Friday is my favorite night of the week. It really, really is. The whole family looks forward to it. That’s because it’s Family Movie Night in our house!
We’re all home together. The school week is done. The work week is done. No more sports or after school activities. We’re looking forward to all the fun things we have planned for the weekend. It’s just a good vibe all around.
In my house it’s also one of the only weeknights (well technically it’s still a weeknight—do you consider Friday night to be a weeknight or weekend? Weekend prelude night if that’s such a thing?) we have nothing planned for the evening other than being together.
After a yummy dinner together we snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and some popcorn and candy (my mix is buttered popcorn, peanut M & M’s, and sour patch kids. Don’t come at me with the “that’s so unhealthy” y’all okay. I look forward to this sweet-sour-salty-buttery mix all week long!), and recharge after a long week.
These fun family movie nights don’t usually require much planning. Except for one detail:
Which Family movie are we going to watch?
My kids will ask me for days leading up to Friday night “So mom, which movie are we watching for Movie Night Friday?” And sometimes, even by Friday morning I still have no idea.
Holiday times are easier. There’s a whole long list of movies available for the Halloween and Christmas season, but the rest of the year, like right now during the spring time, can leave me a little bit frazzled trying to search for a good one that’ll please everybody. Are you the same way? Are you trying to find a movie your entire family will love during this spring season when it seems like the holiday peak movie season is ending?
Not to worry. I’ve got you covered. I’ve already done the research ahead of time for both of us. This list of Five Movies to Stream this Spring for Your Family’s Movie Night is sure to keep your family entertained during every family movie night from now until the summer time.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Rating: (PG) for violence
Where to watch: Disney + (If you don’t have Disney + which you should because it’s awesome and offers a on of family viewing content, click here. *)
I know there’s a lot of controversy regarding the original Disney movie remakes into the Live-Action versions. And whichever side you’re on, I’m sure we can both agree that Jude Law playing Captain Hook in this movie alone is a good enough to watch it. This is Disney’s latest Live-Action remake. We watched this movie last week and absolutely loved it! In fact, I’d even argue it’s better than the original cartoon version of Peter Pan! To read my full review I shared on Instagram click here.
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Rating: (PG) for violence and language
Where to watch: Netflix
We love the Minions and the Despicable Me movies. So we were super excited to watch this in the theater a few months ago, and even more excited when it came out on Netflix so we can watch it at home. This movie is funny and adorable. It’s a prequel to the Despicable Me films, telling the story of how Gru met the minions and became their boss. I don’t doubt you and your family would adore this movie together. And actually as I write this, it’s currently in the Top Ten of Family Movies on Netflix!
Matilda the Musical
Rating: (PG) for bullying and language
Whre to watch: Netfix
While technically this movie didn’t just come out in the last few months but in 2022, it’s always picking up a lot of traction. And it’s not hard to see why. Matilda is a beloved story and movie we parents watched a kids, so it’s so nice that now there’s a new updated version we can watch together!
I also know the perfect dessert we’ll be having when we watch this movie: chocolate cake (duh, it’s only fitting). Who else always wants a big old slice of chocolate cake every time they watch this movie? It’s the perfect dessert accompaniment so we can have our own Bogtrotter moment. (And if you’ve never watched the older movie or read the book–which you can order here–just know that the most disgusting and incredible looking—yes at the same time— chocolate cake makes an appearance.) If you feel like making your own chocolate cake, try one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes here which we made when we watched “Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone” for the first time.
The Sea Beast
Rating: (PG) for action, violence, and language
Where to watch: Netflix
This movie reminds me a lot of Disney’s Moana. A girl stows away on a ship headed to hunt for a sea beast. The resulting chaos that ensues makes for some comedic moments (also much like Moana). We haven’t watched this one yet, but I’m excited to show this one to my kids!
Chang Can Dunk
Rating: (PG) for language and violence
Where to watch: Disney +
This one has been on my Watchlist since it came out. Although it’s set in a high school, and I tend to not necessarily prefer high school based movies for my younger elementary aged kids, this one I’m looking forward to watching. It’s a heartwarming story about perseverance and hard work, as a non athletic student works to become a great basketball player. Fair warning though parents, this one does have some mild language.
Bonus
Pick a Star Wars movie for May the 4th! It’s Star Wars month when this post goes live, so of course you know our family won’t only be watching as many Star Wars movies as we can, but we’ll also be baking up some yummy treats to go with our movie! Check out this post for a step-by-step guide on how to create Wookie Cookies for the perfect Star Wars movie accompaniment treat!
Got any other family movie night suggestions? Leave them in the comments below!
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