Creating memorable family moments at home can be just as exciting and fulfilling as going out. One of the best ways to do this is by transforming ordinary activities into special events! We’re constantly on the go with sports tournaments, play dates, or other outings, so our time at home is usually pretty low-key. I want to start being more intentional about creating enjoyable experiences that we can easily do at home to shake things up once in a while. I will admit that sometimes I need a reminder to prioritize these activities, but that is going to change. To kick this off, I decided to recreate a drive-in movie experience indoors!

The Setup

We live in Texas, so with it being the middle of summer right now, I do not want us to be out in that heat more than we have to. I knew I wanted to create this experience inside, and what better place to do it than in our playroom? There is plenty of open space and a TV for us to watch the movie.

The stars of this activity were the inflatable car beds I got from Amazon. Inflatables as big as these are typically pricey, so I was very excited to have found these for under $100. (I will definitely be using them for our pool days as well!) They were very spacious, easy to set up, and each came with a pump to inflate. I lined them up next to each other and placed a blanket and pillow to make them extra comfy.

We can’t have a movie night without snacks! I found these cute movie trays from Amazon that come in a pack of 60 pieces. They were very easy to fold together and really helped create the drive-in movie night experience I was trying to recreate. The trays comes with a spot for a drink, candy box, and popcorn bags (the bags are included in the pack). We are a popcorn-loving family, so I had to pull out my beautiful popcorn maker to make a big batch for the night!

We had our salty treat with the popcorn and a sour treat from the candy boxes. All we needed was a sweet treat! To continue with the “bring the outdoors inside” theme, I found this neat indoor s’mores maker! The setup was extremely easy, and it was super user-friendly. The kids really enjoyed making s’mores throughout the movie!

These final touches may be a little extra, but that was the point of the entire night! I got this cute chalkboard movie sign to write the movie we would be watching. Yes, I did attempt to draw a minion, and yes, it does look just like a hotdog, but I tried my best, haha!

Once the sun had set, the lights were off, and the movie began, I turned on the final step: a star light projector. It was the perfect final touch. It really felt like we were outside at a drive-in movie.

The Experience

All night the kids kept thanking me and saying how much fun they were having. My kids sometimes get a little rowdy during our regular movie nights, so watching them be completely immersed during this movie night was such a beautiful sight. I need to be more intentional about doing home activities like this, even if it means I need to seriously pencil them into our schedule. I know core memories were made this night, and I couldn’t be happier with the final results.

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Let me know in the comments if you try this out! I would love to hear all about your experience with it. If you have any other fun home activities you recommend, let me know in the comments as well.