One of the great school holiday treats is going out to watch a movie at the cinema. There's no reason why that can't still happen even if you are in isolation. You just need to create your own!
You will need:
Movie: Choose a movie the whole family can watch (Mum & Dad too). See what is available from your streaming service (if you have one), your DVD collection (it doesn't matter if you've seen it before) or check out the TV guide to see what is going to be shown on TV soon.
Food & drink: All the best trips to the movies involve some snacks. See if you have any of these things at home, or make a list for the next trip to the supermarket. You could have: popcorn, sweets, drinks, ice cream, chippies, biscuits, sandwiches, fruit, vegetable sticks, home baking, sausage rolls – or something else you love. Don't let Mum & Dad make everything – that's half the fun.
Paper & colouring pens: For making posters, tickets, price lists, paper money
Screening time: You will need to decide when your movie is going to screen, so you can advertise to the whole family, and get everything ready.
Getting ready:
1. Make posters to advertise your movie, and put them up around the house, so everyone knows what's going to happen. Don't forget to write down the planned start time!
2. Make admission tickets, which everyone in your family (including yourself!) will have to buy before they can come in. You could even have different prices for adults and children. Decide if you want seat numbers on each ticket.
3. Make some play money, or find things you can use as tokens. Share it out evenly so everybody will have some "money" to buy tickets and snacks (but not so much that they can buy all the food and eat too much).
4. Decide what food and drink you are going to sell, and make a price list. Think about how to keep it fair and allow everyone to make their own choices (but not be able to choose everything). You could give people choices like 1 token for a cup of juice, but 2 tokens for a cup of fizzy drink. Fruit might be cheaper than sweeties. Perhaps people have to choose between having popcorn or chippies. Ice cream might only be served during intermission. (Mum or Dad might be able to help you make the price list.)
5. Get your cinema ready: line the chairs in front of the TV, and put out cushions so everyone gets a good seat. You could number the seats using paper signs. Think about curtains, and exit signs and all the other things you see in cinemas. Don't forget to make sure your movie is ready to turn on. Check how long the movie will be, so you know when to stop for intermission (about half way through).
6. Get your shop ready. Put up your price list (for tickets and food), and set your food and drink out ready for your customers.
Screening your movie:
1. Give everyone in the family their "money", and tell them the ticket counter and shop is now open.
2. Everyone needs to come to the shop counter to buy their tickets and choose some snacks. Take turns behind the counter so everyone (including you) can buy what they need.
3. When everyone is ready, invite everyone to find their seats. You might want to check the tickets at the door.
4. Turn off the lights (or shut the curtains) and start the movie!
5. At a suitable point half way through the movie, press pause. This is intermission, so everyone can stretch their legs and go back to the shop and choose another snack (if they haven't already spent all their money).
6. Once everyone has been served, return to your cinema and restart the movie.
7. Have fun!
When everything is finished, don't forget that everyone has to help clear up! You can leave a comment here or email us to let us know how it all went, and what other ideas you came up with. Send us some photos as well, if you like.
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