Fancy vacations. Massive shopping trips. Extravagant birthday parties.
The overwhelming pressure to keep up with “The Jones'” has convinced us that we need to spend a ton of money to make memories with our kids. Luckily, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes, the things that kids love the very most are the simple things. Instead of spending money on our kids, we can create happy memories with simple things like watching family movies together or playing a favorite board game.
Kids enjoy our time and attention more than they enjoy our money!
{I was given the opportunity to preview Phoenix Wilder: And The Great Elephant Adventure and was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.}
Make Memories with Family Movies
Taking the time to add exciting details to your family movie nights is easier than you’d think and they make it a million times more fun! Follow the steps below to create an unforgettable family movie night.
Pick a Message:
One of the first (and most important) steps to planning quality family time, is choosing just the right family movies. Look for a movie that drives home character traits that are important to you. We recently previewed Phoenix Wilder: And the Great Elephant Adventure, which was the perfect example of friendship and courage. We’ve found that family movies are the perfect way to introduce hard topics, like elephant poaching, while giving the kids an in-depth look at how it impacts the world.
Grab some Snacks:
There’s no denying that snacks are the greatest part of any movie. At our house, we like to coordinate snacks to go along with the theme of the movie. While previewing Phoenix Wilder: And the Great Elephant Adventure, we snacked on circus peanuts, peanut butter cookies and animal crackers.
If you prefer to have typical “movie snacks” during your movie, you can try a popcorn bar. Simply pick up some tasty toppings, a few types of candy pretzels, marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate chips, and some buttery-delicious popcorn. Dump each item into its own bowl and stick in a large spoon, for easy serving. Give each kiddo their own popcorn tub and allow them to mix and match their favorites to create a one-of-a-kind treat.
Make it a Dinner Date:
Instead of filling up on snacks, serve a finger-friendly dinner. Some quick and easy dinner ideas include pizza, quesadillas, sandwiches, chicken strips and corn dogs. For older kids, you can light a few candles and have a special candlelit dinner. Even teenagers will enjoy that, but you know they’d never admit it. 😉
Get Comfy:
There are few things that kids love as much as a blanket fort. Round up several large blankets and create a fort big enough to hold the entire family! Be sure to throw plenty of fluffy pillows and blankets in there, too. The best part is that when the kiddos fall asleep during the movie, you can just leave them in the fort and let them “camp” in the living room. Your favorite pajamas are required!
Grab a Book:
Once you’ve picked a movie with a really good message, you’ll want to continue with a book that touches on the same themes as your movie. I knew my future vet would be moved by our movie, so I grabbed a few books so we could keep the conversation going. After learning about the thousands of elephants that are poached for their ivory each year, my daughter started asking about elephants in zoos. The movie opened up a whole new conversation that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.
Keep Learning:
One way I like to keep my kids informed is by making learning fun. Whether we’re reading a favorite book or going on a field trip, I like to create quick and easy quizzes to test their knowledge on the subject. For Phoenix Wilder: And the Great Elephant Adventure, I created a series of questions that helped them learn random facts and startling statistics about the gentle giants.
Feel free to print off the image below! Simply save it to your computer then print it out and enjoy!
Family Movies with a Purpose
If you’re looking for quality family movies that will not only let you spend time with your child, but also teach them some of life’s most important lessons, you don’t want to miss Phoenix Wilder: And The Great Elephant Adventure. Starring Elizabeth Hurley and some of the most gorgeous elephants you’ve seen, the movie takes viewers on a safari adventure.
