Maybe you already own a great projector and are looking for other ways to use it or maybe you’re wondering if it’s worth getting one if you’re not really that into watching movies but, either way, you’re in the right place. There are so many reasons why projectors are great to have around the house and a lot of ways to use one that you might not have thought of. Here are just a few of the many reasons why everyone should own a projector.
Top Benefits
If you already use your projector to watch movies, television shows, or to play your favorite video games in ambient light, you know a lot of the main benefits of having one. For anyone still on the fence, there are a lot of reasons why investing in a projector is a smart idea. Here are some things you might not have considered.
- Better than a TV! High-end projectors have an image that’s two or three times the size of a smart TV without a loss in image quality and great viewing angle and at a fraction of the cost.
- 3D images are much clearer on a projector than on a flat screen television.
- Portability! A portable and modern projector with a good resolution can easily go just about anywhere – take it to work or school for presentations or to a friend’s house to move movie night to a different venue.
- Who needs to go to the movies?! You can have an in-home movie theater experience with great picture quality without having to pay for expensive movie tickets and snacks.
- Gaming with friends! Using a projector takes playing video games to a whole new level, especially for large groups of gamers.
Awesome Things to Do with a Projector
There are a lot of exciting ways to use a projector with a decent resolution other than watching movies, television, or slideshows. Here are some things you might not have thought of before:
Make Bedtime Really Special
Screen time is such a huge thing with kids, these days, you might be wondering if there’s any way to use your projector that’s more interactive and educational. The truth is, there are so many things you can do with a projector that gives you a unique opportunity to interact with the children in your life.
Digital books allow you to turn a simple story before bed into something really special. Tuck the kids in and project their favorite books to the wall or ceiling so everyone gets an amazing view and there’s no arguing over who turns the pages.
Another fun thing to do it to use the projector light to make shadow puppets on the wall and create fun stories and characters together.
You can also project images of the night sky onto the ceiling when your children are trying to go to sleep. Whether you lay down and try to locate constellations together or you leave your kids to it until they doze off, this is truly an activity they’ll never forget.
Make Amazing Art
There are some art projects that you just can’t do without a projector. Tape a large piece of paper to the wall and have your child sit so their profile is projected against it to create a perfect silhouette. Project a large-scale design to create an outline for a mural or project onto a chalkboard to create a piece of gorgeous typographic art.
Create Your Own Pub Night
There are plenty of apps and digital sources for trivia-style games. Set up your projector, get some drinks and snacks, then invite your friends and family over for your very own pub-like trivia night. Don’t like trivia? There are tons of other options available, including word games and music games like finish-the-lyric. Alternatively, set up your gaming system and have a tournament of your favorite video game.
If the competitive play isn’t your thing, you can always host a karaoke night! Being creative with your projector is a way to spend the evening with your friends that’s more interactive than sitting around watching a movie and cheaper than a pub crawl.
Create a Festive Light Show
Use your projector to shine snowflakes, stars, sparkles, or even Santa on the side of your house at Christmas time or ghosts and jack o’lanterns at Halloween. But why stop there? Hearts for Valentine’s Day, fireworks for the Fourth of July… the list goes on and on. The best part? It’s practically effortless. You can light up your whole home without once having to climb a ladder to hang string lights.
Turn Night Swimming into a True Adventure
Project fish, sand, coral reefs, and maybe even a whale or two into the bottom of your pool when the sun goes down. Night swimming is always fun but adding these extra touches really turns it into an experience. Your kids will love it and you will, too.
Add Social Media Feed to an Event
You’ve likely seen a projector showing a slide show a birthday party, a wedding, or other event but there are ways to use it to encourage more interaction and maybe even go viral on the internet. Set up the projector so that it displays a Twitter or Facebook on the wall so that every post with your wedding hashtag streams live as its posted. This is a cool way for everyone there to see all the photos that are being posted. (One caveat: be sure to let your guests know that their posts will be up for all to see.)
A Different Kind of Entertainment Center
A projector is a fun way to have a movie night or play video games on a large screen but with a little creativity, you can use it to make just about any activity more fun. Whether you want to enjoy a festive home, entertain a group of your closest friends, or find a unique way to spend time with your children, a projector is an indispensable tool. There are so many uses that it’s almost a shame to use it only for watching TV and movies or for work and school presentations.