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How to Throw a Teen Movie Night, Princess Bride Style

Thank you Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soupsfor sponsoring this post. Enjoy the flavorful, slow-cooked taste of restaurant-quality soup at home, in minutes.

Part of the fun (total sarcasm) of our kids growing up is that they aren’t quite as easy to please because mom and dad aren’t quite as cool as they used to be. But cool or not, you can still make some great at-home experiences for them, starting with friend hang outs and lots of food for (constantly) famished teenagers. With a crowd, starting with Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups is a great choice. In this post I’ll show you how we included it for a memorable teen movie night, Princess Bride style.

How to host teen movie night 

We’ve done quite a few teen movie nights at our house, the most recent being a screening of the classic Princess Bride, as you wish. In the quest to make our house the hang out house for the teens as they wage their way through junior and senior high school, I’ve started a campaign with these movie nights. Over and over I’ve seen that there really is a formula that works to make movie nights successful in three steps:

  1. Serve good food.
  2. Make the entertainment awesome.
  3. Have a great atmosphere.

Teen movie night: serve good food

The formula to keep a bunch of teenagers happy and hanging out at your house on a Friday or Saturday night really isn’t that hard. I find with teenagers that the key ingredient to use a successful anything is usually the food. If you have a bunch of teenagers over for an extended period of time and you don’t feed them, I promise there will be a bit of anarchy on your hands. Growing teens seem to eat 24-7 (and twice that if you’ve got athletes.)

I failed to provide food for a few of my kid’s friends that were over once, and came down to a kitchen that looked like a bomb went off in it because they decided to cook. One very long the kitchen clean up later and I had learned my lesson. (For the record, I do encourage learning to cook frequently. Which is probably why they took the initiative to feed themselves!)

Now, with frequent teenage visits to the house, we can’t always have pizzas and take out. Which is where Idahoan Steakhouse Soups are such a fabulous find. It’s comfort made easy. Each pouch serves four servings of rich and creamy potato soup that tastes like it came out of a restaurant. All for about $1.80 a bag.

Don’t let the teens know that though! A good deal may not to be a cool thing.

To make any one of the four flavors of Idahoan Steakhouse Soups, all you have to do is add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Crowd pleasing soup made–it’s like magic! Try out their Loaded Potato, Creamy Potato, Cheddar Broccoli, and Cheddar Potato.

Especially if it’s a chilly evening, Idahoan Steakhouse Soups are great to cozy up with. Add a quick little side dish like Six-fingered cheese sandwiches (this name is a little nod to the Princess Bride) and you have a complete meal.

Miniature Cheese Sandwiches

Miniature Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to XXX degrees. Split the bread in the tube of French bread dough into two pieces and place them into greased mini bread pans. Bake for XXX minutes.
  2. Once the bread cools, slice into half inch slices of bread.
  3. In a medium hot pan, melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter. Place 4 to 6 slices of the mini bread into the pan buttered pan, topping each slice of bread with a piece of cheese. Cook in the pan until the cheese melts.
  4. Once the cheese is melted, put together two of the pieces of bread to make a sandwich.

Teen movie night: Entertainment

Throughout history, the house that was the most fun was the house the kids hung out at. Things have not changed. So when the kids are over, if they’re entertained (and fed) they will have fun and will come back.

When it comes to movie night, all you really have to do is make sure that you’re showing a great film to go with all that Idahoan Steakhouse Soups goodness.The Princess Bride is a classic movie and great for young teenagers. It’s somewhat of a cult film, And has tons of quotable lines.

Other classic movies that would be great for a teen movie night:

  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  • The Breakfast Club
  • Sixteen Candles
  • Say Anything
  • Clueless
  • She’s All That
  • Big
  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  • Top Gun
  • Weird Science
  • Better Off Dead
  • The Original Karate Kid
  • 10 Things I Hate About You
  • Teen Wolf
  • Varsity Blues
  • Johnny B. Good
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  • Back to the Future trilogy
  • Can’t Buy Me Love
  • Footloose
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Stand By Me
  • Weekend at Bernie’s
  • One Crazy Summer
  • License to Drive
  • Risky Business
  • Drop Dead Gorgeous
  • Heathers
  • Three Amigos

These movies are a little off the beaten path, but such classics that everybody’s got to watch them at some point. And if you have a suggestion for something that’s got to be on this list, leave me a comment and I’ll put it on here!

If you’re NOT showing a movie, entertainment is another thing all together. There are lots of things you can do with teens, starting with a few icebreaker games. Or hosting an epic video game battle, or do a twist on board game night! I feel a few posts coming on…

Teen movie night: making a little atmosphere

Now I fully know that throwing a full-scale party every time your kid has some friends over is completely not an option. It’s never an option for me either. I do know, though, adding a few really really easy little details around the hang out area for an arranged movie night makes a world of difference in the atmosphere of the gathering. Plus, it’s always fun to look at something clever and have a laugh.

Since we were doing a Princess Bride viewing at our event, we had a few little things around the party that were Princess Bride related. They made my daughter and I pat ourselves on the back about how clever we were. Usually, if we can crack ourselves up over the decorations, our guests like them too.

If you’re tackling another movie, no need to go do anything crazy to add atmosphere. Take something from the movie and add it to the title of something on your menu, or put out a prop or two that’s tied to the movie you’re watching.

Princess bride t-shirts

Since there weren’t that many girls at movie night this time, we made a few t-shirts. You can grab the free Princess Bride SVGs over in this post. This looks a lot more complicated than it is, but each one only took a few minutes to cut and iron on.

princess bride party free printables

We’re into sharing party stuff, so you can download any of the printables we included at our party below!

Inconceivable Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soupsand mini cheese sandwiches.

Castle Cut out, complete with FLORIN ROCKS graffiti on the side.

Gilbert centerpiece with Humperdinck flags. Cut the pieces out and glue them onto bamboo skewers. Pop them into a vase with some triangles on sticks, and voila, a centerpiece perfect for a Princess Bride teen movie night. Really, this does not take long to do, I promise!

Thieves Forest sign–find any plant to hang it on.

“As you wish” bunting. Easy Cricut Project.

Iocane roulette sign–great set out with a bottle of sparkling grape juice and a few old looking goblets!

The giant scaling the Cliffs of Insanity. We loved this one so much, it’s still hanging off the TV.

Pick one, or pick them all! All that is required from you is that you print them to white cardstock and cut around the edges. Click on the titles to download here:

  • Inconceivable Idaho soup and cheese sandwich menu
  • Castle Cut out
  • Gilbert centerpiece with Humperdinck flags
  • Thieves Forest sign
  • As you wish bunting 
  • Iocane roulette sign
  • True loves kisses party favors for cellophane bag

throw your own teen movie night

I really hope that took the edge off any nervousness about how to throw a teen movie night. Feed them, entertain them, and make it a little special and the teens will love it!

Paula Biggs

Owner at Frog Prince Paperie
Paula Biggs is a party planner, DIY crafter, and owner of Frog Prince Paperie, where you can find hundreds of party, craft and lifestyle ideas.

Aliza

Sunday 19th of November 2023

I love your clever and creative ideas!! The link to the free printables doesn't work on this website. Any chance you can make them active again? We are doing a Princess Bride theme dance and would love to use some of your ideas.

DN

Monday 26th of September 2022

Do you still have the printable available for free? I'd love to use them in our office's Princess Bride themed halloween decor!

Sandra Garth

Thursday 31st of January 2019

I'd love these snacks for a girls night in or just because I want to treat myself.

Paula Biggs

Thursday 31st of January 2019

They are SO EASY!! Makes it simple to do!

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