Got a favourite family film on repeat? Turn movie time into a whole afternoon of fun with these easy, screen-inspired activities. They’re perfect for a rainy day at home, and most use things you already have lying around the house.
Pick a movie, then match it to an activity — or use our ideas below as a starting point and come up with your own twist.
Here’s what’s coming up:
- Build a box car and host your own drive-in
- Get messy making meatballs, inspired by a food-loving film
- Turn recycling into robots for a space adventure
- Craft monster feet for a Shrek-style afternoon
#1. Drive In Movie
Have some fun making box cars — we love these easy-to-make versions on Today’s Parent.
Use clothes pegs to clip a little basket or small box onto the side to hold popcorn and drinks. Then set up your own drive-in: each child climbs into their car, and you queue up a family favourite like Cars for the big screening.
#2. Make Some Meatballs
One of our favourite family films is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, with its wonderfully wacky story of inventor Flint Lockwood, who makes clouds rain food so the citizens of Chewandswallow can feed themselves. Naturally, things start to go wrong…
Why not rustle up a batch of meatballs for dinner, with this super easy recipe from Catriona at Wholesome Ireland? Kids love rolling the meatballs themselves and getting their fingers nice and messy (just remember to wash hands afterwards).
Or try this fun spaghetti and meatballs cake from Caitriona at Wholesome Ireland, inspired by the movie.
#3. Space and Robots
You can have great fun with space and robots, all inspired by Wall-E — the movie about the little robot who helps clean up the mess left behind by humans on Earth.
Make your own robot crafts. We love this idea of turning old tin cans into robots, with pipe cleaners for hair and bottle stoppers or googly eyes for the face.
Or check out this cute robot craft activity on the Awesomestorytime blog.
Save up some dry recycling — toilet roll tubes, tin cans, milk cartons, egg cartons — get out the poster paints, and set up a robot assembly line at the kitchen table.
#4. Monster Fun
How about an entire little-monster-themed afternoon? Using Shrek as inspiration, check out these adorable monster feet made from cardboard and ribbon.
“The rest of the afternoon was spent adventuring around the house with a stuffed Hello Kitty as Puss in Boots and a plastic horse as Donkey.”
Read more about this Shrek-themed afternoon here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn a movie into a themed activity?
Pick a film your kids love, then look for one strong idea from it — a character, a food, a setting — and build a simple craft or activity around that. You don’t need to recreate the whole film, just one memorable element.
What age group are these movie activities suitable for?
Most of these ideas — box cars, robot crafts, monster feet — work well for younger children (roughly ages 3–10), and older siblings often enjoy helping younger ones put them together.
Do I need special materials for these activities?
No — most of these ideas use things you likely already have at home, like cardboard boxes, tin cans, egg cartons, and poster paints, along with a few simple craft supplies like pipe cleaners or googly eyes.
Related Articles
- Spaghetti and Meatballs: A Family Recipe Kids Can Help Make
- Kids Cake Ideas: Spaghetti & Meatballs Cake
- Our Shrek Themed Afternoon
Save These Ideas for Your Next Rainy Day
Bookmark this page or pin it for later, so you’ve always got a movie-inspired activity ready to go the next time you need a fun, screen-free afternoon.
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