How to Host a Toy-Themed Movie Night: A Fun Guide for Parents

Are you looking for ideas to host a memorable sleepover or get-together for your child’s friends or cousins?

Well, there is nothing more fun than a toy-themed movie night!

Not only will you be bringing your child’s favourite characters to life, but this will also create an opportunity for children to bond over characters and movies they all enjoy. Here is a fun guide to help parents or guardians plan an exciting night to entertain children and adults alike.

Step 1: Pick the Perfect Movie

Choose a movie that children will adore and one that will give you plenty of opportunities to create a toy-themed setting. Here are some of our top recommendations:

• Toy Story (1 to 4): Bring Buzz and Woody to life to inspire your children and their friends with a movie filled with teamwork, giggles, and well-written narratives.
• The Lego Movie: An action filled and vibrant adventure that is both hilarious and heart-warming.
• Barbie Movies: For all the Barbie fans, there are plenty of Barbie movies to choose from.
• Disney Movies: With a range of classic movies and modern movie options, choose any story which can be enjoyed by a variety of children.
• Playmobil: The Movie: A slightly different choice that may not be as known as the others, this story is filled with imagination and fun.
• Transformers: For an older friendship group, Transformers is filled with action-packed stories featuring children’s favourite transforming robots.

Step 2: Creating Your Toy-Setting

Create a cosy atmosphere for your children by transforming your living room into a toy-themed paradise. Here’s how:

• Toy Decorations: Use your children’s favourite toys to decorate the space. Scatter action figures, dolls, soft toys, and toy cars around the room. Bonus points for trying to decorate the space with specific toys. For instance, if it’s a Lego Movie night, use a variety of Lego sets, if you’re watching Disney choose your favourite Disney toys, or if Playmobil, pick your favourite Playmobil sets. You can use these toys to set up a toy parade leading to the “theatre” area.
• Themed Blankets and Cushions: Lay out blankets and cushions that match your chosen movie theme. If you will be watching Toy Story, find some cowboy hats or space-themed decorations to hang from the ceiling!
• Lighting: Use soft, colourful LED lights or fairy lights to create an enchanting atmosphere for your little viewers. You can also mimic the colours from the movie, i.e., if you’re watching Monster Inc. you can use blue LED lights.
• Create Posters and Tickets: To make this experience extra special, create posters to display in your corridor and living room for the movie night, possible including the agenda also! Design mini “movie tickets” for the children to use when entering the living room. Create these designs easily and simply using Canva, an editing app for free.

Step 3: Snacks and Drinks

No movie night is complete without snacks and drinks, here are some fun ideas:

• Create colourful popcorn
• Mix bowl of crisps, sprinkle some edible glitter for an extra twist
• If watching a movie like Barbie, serve some pink lemonade!
• Bake rectangular cookies for a movie like Lego to resemble their bricks.
• Make Jelly and add some gummy bears inside for a sweet surprise.

Step 4: Before the Movies

To keep children engaged before the movie night, you can always plan in a few fun activities to get the bonding started. These games can also be toy-themed depending on your movie selection.

• Toy hunt: Organise a scavenger hunt with clues dotted around the house for children to find miniature toys of the movie they are watching. The winner gets to choose their seat.
• Arts and crafts station: Set up an arts and crafts station for children to use paint sets to design a toy. Craft sets are great for children to use their imagination and express themselves using colouring sets.
• Toy-themed photo booth: Create a photobooth corner with items that relate to the movie night. For Toy Story, add cowboy hats and space helmets and Mr Potato’s glasses or moustache.

Step 5: After the Movies

After a fun night of watching movies, if the children still have energy, finish the night off with some fun activities.

Activities can include:

• A toy-themed quiz relating to the movie.
• Bedtime story that continues from the movies.
• Show and tell, children can talk about their favourite toy that they may have brought along with them and why it is their favourite toy.

A toy-themed movie night is a fantastic way for children to bond with one another while you also spend quality time with them. A little creativity can go a long way and create a night many will cherish for several years to come. From the movie selection and decorations to snacks and engaging activities, every detail will make the night unforgettable. Dive into our shop by age page to find the right toys for you today.

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