I almost feel like it is a rite of passage for a kids first movie theater experience. Don’t get me wrong, my kids certainly watch movies and tv shows at home but a movie theater is a whole new experience! Popcorn, candy, one on one time with mom or dad….it’s a big deal for my kids!
I took my oldest to his first movie a few months ago and it was almost a disaster. He struggled, I struggled with expectations and we bolted as soon as the credits rolled. Hopefully, you all can learn from my mistakes and have a much better first movie theater experience!
1. Call ahead and ask how long the previews are.
I made the mistake of sauntering up to the theater at the exact time the “movie started.” While my 3 year old loved all the previews, I sacrificed 20 minutes of sitting still time at the end of the movie. Since many theaters in the DFW allow you to buy your tickets online and select your seats (genius!), just call the theater before hand to find out how long the previews are and slide in just as the movie is starting.
2. Read the reviews first.
My three year old is especially sensitive to sad topics and tends to take everything literally. When Paddington came out in theaters, I knew I wanted to take my son to see his favorite book character on the big screen! But I was wary of the PG rating. After reading many reviews online, I was able to figure out what parts might bother him and we talked about them before hand. I did the same when we went to see Cinderella. Knowing that her parents dying would upset him, we slipped out for bathroom breaks/popcorn refills when I knew it was coming. He still understood and loved the storyline without the sadness that might have ensued. My personal favorite movie reviews are from Plugged In. While they are admittedly a religious website, I have found their reviews to have the most attention to detail and honestly it doesn’t bother me if the nit pick, I’d rather know more than less when it comes to movie reviews!
3. Save some candy for the end.
Even with skipping the previews when we went to see our second movie, my son found it hard to sit still for the last 30 minutes of the movie. Which also coincided with when we ran out of popcorn, candy and his slurpee. Word to the wise: hide half the box of candy in the bottom of your purse to dole out towards the end to keep them sitting!
4. Go with friends.
When we saw our second movie, we went with friends and some family members. This made the movie way more exciting for the kids! Instead of being confined to one adults lap, the kids bounced between seats, laps and friends seats. Total win.
5. Make sure your movie theater choice is kid-friendly.
Thankfully in Dallas, we have lots of movie theater choices: some that cater to adults and some that are better for kids. Just make sure you check out the movie theater website to make sure your kids (and their whispers!) will be welcome in the theater. Our favorite kid friendly theaters in Dallas are the AMC Northpark, Studio Movie Grill and ValleyView AMC.
More than anything else, I have found that the best preparation for seeing a movie with kids is simply to adjust my expectation for the experience. My kid doesn’t care if we have the best seats or the right snacks, he just wants one on one time with me and a fun afternoon date. I just keep reminding myself that I can’t expect him to act older than he actually is and one day I’ll wish he still wanted to go to the movies with me!
Taking your preschooler to the theater? Check out “A Preschooler’s First Movie Experience” {in the archives} for more tips!
