filled goodie bags for his party, I’ve seen some really creative ideas for movie party favors. Some had a candy station, giving kids choices of different goodies to enjoy during the movie. Another gave away a Redbox code and microwave popcorn to guests so that they could keep the fun going at home. Another option is to look for favors that are connected with the movie, particularly if it features current, popular characters.

Want some more movie party ideas? Check out our Pinterest board!