Summer Movie Deals for Kids
For years my family and I have enjoyed going to weekly movies during the Summer for just $1 per ticket. Crazy, right? It’s hard to believe that for only $5 my family and I can spend our afternoon watching a movie in an air-conditioned theater! The best part about these movies is that if your kids don’t like the movie, can’t sit still, or have to leave every 20 minutes to use the bathroom, it’s not a big deal because you only paid $1. Also, if they have never been to a theater then this is a great opportunity for them to experience it!
There are several national and local theater chains that offer cheap tickets on our favorite kids’ movies. This Summer’s titles include How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Paddington 2, Smallfoot, Hotel Transvalnyia 3: Summer Vacation, and many more! The start dates and movie title may vary from theater to theater, so be sure to check your local theater’s schedule.
Regal Cinemas: The Summer Movie Express offers two different $1 movie options each week at 10:00 am every Tuesday and Wednesday.
Cinemark: The Summer Movie Clubhouse is a kid-friendly summer movie series. Attend for only $1 per person, per movie or purchase a ten-week series punch card (while supplies last).
AMC Theaters: Get admission to a kid-friendly movie and a KidsPack for just $4+tax, all summer long! Price includes a movie ticket, kid’s popcorn, fountain drink, and FrootiTooti fruit snacks.
Harkins Theaters: Summer Movie Fun offers 10 movies in 10 weeks. Season tickets are available for $6 and include all 10 movies, or tickets to each individual movie are $2. Movies start at 9:45 am.
Classic Cinemas: Summer Wednesday morning movies offers 10 movies in 10 weeks. Admission is $1 and the movie starts at 10:00 a.m. Come early to meet some of your favorite characters and join in on the fun games & activities. Reservations can be made for groups of 15 or more.
MegaPlex Theater: Kids Summer Movie Passes are available for a series of family-friendly movies – 10 movies for $10. Passes may be purchased online or at any participating Megaplex Theatres Box Office for $10. Individual tickets may be purchased for $1.50 each. Showtimes at each location are at 10:00 am, with Sensory Friendly showtimes at 10:30 am.
Metro Theaters: Summer Kids movies are $2 and start at 10:00 am. Days vary per theater.
Ultra Star Cinemas: The Kids Summer Series shows a different film every week at 9:30 AM. Tickets on sale NOW at the theater box offices for $1 per movie.
EVO Entertainment: KidFLIX is ten-weeks of $1 summer movie fun starting on June 11th. Movies will be shown every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday morning at 10:00 am. Participating locations include EVO (Kyle), EVO (Schertz), Creekside & Starplex.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas: Alamo Kids Camp movies are shown daily, Monday through Friday, during matinee hours. Guests choose their ticket price of $1, $3 or $5, with all of the ticket sales donated to local nonprofits designated by each Alamo Drafthouse location.
After a few years of going to these movies, I have a few tips to share to make your trip a little easier.
Get to the theater early. Inexpensive movies are a great opportunity for large Summer camps, church groups, and kids programs to provide a fun day at a small price tag. The theaters will fill up quickly, especially if you live in a small town with limited theater options. Some theaters allow you to purchase season passes, or tickets online but some only sell these cheap tickets at the theaters so be sure to check before you go. We get there a minimum of 30 minutes early to grab our tickets and get some snacks.
There are no (or limited) previews. I don’t know if this is the same for all theaters, but the ones we have been to have no previews specifically for these cheap Summer movies. This is both good and bad. On one hand, you don’t have to sit through previews while you wait for the movie. On the other hand, if you are running late you will miss the first part of the movie. If you plan to go to the snack bar or need to visit the restroom, be sure to go well before the movie starts.
Be prepared with your snacks. We all like to snack on popcorn when we watch movies however, I do NOT like reaching across three people to get my popcorn. So, I bring brown paper lunch bags and pour everyone their own popcorn. No one fights because someone got more, and there are no germy hands in my popcorn bucket. I love my kids, but I know they secretly pick their noses and touch everything. We do bring our own water bottles from home because soda makes my kids crazy.
Bring a jacket. It may be triple-digit temperatures outside but inside the theater, it’s still sub-arctic. My kids thought I was crazy when I told them to take a sweater, but they all were wearing them 10 minutes into the movie.
This is not a complete list of theaters! I tried to include as many as I could find, but if your local theater is not on the list check their website to see if they offer a similar Summer deal. Also, be sure to let know so I can add their info to the list!
