Summer Movie Club: Cheap Summer Movies for Kids in 2023

Summer is here, friends! Time for turning off the alarms, going with the flow and soaking up the Texas sun. Pools, barbeques, play dates, movies... I'm here for all of it!

When my girls were younger, we lived for cheap summer movies. It was a way to get out of the house, enjoy some air conditioning and entertain the girls before naptime with a great kids' movie. The offerings have varied quite a bit by theater over the years, but I'm happy to say some of the big chains are bringing back their cheap summer offerings this summer.

So if you need something to do that isn't outdoors because you need a break from the heat and/or the sun and you don't want to break the bank, add these cheap summer movie dates to your calendar!

Cheap summer movies for kids 2023

Cinemark Clubhouse: $1.50 kids movies, June 19- August 10

Catch movies every Wednesday at 9:30 am. You can get $1 off kids' snack meals during the show and catch movies such as Minions: The Rise of Gru and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. 

Catch these flicks at Cinemark in Mansfield on 287 & 157. 

AMC Summer Movie Camp for Kids: $3 Wednesdays and $5 Saturdays starting May 27

See a different movie every week starting May 27 for $3 on Wednesdays and $5 on Saturdays. Movies include The Paw Patrol Movie, Land Before Time and more!

Catch these flicks at AMC at Parks Mall or AMC at Eastchase and I-30.

Marcus Theatres/Movie Tavern Kids Dream Family Film Series: As cheap as FREE through August 5

Head to the website to grab two FREE tickets to any show! You can also buy tickets for $15 each to see a movie each week all summer long! Talk about a great deal. Plus there are discounts on snacks.

Catch these flicks at the Movie Tavern in Bedford or Forth Worth.

Studio Movie Grill Summer Children's Series: $6 movies include a snack through August 24

Studio Movie Grill has a different movie every week for the first showing of the day Monday- Thursday through August 24. Your $6 ticket includes a snack and a drink. 

Catch these flicks at the Studio Movie Grill at the Arlington Highlands or Lincoln Square.

Look Cinemas Summer Series: $2 movies

I can't find anything more than $2 movies this week for the Summer Series at Look, but hopefully there are more movies to come! This week you can see Trolls: World Tour for $2 each.

Catch these flicks at the Look Cinemas in Arlington at I-20 and Green Oaks. 

Other spots to search for free or cheap movies:

The library sometimes has free or cheap movies. Also check with local open-air spots, such as The Lot in Mansfield or The Levitt in Arlington. Epic Central in Grand Prairie is also a spot to watch. 

Where else have you seen cheap movies for Summer 2023?

Summer 2022 Kids Movie Programming- See Movies on the Cheap!

As much as I love summer, there are days when I just can't with the Texas heat. 

I want to retreat inside where the air conditioning is so cold I want to grab a sweatshirt!

For this reason, I love taking my kids to the movies.

For the past decade (decade! I literally can't believe I just typed that), I've been taking my girls to free and cheap summer movies as a way to entertain them on the cheap. Because, let's be honest. Entertaining kids during the summer can get crazy-expensive. 

Sing 2 is being shown quite a bit this summer at various summer movie clubs for kids. I still haven't seen it but my kids say it's wonderful!

Luckily, we live in an area with a lot of movie theaters that are awesome enough to offer fantastic summer programming that will get your kiddos out of the house and out of the hot Texas sun. Sure, the movies you'll see at a reduced rate aren't current blockbusters. But I never tire of Minions or Trolls or some of those movies my kids have watched on repeat for years anyway. 

So grab a few dollars and maybe text a friend- it's time to go to the movies!

Summer Movie Programming for Kids 2022- Arlington/Mansfield, Texas

Cinemark (Mansfield) Summer Movie Clubhouse-

June 15- August 3. $1.50 per movie. Movies are on Wednesdays. Plus enjoy $1 off kids snack packs or popcorn and drink combos. 

Summer Movie Clubhouse promo flyer, taken from the Cinemark website. 

Movie Tavern (Bedford) Kids Dream Family Film Series- 

June 5- September 1. $3.25 per movie, multiple showtimes per week. Snack on drinks and popcorn for $3 each during these special movies. 

Look Cinemas (Arlington) Kids Summer Series-

May 30- September 1. $2 per movie, 11 am showtime Monday- Thursday. I don't see any snack deals posted but their food is super yummy! We love the pretzel bites :)

Studio Movie Grill (Arlington) Children's Summer Series- 

May 30- August 11. $6 per movie, which includes popcorn and a drink. Movies shown Monday- Thursday at 10 am. 

As of this post, I cannot find any information about AMC Theatres doing any sort of summer programming. My emails for information have gone unanswered. 

Yay for inexpensive summer movies!