Once upon a time, not so long ago, the drive-in theater was a fixture on the American landscape. Young families with children and young couples with dates pulled their cars up to the screen, tuned their radios in and enjoyed the latest Hollywood hits on the big screen. These days, drive-in theaters are relatively rare finds, and many kids are completely unfamiliar with them. If you’re fortunate enough to have one of these delicious anachronisms within driving distance, these are 10 of the reasons why you should visit the drive-in with your children.
- No Noise Concerns – Multiplex movie theaters urge their patrons to keep noise to a minimum, but that’s just not always easy for viewers of the younger variety. At the drive-in, you won’t have to worry about an usher asking you to leave when your little one’s questions disrupt the person next to you. As an added bonus, you won’t be forced to listen to the whispering of other viewers, either.
- No Cell Phone Irritation – If someone in the car next to you or sitting a few feet away on their beach blanket has a cell phone out, it’s not quite as glaring or as irritating as it would be in the darkness of an enclosed room.
- Time is Ticking Away – It’s an unfortunate fact that drive-in theaters are rapidly declining in popularity. Waiting around too long to take your kids to enjoy this singular experience could easily result in them missing out on it altogether. While there are still drive-ins scattered around the country, you should take advantage of them and make sure your kids have the memory when those gems no longer exist.
- Packing Your Own Snacks – Concession stand popcorn and candies at your local multiplex will be outrageously expensive, and almost certainly laden with chemicals that you don’t want your kids eating. Most drive-in theaters have a reasonably-priced snack bar, but will also allow patrons to bring in their own food and drinks.
- Sharing a Memory of Your Own Childhood – While your kids are still young enough to be fascinated by you and the things you experienced, jump on the opportunity to share this memory with them. When they’re teenagers, they probably won’t want any part of something so old-fashioned.
- Catering to Short Attention Spans – Kids aren’t always adept at sitting still for 90 uninterrupted minutes, which means that the multiplex is a challenge to little attention spans. Because they’re more than welcome to stretch their legs by wandering around the car or even playing between shows, your kids will be able to expend some of their boundless energy without disrupting other viewers.
- Catching a Double Feature – The double feature is one staple of drive-in theaters that’s been largely unchanged over the years. You’d find yourself in quite a pickle if you camped out in the multiplex to catch two films for the price of one, but drive-ins welcome patrons who are ready to settle in for a long visit.
- The Excitement of Something New – Your kids are growing up in the era of electronic everything. They’ve seen wonders that were astonishing to kids even a generation earlier so often that they’ve become commonplace. One thing that rarely fails to amaze them, however, is a totally new and unfamiliar experience. They’ve seen movies on their televisions, their computers and even your phone, but they’ve never seen one at a drive-in.
- Lower Prices – In order to compete with the multiplexes that are quickly putting them out of business, drive-in theaters often opt for older features that cost less for them. As a result, they’re able to pass on those savings to you.
- Getting Comfortable – No matter how hard a multiplex tries, their seats will never be as comfortable as a blanket stretched out on the ground or a favorite lounge chair. Especially for squirmy kids that like to move around.
Article submitted from http://www.nannyjobs.org