This year I thought it would be fun to do a few themed Christmas Movie Nights as a part of our BUDGET FRIENDLY HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST. A way to not only watch some of our favorite holiday movies, but also eat a food or have an activity related to the movie.
I came up with 16 SIMPLE, easy to plan ideas among 3 holiday movie categories. Each can be used as a themed night with friends or simply at home as a family, couple or solo night in.
Family Friendly Christmas Movie Night Ideas
Snuggle up with the family and gather some fun food and treats to go along with one of these classic holiday movies:
Watch HOME ALONE and have a pizza picnic
Grab pizzas and a few large towels and throw everything on the living room floor and have a picnic while watching one of the most classic Holiday Movies of all time!
Bonus points if you order an extra cheese pizza!
Watch Elf and eat waffles with syrup
With Buddy’s favorite food being syrup it only makes sense to have a breakfast for dinner with this movie! Totally your choice if you want to dare to bring syrup into the movie room.
Watch THE GRINCH and make green snacks & milkshakes
If there is one Christmas movie night we really go all out on it’s our Grinch Movie night.
The perfect Grinch movie night consists of LOTS of green food and treats. Serve noodles with pesto for dinner or make a snack board filled with green food. I like to do a mix of healthy and snack options especially if this will replace dinner, but go with what works best for your family!
Grinch Snacks NOT Loaded with Sugar: Green Grapes on a toothpick with a strawberry and marshmallow on top (looks like the grinch with a Santa hat). Kiwi slices laid flat in the shape of a Christmas tree, then sprinkled with raspberries. Celery filled with nut butter. Add google eyes, a red m&m nose and a broken pretzel to look like reindeer ears.
Find these ideas and more HERE.
Sugary Grinch Snacks: Because movie night can’t be all healthy food we also like to serve Grinch Popcorn and Peppermint Mocha milkshakes made with my popular HOT COCOA RECIPE.
I will share more details about our family Grinch Night later this month!
WATCH THE SANTA CLAUSE AND HAVE COOKIES & COCOA
Bake a fresh batch of your favorite Christmas cookies and grab a CUP OF HOT COCOA and settle in for (what our family thinks is) the best Santa movie ever made!
Simple and right on theme, especially when you discover that the CD on Santa’s new sleigh doesn’t stand for “Compact Disc.”
Date Night In Christmas Movie Night Ideas
Grab your significant other and cozy up for a movie night at home. Use the time to check a few things off of your holiday to-do list OR have a romantic evening with candles and treats.
watch four christmases and wrap presents
Several years ago my husband and I decided that this was “OUR” Christmas movie. We watch it several times during the holiday season and never without the other person.
Our favorite thing to do is open a bottle of wine and get busy wrapping gifts! WE usually make a decent dent in just one viewing but we aren’t mad if we have to repeat the tradition a few nights later to finish up.
WATCH CHRISTMAS VACATION AND LIGHT A BUNCH OF CANDLES
Add a bit of romance to this classic holiday comedy by gathering up a bunch of candles and lighting them around the living room. You will feel the ambiance double when Clark fires up his outdoor Christmas Lights.
Bonus Points if you make a snack board to munch on with with cheese, crackers and JELLY.
Watch the family stone and make a popcorn garland
If you are feeling crafty, pop some plain popcorn and settle in for the funny, yet romantic and heart-felt Christmas movie, The Family Stone.
There is only one short scene where they are also making a popcorn garland, but it will give you the warm fuzzies from start to finish AND you will have something festive to hang when you are finished!
WAtch love actually and share your favorite dessert
This sexy-romantic holiday movie is the perfect date night in. Grab a dessert that you both love with two forks and see where the night takes you!
Chick Flick Christmas Movie Night Ideas
Grab some girlfriends or enjoy a solo night in with these fun and festive chick flicks!
Watch THE HOLIDAY and drink prosecco or sparkling juice
The greatest chick flick of all time (in my humble opinion) is super toast worthy and definitely pairs well with a sparkling beverage.
Watch with friends or after the kids have gone down, while you dream of a holiday across the pond.
watch You’ve got mail and host a book exchange
Grab your girlfriends and wrap a few books that you enjoyed this year and host a (FREE) holiday book exchange.
Everyone will enjoy this romantic book-loving holiday movie AND go home with a few new reads!
watch while you were sleeping in christmas pajamas
This one required zero effort as you are likely already in pajamas when you settle in for a movie! Simply make it a fun theme night with girlfriends or family members.
Bonus points if you do matching Christmas PJ’s!
watch bad mom’s christmas and pamper yourself
Mom’s everywhere will get a food laugh when watching this laughable and totally relatable holiday chick flick.
Grab some hot tea, throw on a face mask and paint your nails during this one. You will definitely feel worthy of some pampering!
FREE CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT PRINTABLES
Ready to get your holiday started with a bang?
Grab my FREE Family Holiday Bucket List (PLUS CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT) printable collection HERE!!
Includes all of these Christmas movie Ideas PLUS 3 FULL Christmas movie bucket lists (by category) AND full and blank versions of our printable family holiday bucket list!
JUST TAP THE PHOTO BELOW
HAPPY CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT