Summer is a great time to spend together! We’ve found the 57 best movies for an outdoor movie night. From rom-coms to family-friendly movies, there is something for everyone!
Now more than ever before, it’s super easy to host an outdoor movie night with just your phone, a small projector, and a screen (or white bedsheet)!
In case you missed it: We did a complete guide on how to host an outdoor movie night or pool movie night with our favorite tools if you need some help planning!
How to Choose the Best Movies for an Outdoor Movie Night
When you’re choosing the best family movies for outdoor movie night, there a few things to consider.
- Your Audience. The age of your family, friends, or guests will greatly determine the type of movie you’ll want to choose. While our list of outdoor movies are fun for everyone certain choices will be better than others depending on your crowd.
- The Length of the Movie. We’ve found a movie under 2 hours is the best to watch outside. Anything over that, you may have guests feeling antsy, uncomfortable, or needing extra bathroom breaks.
- Theme. We love to do a theme around the time of the year. If it’s the Summer, why not plan a July 4th movie night outdoors? If it’s the Fall, try a Halloween movie night! You could also do themes like 80’s, a slumber party, Disney, or a franchise like Back to the Future.
What should I bring to an outdoor movie?
If you’re hosting the outdoor movie night, you’ll want to have the right movie, projector and movie screen ready to go. You may also want speakers.
You should also bring:
- movie night invitations,
- snacks,
- drinks,
- desserts,
- layers and blankets,
- fluffy pillows,
- lawn or beach chairs,
- string lights,
- and bug spray or citronella candles.
We also have a great list of movie night essentials you will love!
An outdoor movie night is a great way to spend some quality time with the whole family or make some new friends!
The best part?
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great time!
What is a good outdoor movie?
A good outdoor movie is something everyone can enjoy!
We put together a list of the best family movies for outdoor movie nights so that you’ll have a winning selection of options to pick from!
Best Family Outdoor Movies for an Outdoor Movie Night
- The Goonies
- Back to the Future
- The Karate Kid
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Alice in Wonderland
- Princess Bride
- The Sandlot
- E.T.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Apollo 13
- Wizard of Oz
- RV
- The Lego Movie
- The Incredibles
- Lion King
- Toy Story
- Moana
- Hook
- Night at the Museum
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- Star Wars
- Mary Poppins
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Trolls
- The Parent Trap
- The Mighty Ducks
- Princess Diaries
Movies for Older Kids
- Jaws
- The Great Outdoors
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jumanji
- La La Land
- The Lost Boys
- Grease
- A Wrinkle In Time
- Dirty Dancing
- Hairspray
- Harry Potter Movies
- Ghostbusters
- Hidden Figures
- A League of Their Own
- Jurassic Park
You may also like our 40 Magical Harry Potter Desserts & Snacks for Movie Night!
You also can’t go wrong with a themed Disney Movie with Dinner & Dessert Ideas.
Seasonal Ideas
Grab our favorite July 4th Movies, Halloween Movies, Christmas Movies, Valentines Day Movies, or Easter Movies!
Why not take movie night up a notch with one of our themes?
We have some great theme snack ideas:
- Incredibles Cookies,
- Ghostbusters Ice Cream,
- Homemade Goonies Candy,
- E.T. Reese’s Pieces Bar,
- Lion King Snacks,
- Moana-themed recipes,
- and a full Karate Kid Movie Night Menu!
Outdoor Movies Just for Adults
The following are not family-friendly, but we wanted to offer a few outdoor movie night ideas for just the adults.
- Dazed & Confused
- Thelma and Louise
- Mama Mia
- Caddyshack
- Stand by Me
- Point Break
- The Blair Witch Project
- Friday the 13th
If you love this list of best family movies for outdoor movie night – you may also like our guide to a Fun Virtual Movie Night with Friends, Sports Movie Ideas, or our list of family friendly movies for movie night indoors!
We’d love to see your outdoor movie night too! Tag us on Instagram @movienightsathome
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