When we moved to the country, one of the things we immediately fell in love with was our big front deck. There’s a wall right next to the entrance that ended up being the perfect spot for something fun we had always wanted to try — an outdoor movie night.
We hung up a simple sheet, set up our projector, and just like that a new family tradition was born. Now we regularly turn our deck into our own little backyard theater for family movie nights.
Living in eastern Washington, the evenings can get pretty chilly, but we’ve actually found that cooler nights make it even cozier. We turn on the outdoor heater, light the fire pit, pile up the blankets, and settle in for a movie under the stars.
If you’ve ever wanted to create your own backyard movie night, I’m sharing all of our favorite products that make the setup easy and cozy for a fun family night at home.
Disclosure
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products that I genuinely love, use, or believe would be helpful for recreating this family night.
Our Backyard Movie Night Setup
Setting up our outdoor movie night is actually incredibly simple. We hang a plain white flat sheet on the wall of our house next to our deck, which works perfectly as our movie screen.
Then we set up our projector. Within just a few minutes, we’re ready to start the movie and turn our deck into our own little outdoor theater.
The best part is that you don’t need anything fancy to make it work — just a simple sheet, a projector, and a cozy spot to sit!
Our Projector for Backyard Movie Night
One of the things that makes our setup so easy is our portable outdoor projector. It’s small, easy to connect to our phone, and projects a surprisingly clear picture even on a simple sheet.
👉 Shop the projector we use here
We currently use a simple white flat sheet as our movie screen, and it works great for our setup. It’s an easy and budget-friendly way to create a large screen for outdoor movie nights.
If you want something a little more structured, there are also portable tripod projector screens that are designed specifically for backyard movie nights.
We’ve also been considering installing a pull-down projector screen on our wall where we currently hang the sheet. That would make setup even easier since it could just roll down whenever we’re ready for movie night.
Budget / DIY → white sheet
Portable setup → stand up screen Permanent / nicer setup → pull-down screen
Cozy Seating for Outdoor Movie Nights
One of our favorite parts of our backyard movie night setup is our cozy patio couch. Having comfortable seating makes such a big difference when you’re watching a full movie outside. Instead of sitting in lawn chairs, we love being able to relax on a couch with blankets and pillows while we watch.
We actually found this 7 piece patio sectional on Amazon, and it has been perfect for our deck. It’s comfortable, durable for outdoor use, and gives everyone a cozy place to sit together during movie nights.
For the kids, we also bring out extra blankets and pillows so everyone can get comfortable while we watch the movie under the string lights.
Our cozy movie night seating:
👉Shop our Outdoor patio sectional: This has been one of our favorite purchases for our deck!
Cozy throw blankets
Citronella Mosquito Repellent Candles to help keep the mosquitos/bugs away
Lighting for the Perfect Outdoor Movie Night Atmosphere
One of the things that really makes our backyard movie nights feel special is the lighting. We hung string lights across our deck to create a warm and cozy glow while we watch our movie.
The lights we use are solar-powered lights from Costco, which makes them really convenient since we don’t have to worry about plugging them in or running extension cords. They charge during the day and automatically turn on in the evening, which works perfectly for our nighttime movie setup. In the winter though, sometimes they don’t have much power depending on how cloudy it is.
If you’re setting up your own outdoor movie night, string lights make a huge difference in creating a cozy atmosphere. Solar lights are great for convenience, but plug-in lights can also be a great option if you want something a little brighter or more permanent.
Lighting we love for outdoor movie nights:
👉Solar-powered outdoor string lights
👉Lights Plug-in outdoor string lights
Outdoor lanterns for extra ambiance
String lights instantly make an outdoor movie night feel cozy and magical.
How we Stay Cozy on Chilly Nights
Living in eastern Washington means that evenings can get pretty chilly, even during the warmer months. But we’ve actually found that the cooler weather makes our outdoor movie nights feel even cozier.
To stay warm, we turn on our outdoor patio heater and light our fire pit before the movie starts. The warmth from the fire and heater keeps everyone comfortable while we relax on the couch with blankets and watch the movie under the string lights.
There’s something really special about sitting outside with the glow of the fire, cozy blankets, and a good movie playing on the screen. It makes our backyard movie nights feel extra memorable and has quickly become one of our favorite family traditions.
If you’re planning your own outdoor movie night in cooler weather, here are a few things that make a big difference for us.
Our cozy movie night essentials:
Cozy throw blankets
Movie Night Snacks
No movie night is complete without snacks! We love keeping things simple and setting out a few fun treats that everyone can grab while we watch the movie.
Popcorn is always a must for our family movie nights, and we like to add a few extra goodies like candy and drinks so everyone can build their own little snack tray. The kids especially love picking out their favorite treats before the movie starts.
Sometimes we’ll also bring out cozy drinks like hot chocolate or cider if the evening is a little chilly. It makes the whole movie night feel even more special and cozy.
Our favorite movie night snacks:
Popcorn
Candy boxes/gummy candy Chocolate treats
Chips
Hot chocolate or apple cider
Juice boxes for the kids
Movie Night Snack Pack from Amazon
Sometimes wine or beer for mom and dad!
Tips for a Successful Backyard Movie Night
Start after sunset: but also remember how late it gets dark in the summer! We made the mistake of promising an outdoor movie on the last day of school. It didn’t get dark until after nearly 9 pm and my kids were falling asleep 5 minutes into the movie.
Test the projector first! When you’re first learning the technology, there are always technical difficulties. Allow yourself some time to familiarize yourself with how everything works. If you get stuck, google the issue! I’ve been able to look up on the internet how to set something up and it’s come in handy.
Keep blankets handy. It can get chilly and blankets are the coziest way to keep your kids comfy!
Choose a kid-friendly movie. Nothing too scary or bedtime will be a challenge!
Shop Our Backyard Movie Night Setup
- Our Projector
- White Sheet
- Outdoor Projector screen
- Outdoor Patio 7 piece furniture set
- Outdoor propane fire pit table
- Outdoor Patio Heater
- Solar Powered String Lights
- Popcorn Machine
- Citronella Mosquito Repellent Candles
Best Movies for an Outdoor Family Movie Night
Some movies just feel extra special when you watch them outside under the stars. These are a few of our family favorites for backyard movie nights:
Coco
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Frozen
Sing (1 and 2)
Toy Story
The Sandlot
Encanto
Coco
Tangled
Finding Nemo
Hook
Jumanji
Night at the Museum
No matter what movie you choose, there’s something magical about watching it outside with cozy blankets, popcorn, and the whole family together.
What’s your family’s favorite movie?
MomlifewithKelsey 
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