5 Steps to Having a Fun Family Movie Night with The Secret Life of Pets (w giveaway!)

This sponsored post is in partnership with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Constantly traveling makes me appreciate the little things in life such as a family movie night with the kids on either side of me on the couch and Oliver, our Yellow Labrador, at our feet. Having just returned from a family trip to Memphis for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, a movie night is exactly what we need and just in time for tonight, The Secret Life of Pets Blu-ray & DVD is in stores now!

Created by the humans behind Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets is a comedy about the lives our pets lead when we leave for work or school each day. For those of us who love our furry, feathered, and scaled friends, The Secret Life of Pets is a movie about devoted friendships and loyalty between pets and humans but also among the animal characters in the movie, making it a perfect choice for a cold weather movie night during a busy time of year.

After checking to make sure that The Secret Life of Pets is age appropriate for your kids, here’s how to plan a family movie night this holiday season centered around this fun animated movie that has strong themes of friendship and loyalty throughout.

Find a Free Night and Put it on the Calendar

We know how busy December can be. With the holidays approaching and required appearances on the holiday party circuit, it can be tricky to find one night where everyone in the family is free. Sync schedules and find that one date when the whole family is free and put it on the calendar because a family movie night is a perfect way to reconnect and recharge at home during a very busy holiday season.

Make it Special

Whether you do regularly movie nights in your home or they’re rare occurrences, I like to make them special because they’re a departure from our normal hectic schedules. We like to mix up our movie nights. Some nights we’ll order a pizza to eat during our movie, have dinner first and break out favorite movie theater size boxes of candy, or sometimes we’ll set up a sundae bar for desert! Make it special for your family pet by browsing the recipes for homemade treats on The Secret Life of Pets Treats and Recipes Pinterest board for tasty ideas.

Bonus: Your kids will learn some cooking skills and practice some kitchen math and science when they tackle a recipe!

Include Your Pet

A movie night with The Secret Life of Pets wouldn’t be the same without your family pet joining in on the fun. For us that means making room for our Yellow Labrador, Oliver, and letting him lie dutifully at our feet while wrapping him up in a cozy blanket. Even though he will sleep through the movie, it’s always fun to imagine what he might be doing when we leave the house like the pets in the movie!

Declare Your Movie Night Device-Free

Before you start the movie, leave your devices in another room and insist that your kids do the same. There’s nothing wrong with unplugging for a couple hours in favor of family time and by unplugging, you’re setting a good example for your kids as they get older since you’re showing them that it’s ok to unplug and be away from your devices.

Grab a Blanket, Settle In, and Get Ready to Laugh

This new release contains an hour of bonus content, including three mini movies (the all-new Norman Television and Weenie PLUS Mower Minions which debuted in theaters) that will have you laughing even before The Secret Life of Pets starts. Fans of the movie will want to pick up the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Target Exclusive for themselves or as a great holiday gift because it features the the Blu-ray, DVD, and a Digital copy  plus 4 pages of decals featuring main characters and their funny personalities, great for decorating your room, car, office, laptop, or wall.

And if you’re feeling inspired to show your pet more love after watching The Secret Life of Pets? Check out these 80+ Pet Projects for some DIY crafty fun!

The Secret Life of Pets DVD Giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of The Secret Life of Pets on DVD for your family! The DVD includes an hour of bonus content, including the three hilarious mini-movies: the all-new Norman Television and Weenie PLUS Mower Minions which debuted in theaters. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was compensated for this post and received a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Target Exclusive of The Secret Life of Pets plus other movie goodies but all opinions are my own.