How to Plan a School Movie Night Families Will Love

If your PTO would like to build community, attract more parents, and have some good old-fashioned fun, a Family Movie Night^® may be just the ticket.

A trip to the movies is usually high on anyone’s list of activities for a fun night out. Whether you’re showing an animated flick like Toy Story 5 or an old classic like The Wizard of Oz, movies appeal to audiences of all ages and are a nice way to bring people together and build support for the school.

What’s more, Family Movie Nights^® are easy to organize and run, and when they’re well executed, they can bring tremendous goodwill to a school community. In fact, because movie nights are so easy to organize and children’s films today have such broad appeal, some PTOs open their movie nights to the entire community, not just the school population.

We talked to parent groups across the country that have hosted movie nights to get their best advice on how to plan a fantastic Family Movie Night^® and to learn about the benefits they derived from their events.

Big-Screen Benefits

Kristen Flannery, president of the Jefferson Elementary PTA in Redondo Beach, Calif., says her parent organization invites the entire town, not just Jefferson families, to its Family Movie Night^®. “We also take that opportunity to sell glow sticks, candy, and food to break even on the screen rental. So we really need the community to show up,” Flannery says.

Movie nights can be a great way to showcase the school, whether you invite the residents from the local senior center, families from other schools in the town, or prospective students. The PTO at the Early Childhood Education Center, a preK and kindergarten school in Dedham, Mass., hosts a Polar Express night every December. Rather than showing the movie The Polar Express, the PTO board created a movie from the book pages and had teachers narrate.

“The little kids got a big kick out of coming to school at night, and their younger brothers and sisters loved seeing the inside of the ‘big kid’ school,” says Monica Linari, past ECEC PTO president. “It made them feel more comfortable when they showed up on their first day of school.”

Linari says the annual event was one of the best-attended at the ECEC. “We saw families that didn’t attend any other events all year, not even the annual end-of-year fun night,” she says. “Even more unbelievable were the parents who stayed after the last show and pulled everything down. We never had to ask, and they always were willing to clean up and help take it all down.”

Lori Hoag from the Gold Camp Elementary PTO in Colorado Springs, Colo., also sees a jump in family participation for movie nights. “We see people that we wouldn’t normally see at a school function,” says Hoag, a past president of the PTO. “Kids come in their pj’s and bring in sleeping bags and pillows. We serve dinner—pizza and soda—and the principal makes all of the popcorn.”

To generate interest in their movie nights, Hoag’s parent group lets kids vote on the movie through a ballot they send home. Then they entice families to attend by sending home a coupon for free popcorn in advance of the event. “Even families that can’t afford a night at the movies can come see a free movie,” Hoag says. “And the kids are demanding more movie nights at the school.”

Latichia Lee from the Thomson Elementary PTA in Washington, D.C., agrees that the affordability of their school's movie night is a major selling point. “The majority of our families are low-income, and a lot of us can’t afford the $12 to $15 per ticket at the movies,” Lee says. “Having a movie night at the school got the kids excited and a lot of parents actually got off work early to be with their kids at the events. This has also brought out some fantastic parent volunteers who did concessions and actually donated gifts at the end of the event.”

Family Movie Night^® Planning Basics

Family Movie Nights^® provide a good opportunity to make an impression on school parents. Start planning six to eight weeks in advance, and prepare for a successful event with these basic steps.

Pick a time and place. Many groups schedule their night during winter months, when outdoor activities are not an option. Others set up outdoor movie screens and enjoy a night under the stars. If you go the outdoor route, remember to provide plenty of bug spray! 

Check if you need a public performance movie license. Before choosing your movie, check whether your school or district already has a public performance license that covers your event and the film you want to show.

In general, a public performance license is needed to show a copyrighted movie at a school event outside the narrow exceptions for qualifying classroom instruction. That applies even when the event is free, your PTO is a nonprofit organization, or families watch a movie you purchased or stream through a personal subscription. Before your event:

• Check with the school first. Ask the principal or district office whether an existing license covers PTO-sponsored movie nights, your chosen title, and your planned location.
• Confirm the movie is covered. A license may cover only certain studios, titles, venues, uses, or types of events. Don't assume that a license from one provider covers every movie.
• Ask about fundraising. If you plan to charge admission, collect donations, or sell tickets, confirm that the license permits your specific arrangement.
• Check outdoor-screening rules. Permission for an indoor showing doesn't automatically mean an outdoor event is covered.
• Confirm advertising permissions. Some licenses restrict how a movie's title, studio name, or promotional artwork can be used in public advertising.
• Use an authorized source. Buying or renting a movie, or streaming it through a personal account, does not itself grant public performance rights.

For a one-time event, ask about a single-event license. If your school hosts movie nights, classroom celebrations, reward screenings, or other movie events throughout the year, an annual school or site license may be worth exploring.

Start with a school licensing provider, such as Swank Motion Pictures or another authorized provider, to confirm coverage, terms, and costs before announcing your movie.

Licensing requirements and contract terms vary. Confirm the rules that apply to your particular screening before promoting the event.

Pick a movie. Below are some popular movie titles for an elementary school Family Movie Night^®: 

• The Wild Robot
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Moana 2
• Lilo & Stitch
• Ratatouille
• The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
• Inside Out 2
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Hotel Transylvania
• Encanto
• Migration 

These movies are good starting points for a broad family audience. Check each film's rating, content, runtime, and suitability for your school's age range.

Another idea: let families choose the movie! Give families three or four options to vote on before the event. This helps gauge interest. 

Give your movie night a theme. 

• Movie under the stars: Outdoor screenings with blankets and BYOP (Bring Your Own Pillow), lawn chairs, and glow accessories, provided the license and setup permit outdoor use. 
• Gaming-inspired movie night: Pair a gaming-themed movie, like A Minecraft Movie or The Super Mario Bros. Movie, with a pixel-art craft, a character themed photo backdrop, or trivia.
• Movie and a mission: Pair the event with a book drive, food collection, or another community-service activity. This pairs well with a showing of The Lorax.
• Holiday-themed movie night: Plan your movie to align with the season. For example, a showing of Hotel Transylvania in October, or The Grinch in December. 
• Concessions with a theme: Create a simple snack menu inspired by the movie, while keeping food allergies and dietary needs in mind.
• Sensory-considerate options: Consider a lower-volume showing, a designated quieter area, accessible seating, and clear information about lighting and sound.

Set a budget before you start planning. A school Family Movie Night^® can be relatively inexpensive, especially if your school already has a projector, screen, and sound system. Before setting ticket prices or planning concessions, account for the costs involved:

• Equipment: Will the school provide a screen, projector, speakers, and other necessary equipment, or will you need to rent them?
• Movie licensing: Does your school already have a license that covers the screening, or will you need to purchase one?
• Concessions and supplies: Factor in popcorn, drinks, serving bags, napkins, decorations, and any other supplies you'll need.
• Facility costs: Ask whether there are custodial fees, additional staffing costs, or charges for using the building after hours.

Once you have an estimated total, decide whether to offer free admission, sell tickets, or collect donations. Check your movie license before making that decision because the terms may limit charging admission or otherwise affect how you can raise money at the event. Build in a little extra room in your budget for unexpected expenses, too.

Build excitement for Family Movie Night^®. Don't rely on a flyer alone! Share the date early in your school newsletter, on your PTO's social media pages, and through school-approved communication channels. Then give families a reason to stop scrolling:

• Create a movie reveal. Once your screening and advertising permissions are confirmed, announce the title with a fun graphic or short Reel. Include the date, location, start time, and any ticket or registration details.
• Let kids have a say. Ask students to vote on a few movie options before the event. You can send home a paper ballot or run a poll through your school's approved communication channels.
• Post a countdown. In the days leading up to your event, share reminders about what to bring, when doors open, and what concessions will be available. A quick behind-the-scenes reel of volunteers prepping popcorn or setting up the space can help build excitement.
• Make it easy to share. Create a graphic for Facebook and Instagram, plus a story-sized version. Include a registration link or QR code so parents can find event details without hunting for them.
• Give families a preview. Let parents know whether the event is free, whether snacks will be available, and if children need to attend with an adult. Include the film's rating so families can decide whether it's right for their children.

Keep the reminders friendly and specific, and make sure the movie title and any promotional artwork are permitted under your screening license.

Set up early. Whether you hire a company to handle the audiovisual equipment or rely upon a tech-savvy parent, test everything in the actual space before the event. Check the projector, screen, speakers, and movie playback, and have a backup plan in case something doesn't work. Identify someone who can troubleshoot technical issues so you're not scrambling when families arrive.

If you're serving popcorn, start popping early, too. One PTO found that each batch produced only two to three bags, making it hard to keep up with demand. Pre-orders can help you estimate how much to prepare, and offering family-size bags or snack bundles can make concessions easier to manage.

Be visible. Have board members wear name tags or T-shirts to identify themselves as PTO officers. Ask a PTO member to greet guests, and staff a table with details about upcoming events and volunteer needs. Make it easy for families to stay connected after movie night by displaying a QR code that links to your PTO's upcoming events, volunteer sign-ups, or newsletter registration.

Family Movie Night^®  Made Simple

Ready to plan a Family Movie Night^® at your school? PTO Today’s free Family Movie Night^® planning kit walks you through the process, from start to finish, and includes materials to promote your event, along with fun theme ideas.  

Originally posted in 2012 and updated regularly. Family Movie Night^® and School Family Nights^® are trademarks of School Family Media^®.