[This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Universal Pictures, but all my opinions are my own. #Pmedia #BoxtrollsFamilyNite http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV]
In a blended family like ours, where the kids coming and going to their other parent’s house, and my husband and I are working from home with alternating schedules, it is difficult—very difficult—to find downtime where the whole family is together.
While we usually sit down to have dinner as a family, that’s about the extent of it, especially during the week.
Family movie night
That’s why we came up with movie night. At least once a week we rent or buy a movie, get some popcorn like Pop Secret Popcorn—a family favorite—and sit back and enjoy family time.
For others, this might sound easy, but we have a teenager who is in the school basketball team and prefers to spend her free time at the skate park, and a boy who would rather be shooting a BB gun or playing with his remote controlled vehicles.
So family movie night has become a tradition. This time around we had the opportunity to watch The Boxtrolls and the kids were psyched.
They’d seen the previews and had been talking among themselves about when it would finally be available to watch on DVD.
The Boxtrolls is an animated magical adventure about a boy that is brought up by box wearing creatures that live under the streets of Cheesebridge.
So we stopped by Walmart, got The Boxtrolls DVD and a 10 count box of Pop Secret Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn.
We melted some extra butter with peanut butter to the popcorn (yes another family tradition) and cuddled together on the couch to watch the film.
Enjoy a couple of hours of fun
In order to make movie-watching more interactive and not just a vegging out on the sofa experience, we’ve come up with a fun game to play while watching a flick.
Here’s how it works: when anyone watching the movie finds a cliffhanging moment, or a place where the movie asks a question, anyone can call out, “Stop!”
We pause the movie and everyone has to guess what the resolution to this cliffhanging moment will be.
Whoever gets it right gets to hold the bowl with the popcorn. In our house it’s a real honor to hold the bowl.
But what’s important for us about this game is that we get to interact.
We debate our answers, ask for reasons why the kids think the movie will turn the way they think it will, and laugh out loud.
It really doesn’t matter whether we get the answer right or wrong.
And sometimes we even have serious discussions about the movie and life—about making good choices, being empathetic toward others.
We also discuss topics that may come up watching the movie, like bullying, peer pressure and cheating.
I know this might not sound like a relaxing way to watch a movie. It’s not. But it’s a very fun way to be with the kids, joke and laugh and enjoy a couple of hours of fun.
If you head out to buy The Boxtrolls DVD and Pop Secret 10ct Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. These are available at your local Walmart while supplies last.
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