Drive-In Movie Party Ideas

Looking for drive-in movie party ideas?

Check out these ideas for games, food, decorations, a DIY concession stand, plus where to find free movie night printables.

Most years I love planning the kid’s birthday parties.

I usually get started at least a month beforehand and have every detail planned out and all the gifts bought weeks before the party.

But this year, with all the stress that the lockdown has created, I dropped the ball on the kid’s birthdays.

I had planned on getting them a few lego sets from Aliexpress but didn’t get around to ordering them on time.  I looked over my list of non-toy gifts for ideas, but the only things they would have liked that they didn’t already have were experience gifts for places that were still closed.

Two weeks before their birthdays the only gift ideas I had come up with were Roblox gift cards and cash.  And two weeks before Lil Sis’s birthday we still had no idea what we would do for her party.

She had been hoping to have her birthday at the indoor trampoline place since last year.  I knew she would be disappointed that she couldn’t, so I wanted to find somewhere we could go to celebrate for the day.

After 4 months of being stuck at home, our weekly virtual vacations just weren’t doing it for us anymore.  But with Ontario only moving to stage 2 in mid-June it was hard to even know what would be open by her birthday. 

We considered doing the Scenic Safari Drive Thru tour at the Toronto Zoo, but then I heard that the drive-in theater had opened.

Lil Sis loved that idea, so with two weeks to go, I started planning a drive-in movie birthday party right away.

Drive-In Movie Party Ideas

The easiest way to throw a drive-in movie party is to go to the drive-in theater.

Start the party off at home and do all the usual birthday party things.  Then get the kids to visit your “concession stand” and fill a basket with some treats before you head to the drive-in.

Of course, with the limited amount of drive-in theaters that are still around, not everyone is lucky enough to live close to a drive-in theater.  If going to the drive-in isn’t an option for you here are two ideas for doing a DIY drive-in party at home.

• For younger kids, you can set up a mini drive-in theater with cardboard box cars like this.  If you have enough space in your living room or den you could even do it indoors and just use your TV instead of buying a projector and a screen.

• The second option is to set up your own drive-in theater like this family did.  Whether you have a big yard and can set it up for a few cars or even just set it up in your driveway for one or two, this would be a great idea for teens/tweens.

Drive-In Movie Party Invitations

For regular movie-themed party invitations here are a few more options.

• Customized movie party admission ticket invitations (12-54 invitations)
• Movie party invitations (20/pack)
• Movie party clapboard invitations (25/pack)
• VIP pass invitations (25/pack)
• Red carpet invitations (12/pack)
• Pink “Now Showing” invitations (20/pack)

If you want party invitations that are specifically for a drive-in movie birthday party there is a good selection of customizable options on Etsy that you can download and print from home for around $10-$15.

Since Lil Sis was only inviting one friend and her sister to her party this year, I decided it wasn’t worth it to buy invitations.  Instead, I made my own by using a clapboard image I found on Google, pasting it into paint and typing in all the Party info.

Drive-in Movie Party Concession Stand

The most expensive part of having a birthday party at the movies is the concession stand snacks. 

Luckily with a drive-in movie party, you can make your own concession stand at home and bring the snacks with you.

And this free movie night printables set from catchmyparty.com includes everything you will need to decorate it.  There is a movie night sign, concession stand sign, movie night banner, water bottle labels, snack labels, and cake toppers.

I set up our concession stand on the bar in our kitchen. 

I put the concession stand sign in a picture frame, then put light-up stars I found at the dollar store on both sides of it.

Above the concession stand, I hung the movie night banner and below it, I hung bags of chips and cotton candy on a string with clothespins.

Since we were serving dinner at our party too, I decided to set up a dinner concession stand first.  After dinner, I cleared everything off and set up a snack concision stand before we left for the drive-in.

Dinner Concession Stand Set-Up

For dinner we served

• Popcorn (mostly for decoration)
• Corn dogs (with containers of ketchup and mustard for dipping)
• Hot dogs
• Nachos
• Orange soda

I gave each of the kids a tray so that they could grab all of their food in one trip and take it to the living room to eat. 

Snack Concession Stand Set-Up

For the snack concession stand set up we had

• Mini chocolate bars
• Assorted candy’s
• A drink station (water bottles with water enhancers to mix in)
• The bags of chips and cotton candy

Since we needed to bring our snacks with us to the drive-in, I bought small baskets from the dollar store for each kid to fill with their snacks for the night (you could also use these disposable food boxes).

Each basket had a lollipop and some glow bracelets in it already, then an empty popcorn box for them to fill with candy.

The kids each grabbed their baskets from the concession stand, got their candy, and picked out a bag of chips and cotton candy.  Then they each got a water bottle and added whatever flavor of water enhancer they wanted.

Drive-In Movie Party Supplies

To go along with your concession stand you’re going to need some party supplies.

Here are some movie-themed supply ideas

• Clapboard tableware set (includes tablecloth, plates, napkins, cups, and cutlery for 16 people)
• Movie night tableware set (includes a banner, tablecloth, plates, napkins, and cups for 20 people)
• Hollywood tableware set (includes plates, napkins, and cups for 16 people)
• Popcorn table cloth
• Movie-themed cupcake stand
• Popcorn boxes
• “Lights, Camera, Action” popcorn boxes
• Classic car food boxes
• Cardboard food trays
• Nacho trays
• Hot dog baskets
• Paper hot dog trays
• Condiment cups

Lil Sis wasn’t interested in buying themed supplies this year.  Instead, she picked out some black and gold tableware, which ended up matching the concession stand printables perfectly.

Drive-In Movie Party Decorations

In addition to some party supplies, you’re going to want some party decorations.

Here are some movie-themed decoration options

• “Now Showing” banner with centerpieces and cutouts
• 30-piece hanging movie-themed decoration set
• Balloon set with “movie night” balloon letters and popcorn balloons
• “Now Showing” banner
• “VIP Stage Door Entrance” door cover
• Movie night centerpiece sticks for table toppers
• Star-shaped light

Like the tableware, Lil Sis preferred gold and black decorations, which again matched the printables perfectly. 

Of course, I can’t forget about the grand entrance to the party room.

When I showed Lil Sis the idea from crazy-wonderful.com to use red streamers and gold stars in the hallway, she loved it.  We ended up skipping out on the gold curtains though and just making a curtain out of the red streamers.

Drive-In Movie Party Games and Activities

Do your kids like taking selfies?

If so, a DIY photo booth would be a great activity to keep them busy before you head out to the drive-in.

Here are some great movie-themed backgrounds and props you can use

• Photo backdrop
• Photo props
• Photo backdrop and props
• Filmstrip photo frames
• Movie clapboard
• Pink convertible photo prop

If you want games that your kids can play in the car while waiting for the movie to start, here are some free printable movie-themed games for kids

• Disney movie quotes game
• Disney Scattergories
• Kids movie trivia
• Movie family charades (we used this to play Pictionary)

Lil Sis wasn’t interested in setting up a photo booth, but she did like a couple of the games.

We got to the theater two hours before the movie started to make sure we would get a good spot.  Despite the long wait, the kids had a great time hanging out in the van and playing the games.

Drive-In Movie Party Favors

Rather than filling this year’s party favor bags with useless toys the kids will never play with, fill them with some movie snacks.

You can use these “lights, Camera, Action” party favor boxes or just fill a popcorn bag from the dollar store.

I chose to use the popcorn bags and filled them with the following

• A classic glass bottle of pop
• A box of Swedish berries
• A bag of microwave popcorn
• A container of M & M minis
• A push Pop

Or, if you would prefer not to send kids home with candy, you could fill their party favor bags with glow stick favors and light up favors instead.

After a night full of more candy and treats than they normally get, both Lil Sis and Big Sis were happy to get even more treats instead of useless party favor toys.

Drive-In Movie Theater FAQ’s

How many drive-in movies are left?

According to drive-in.com, there are currently around 335 drive-in theatres in the USA and only 40 in Canada. 

Do drive-ins offer birthday party packages?

While some drive-ins may offer drive-in birthday party packages, most do not.  Check with your local one though, as many will at least have nights when you pay one set price for a carload rather than for each person.

Can I bring food and drinks to the drive-in?

Most drive-in theaters do allow you to bring outdoor food, but some have started to ban it.

When should I get to the drive-in?

Just like the regular theater if you want a good spot you will want to get there early.  If you are in a large vehicle you will have to park in the back few rows, so getting there right when the gates open will increase your chances of getting the best spot.

Drive-ins typically open their gates an hour or two before the first movie starts.

Do I have to sit in my car?

Most drive-ins allow people to sit outside of their vehicle on blankets or lawn chairs. Many people park their truck or van backward to sit in the back too. 

*You will have to check with your local drive-in theater as local COVID-19 rules may cause them to temporarily not allow it.  At the time of our drive-in movie party, all customers had to sit inside their vehicles.

Do drive-ins play in the rain?

Yes, most drive-ins will still play the movies in the rain (and will not offer rain checks).

How do I listen to the movies at the drive-in?

While drive-ins used to have speakers you would hook onto your car, they now just play the movie sound through a radio station.

Will my car battery die at a drive-in movie?

Most car batteries provide enough juice to run the stereo for a few hours without any problems, just make sure that everything else is turned off.  However, if your battery is getting old and needs to be replaced soon it could kill the battery (which happened to us years ago).  If you are concerned that your battery may die you can always bring a battery-operated radio and turn everything in the car off for the movie.

If your battery does die, many drive-in theaters have battery jump starters that customers can borrow if needed.

Can you leave during a drive-in movie?

Most drive-ins show two movies per night and many people will leave after the first movie, especially if the first movie is a kids one and the second one is not. There will be an intermission after the first movie, which will give you enough time to leave without disturbing anyone who is staying.

Despite only being able to invite one friend, and not being able to go where she had been planning for a year, Lil Sis had a great time at her birthday party.

It was her first time seeing Jurassic Park, and she loved it.

Not only did Lil Sis have a great time at her party, but I had a lot of fun planning it all too.  It was nice to take a break from my new busy daily routine to do something creative that I enjoy.

Life has been chaotic lately, and I haven’t been spending enough time doing things I enjoy. But planning the kid’s birthday parties has been a good reminder that I need to find time to do these fun little hobbies of mine (and make more time for self-care).

While planning a drive-in movie party and a glamping party back to back may sound stressful, for me, distraction is the most helpful stress management strategy.  Planning the kid’s parties gave me a much-needed break.  

If you’re planning a drive-in movie birthday party, I’d love to hear about it. 

Leave a comment below or on my Facebook post to let me know what drive-in movie party ideas you used and any other ones you came up with.

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