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For Father’s Day this year, my son and I decided to get my husband something a little different: a backyard projector.

If you’re looking for backyard movie night ideas that your whole family will actually enjoy, buying an outdoor projector might be one of the best things we did this summer.

For Father’s Day, my son and I decided to get my husband something a little different: a backyard projector. My husband and I both love watching movies, although if I’m being completely truthful, I prefer watching them from the comfort of my couch. My husband, on the other hand, would spend every possible minute outside if he could.

Add in a son who thinks making s’mores around the fire pit is basically the perfect summer evening, and suddenly a backyard movie setup seemed like a pretty badass Father’s Day gift.

At least that’s how I justified the purchase. Ha!

And then there was the World Cup (our son……big World Cup fan…..BIG this year!). I started imagining summer nights with friends in the backyard, the BBQ going, something cold to drink, the fire pit lit and the games playing on a huge outdoor screen.

Okay. Sold.

Finding a Backyard Projector When You Know Nothing About Projectors

Here’s the thing: I don’t know a lot about projectors.

Lumens? Throw distance? Projector technology?

You’ve lost me.

So I did what I normally do when I’m buying something I know very little about: I read a ridiculous number of reviews.

I eventually settled on an Aurzen projector because it checked the boxes that mattered to me. I wanted Bluetooth, 4K support, good sound quality, strong reviews, and—most importantly—I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on something I wasn’t even sure we’d use that often.

Plus, I still needed to buy the screen.

My thinking was basically: If my husband hates it, he can return it and pick something else.

Very romantic Father’s Day sentiment, I know.

Fortunately, he LOVED it.

And honestly? So did I.

The Projector Was a Hit. The Screen…Not So Much.

Because the projector didn’t come bundled with a screen, I went back to reading reviews and ordered a large outdoor projector screen with stands.

In theory, it was perfect.

Big? Yes.

Lightweight? Yes.

Easy to set up? Yes.

There was just one tiny problem.

Wind exists.

And apparently a giant lightweight movie screen is essentially a sail.

The thing blew over. Multiple times.

We added the weights that came with it.

Still blew over.

Eventually we raided my weight rack and started putting actual workout weights on the stands.

Problem solved—but this probably shouldn’t be the recommended installation method.

If I were buying everything again, the screen is the one thing I would change.

I’d choose something we could securely mount under the porch eaves or attach to another permanent structure rather than relying on freestanding legs.

Lesson learned.

Our First Backyard Movie Night

Once we figured out how to keep the screen from attempting to fly into the neighbor’s yard, it was finally time for our first movie night.

We watched Hoppers, which ended up being such a cute family movie. The easiest way I can describe it is almost like Avatar for kids—a fun premise, lots for kids to enjoy, and entertaining enough that the adults weren’t staring at their phones waiting for it to end.

Of course, you can’t have a backyard movie night without snacks.

We made s’mores.

We made way too much popcorn.

Our son had friends over.

And they absolutely loved it.

There is just something about watching a movie outside that makes an ordinary movie night feel like an event.

Then Came the World Cup…

This is when I really started congratulating myself for buying the projector.

Because as much fun as our family movie nights were, we ended up getting so much use out of the projector for soccer.

We watched World Cup games outside as a family and invited friends over for games too.

We’d have the BBQ going, sit around the fire pit, put the game up on the big screen and basically spend the entire evening outside.

It became one of those purchases that changed how we used our backyard.

And living in Oregon, that’s a big deal.

We don’t get an endless supply of beautiful summer days here. When the weather finally cooperates, you want to take advantage of every single one.

Instead of automatically heading inside to watch a movie or game, we had a reason to stay outside a little longer.

And I loved that.

What I’d Buy Again—and What I’d Change

After using our backyard movie setup all summer, here’s my verdict.

The Aurzen projector? Absolutely would buy it again.

The picture has been great for what we wanted, the sound surprised me, and it has been easy enough to use that we actually pull it out regularly—which is probably the most important thing.

I didn’t want another expensive gadget that would get used twice and then live in the garage for the next five years.

This didn’t.

The freestanding screen? I’d choose differently next time.

The actual screen itself is fine. My issue is simply the stand. If you live somewhere where a perfectly calm evening can suddenly become windy—and hello, Oregon—I would seriously consider a screen you can secure to your house, porch, fence, or another permanent structure.

The workout-weight solution works.

But I’m pretty sure that’s not the aesthetic Pinterest had in mind.

Shop Our Backyard Movie Night Setup

The other thing I’ve learned is that you really don’t need some elaborate Pinterest-worthy backyard setup.

Ours certainly isn’t.

For us, the essentials have been pretty simple:

• A good projector
• A sturdy screen
• Comfortable outdoor chairs
• Blankets for when the temperature drops
• A fire pit
• Popcorn
• S’mores supplies
• Drinks
• Friends and family

If you want to get fancy, string lights, outdoor pillows, a popcorn maker, snack baskets and cozy blankets would all be fun additions.

But honestly?

Give the kids popcorn, put a movie on a giant screen and let them make s’mores, and they’re pretty thrilled.

Was the Backyard Projector Worth It?

One hundred percent.

I originally bought it as a Father’s Day present for my husband.

Then I justified the expense with family movie nights.

Then I justified it again with the World Cup.

But after a summer of actually using it, I don’t really need to justify it anymore.

It turned out to be one of those purchases that actually made us do something differently.

We spent more evenings outside.

Our son had friends over.

We watched movies together.

We watched soccer with friends.

We ate s’mores around the fire.

And we made much better use of the few gorgeous summer evenings Oregon gives us.

Would I buy a different screen?

Absolutely.

Would I buy the projector again?

In a heartbeat.

And despite being the person in our marriage who would normally choose an air-conditioned living room and a comfortable couch over sitting outside to watch TV…

I have to admit it.

Backyard movie night won me over.