By Kate Scriven
The last day of school is today. I must admit, I’m ready. The last weeks of school almost put me over the edge with concerts, portfolio presentations, fun runs and field days. Don’t get me wrong….I love my kid’s school and all the amazing things that they experience. But, do ALL the special events need to fall between Memorial Day and Summer Break?
The lazy days of wearing jammies until noon (ok, maybe all day) and playing in the yard, unscheduled and unhurried, are looking mighty good. But, as all parents know….this bliss wears off. Quickly. The need for some scheduled events OUT of the house to break up the summer months is real and necessary. With one or two fun (and pricey) camps on the agenda already, we are looking for CHEAP fun that makes everyone happy.
Hello $1 movies. Where have you been all my life?
In our house, I LOVE going to the movies, but my husband – not so much. Consequently, weekend outings to the movies are an infrequent event. In fact, I think Brave was the last movie we saw in the theater. And, with the price of tickets, plus the very necessary popcorn, it’s a family outing that can break the bank.
Luckily, two of our local theaters are hosting $1 movies throughout the summer, offering an alternate activity that a family of four can attend for less than the price of a Grande Vanilla Latte (yes…that’s true). The quiet time in a dark theater will be a nice change from the usual building fairy houses, splashing in our inflatable kiddie pool, and yelling about their sister “bugging” them. And 90 plus minutes of everyone happy? That’s worth much more than the $1 admission to me.
Families this summer have two options. Lacey’s Regal Martin Village Stadium 16 is offering the Summer Movie Express. Starting June 18 and running for 9 weeks (ending August 13-14), the theater will be showing a G or PG rated film every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10am. Tickets are $1 each, kids and adults. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Will Roger’s Institute.
Movies are different each day and include a variety of titles to appeal to a wide range of ages. Movies include Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Journey2: The Mysterious Island for the older set as well as The Lorax and Rio, favorites with all ages for their fun characters and music. Click here for a full listing of all the shows offered in Lacey.
If you live on the Westside of Olympia, or are just hoping to do some errands at the mall after your movie outing, visit the Cinemark Century Theater at Capital Mall. This summer they are offering the Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse. Every Tuesday and Wednesday for 10 weeks – June 18 through August 21 – kid friendly, G and PG rated movies will run at 10am. Films include kid favorites Horton Hears a Who and The Smurfs as well as movies for older kids such as Dolphin Tale and the recent nature documentary Chimpanzee. Click on the link to Olympia’s Century Theater on this page to see the full flyer with all the details.
Movies are also $1 each for all ages. However, Century Theater offers a discount when you purchase a punch card for all 10 movies. The cost? $5 for all 10 movies. Yes…your math is correct. That is a fifty cent movie – doing the happy mommy dance. Each punch card can only be used for one person per visit. So, you can’t buy 2 punch cards and get 4 people into a movie (I thought of this immediately, of course). Every person must have a card. However, cards aren’t tied to one specific person, so bring a friend instead of your spouse (they might thank you for this!). And, for those who are ultra-thrifty, sign up for concession coupons to save on the snacks that you’ll obviously need at 10 am.
Local mom Sarah Roraback is looking forward to summer with her three boys, but knows the value of a summer movie. “The summer is an awesome time for us, bike riding, berry picking, brotherly love . . . but when all of that dissolves in to tears, heat exhaustion, and fisticuffs, a cheap movie is a lifesaver. For a few dollars we can all have a couple hours of peace and enjoy family time the good old fashioned way, by silently ignoring each other in an air-conditioned movie theater. Plus there’s popcorn. Everything is better with popcorn.”
Well said, Sarah. I’ll be joining you. And, with the money I’ll save on tickets, I can indulge in an embarrassingly large bucket of popcorn – with butter in the middle and on top, of course.
Thrifty Thurston highlights inexpensive family fun in Thurston County. The weekly series focuses on family-friendly activities throughout our community. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@thurstontalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Olympia and the surrounding area, click here.
