Daycares can be great places to send kids to while their parents are at work. They’re in the trusted care of working professionals free to play with their friends, do arts and crafts, read, play with toys, and more. But, it can be overstimulating to childcare providers when kids run around all the time. All the more reason why you can introduce preschool and kindergarteners to quality film programming for a movie night. Once you’re aware of the materials, what movies to show, and how to acquire a license to host a public screening, you’re all set for a fun movie night.
What You'll Need for a Daycare Movie Night
You can’t have a daycare movie night without the right materials. Research Parent has printables you can use to make signs to turn your daycare into a movie theater. You can create a ticket table where you cut out the printable tickets that have the name of the movie, date, and time written on them. A big sign can be taped on the wall of the entrance that has the name of the movie. Another sign can be for the concession stand where you can make popcorn and have candy available. This would also be a good opportunity to show kids about using money by giving them fake money to buy their tickets and snacks with.
Other materials you could get for your daycare movie night, according to Martha Stewart, is a canvas drop cloth to secure to the ground to set up the screen. You can also find an inflatable screen to set up. Make sure any projector you get has built-in speakers or Bluetooth-compatible speakers.
In order for kids to be comfortable in their seats, you can invest in some bean bag chairs and comfortable sitting blankets. You don’t have to buy a bunch of furniture for the event, but even little side tables with some cup holders can help make snacks and drinks easier for the kids.
Public Performance Rights
Before you start going shopping for all of these supplies, it’s important to first get a license to be able to show movies in public. According to Insane Impact, you need to get a public viewing license in order to play copyrighted material to the public. Private events with small groups of people on private property may not require it, but holding a movie night at a public daycare will absolutely require one. Otherwise, the Motion Picture Association of America says you could face a maximum sentence of five years in jail and/or pay a fine of $250,000.
Movie licensing prices could range from $300-$2,000 depending on the number of people coming, location, earnings in ticket sales, and the film being shown. Reach out to Swank Motions Pictures Inc. to purchase a film license as they are the main licensing provider. This holds true even if the movie is from a streaming service.
Now that you got the film licensing out of the way, let’s focus on building up your film collection for the little ones. You can even motivate them to wear costumes resembling their favorite character from the movie. One example could be The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh where small children can follow Pooh Bear and his friends through their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. Kids can be encouraged to wear Winnie the pooh costumes and get served honey-themed snacks like honeycomb treats.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is another great movie for toddlers to watch where they can dance to Schroeder’s piano stylings and learn about a boy who may not get everything right, but will never stop trying. There’s also Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! that will encourage young children to want to read more Dr. Seuss books and explore Whoville.
Entertain Your Young Students with a Popular Children's Film!
Take a good look at your home video library and see which movies children can have fun with and learn a thing or two from it. Movie nights are a great entertainment and educational resource for young kids. They can eat yummy treats and take a moment to relax and sit still. By following all of these guidelines, movie nights at your daycare will be a hit and parents will push you to plan more of them.