Mom’s genius hack has kids earn 'money' to spend at family movie night and we're stealing it

"Come on, we have to clean up or we can't go to the movies!"

April 21, 2020, 5:01 PM

With a trip to the movies out of the question amid a global pandemic, one mom got creative and brought the theater straight to home.

Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.

The brother and sister duo of Kobey, 9, and London, 6, have been taking the quarantine hard and were hoping for new activities to occupy their time.

"We've had moments where they cried because they were so bored. It was kind of hard to see," Gray, who is also mom to Jordan, 2, told "Good Morning America." "They're over their board games, videos games ... so I started doing something every Friday."

PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray
PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray

"Once I started creating the little props, it just went to another level," she said.

Gray crafted a concession stand complete with popular movie snacks and sold "tickets."

PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray

Kobey and London were encouraged to clean their rooms "the way mom and dad would" -- vacuuming and all.

PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray

They each earned $24 in make-believe movie money to spend inside their living room theater.

"They were like, 'Come on, we have to clean up or we can't go to the movies!'" Gray said. "They were very into it. It was like music to my ears."

PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray
PHOTO: Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray of Richmond, Virginia, had her kids do chores in exchange for "money" to spend at her makeshift family movie night.
Sadira Gray

Once they got to the theater they had to decide which movie they were going to watch.

Gray said the family also had "house party night" and, more recently, turned the living room into a science museum.