Host a Neighborhood Movie Night Using the Garage Door

Summer is drawing to a close, and before long the nights will be longer, the air will be colder, and neighbors will see less and less of each other as they stop taking after dinner walks around the block and instead curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a movie. Enjoy the last halcyon days of summer and seal lasting friendships with neighbors by hosting a neighborhood family outdoor movie night, right on the garage door.

If the garage door is flat, then it will likely work fine as it is, though a little cleaning might help keep the view clear. If the garage door is colored, or had inset designs, then taping a white sheet over it may work better. The idea is to use the garage door as a large movie screen and the driveway as the theater seating area.

In order to show the movie up on the garage door, a projector will be needed. If there are any school teachers in the neighborhood, they might be able to borrow one from the school where he or she works. Many businesses also have projectors that employees can check out for a night or two.

Using the projector, hook up a laptop computer and regular size speakers. Play the DVD movie on the laptop, running the image to the projector using the appropriate cables. The speakers should be able to be plugged into the headphone jack on the laptop.

Once the equipment is set up, it is easy to pull off the rest of the fun. Select a family friendly movie—children’s movies are a good idea. The more engaged in the movie the youngsters are, the more fun is likely to be enjoyed by everybody. Folding chairs can be placed in the driveway for the adults, though kids usually prefer loads of blankets and cushions placed on the ground for sitting and lying down during the movie.

Of course popcorn is a movie time favorite. Cookies are an easy treat to supply, as is water or lemonade. If it still doesn’t get dark until a little later, give the kids clear glass jars with holes in the lids and have them fill the jars with lightening bugs. Then the jars can be used as small, dim table lamps to light up the refreshments table during the movie.

Don’t forget bug spray to keep the mosquitoes from ruining the evening. Of course the camera is also a wise accessory to have on hand. A notepad and pen are also good to have handy, so that neighbors who might not have known each other before can exchange phone numbers or email addresses. Neighborhood movie night on the garage door is sure to be a hit that will bring neighbors together and encourage a sense of friendship and community.