I got to thinking about last week’s post and all the things made more special by virtue of being outside. If you recall, SPAM (the canned meat, not the pesky emails) and nighttime concerts were mentioned last week.  This week, I just had to add outdoor movies to the list because nothing goes better together than summertime evenings and flicks on the lawn.

Here are just a few to check out this week.

Photo: shutterstock.com

A big part of summer for the kiddos is staying up late (plus the bonus of sleeping in the next morning). Celebrate that perk this Thursday night at Fort Worth’s Sundance Square Movie Night. You and yours can catch a free movie under the stars every Thursday evening on the plaza from June 6 to July 25. This week, everyone’s favorite nanny floats back into London to save the day once again in “Mary Poppins Returns.” The show begins at approximately 8:30 and moviegoers are invited to bring blankets or chairs for seating in the plaza. Coolers and outside food are not permitted but food and drinks can be from restaurants around the square that will be open throughout the evening.

Photo: Nasher Sculpture Center

This Friday night,  get festive, and not in a Christmas-in-June sort of way. Celebrate Pride month with the whole family at a block party starting at 6 p.m., put on by the Dallas Arts District and the Dallas Museum of Art. The bash features a story time and movies for the little ones in your tribe. For fun with your teens and tweens, head over to the Nasher Sculpture Center for their ‘Til Midnight at the Nasher event that’s going on at the same time. There will be outdoor games, a concert from the Queen tribute band Baroness, and in keeping with our theme, a screening of the PG-13 film”To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar.” 

Photo: Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation

If watching a movie under the stars wasn’t good enough, you can double your pleasure with a movie on the beach. That’s right, every Saturday through the end of August Grand Prairie Prairie Parks and Recreation is hosting Movies on the Beach at Loyd Park. The movie starts at dusk, but be sure to get there early for pre-show activities. This week they’ll be screening the Disney film “Lilo and Stitch.’ Admission is just  $15 a vehicle for entry into the park so be sure to pile the whole family in the car.

Photo: Hawaiian Falls – Mansfield

Another aquatic cinema experience that’s sure to peg the Fun-O-Meter is the Dive-In Movie at Hawaiian Falls in Mansfield.  You and your little guppies can see the Disney movie “Moana” from a suspended screen over the wave pool. The film happens this Friday at dusk. 

Photo: Brazos Drive-In Theatre

Last but certainly not least, If you really want to go retro on the whole outdoor movie-going experience, give the Brazos Drive-In Theatre in Granbury a whirl. I love their cute, old-fashioned snack bar with a banging screen door and metal chairs out front. You’ll swear you’re sitting on the porch at grandma’s house. This weekend, you can load up the car and be the first on your block to see the “Toy Story 4.”

For even more outdoor movies and kid-friendly events, explore the Kids & Family section of the Art&Seek calendar.